[newleaf150]

It's an over rated Park tool and poor picture quality because as usual I was in a hurry

​

An important tool, indeed! Hard to do without something like this.

 

[newleaf150]

I don't always comment, but I always enjoy the pics posted here. Thanks, all! Keep 'em coming!

 

[newleaf150]

Sad to see a bike shop like that. It'd be interesting to know why it closed. It would look much better open and attracting new customers/addicts

 

[newleaf150]

Couple of sunset shots from the beginning of this evening's ride.

For once, it looks brighter than it was. Gotta have headlights Great ride.

 

[newleaf150]

Nice ones, Buffalo!

 

[newleaf150]

Great 9mi today. 25*f, light north breeze. Mostly dry pavement with some liberal helpings of frozen, foot-churned snow and some outright ice.

Given my studded tires, I'll take solid, smooth ice to frozen, foot-churned snow any time. The foot-churned stuff is quite challenging. As I discovered later, the really interesting part comes when it's time to descend the hill through the crud. You absolutely must keep your speed down, but stability demands that the cranks spin, and it needs to be against resistance. How does that work? Think riding the rear brake...a lot.

Cycled up to and around a small local lake. It's completely frozen over, but you wouldn't catch me dead out on that ice just yet. I am hoping to get some miles in on a frozen lake later in the season, though, once it's thickened enough to be safe.

This looks bad, but the snow was sparse and well-compacted enough that it was just bumpy.

Overlooking a golf course. I don't think anyone was out enjoying the links today. In fact, I was tempted to check out the cart path, but decided against it. Getting to this location from my start point involves, among other things, a bit over a mile of solid climbing, varying grades.

It would have been nice to stay out for a few more miles, but I've got to upgrade my footwear, first. I just can't seem to keep my feet warm for long. Cycling in the cold is challenging, and when you add snow and ice, you get a whole new dimension of difficulty. I'm loving it.

 

[newleaf150]

I like your kick stand, NL.
Hey, it's starting to snow in Massachusetts. Blizzard warning and all. This was yesterday's sunset. Stay warm.

Great shot, Andy! I hope this morning finds you warm, safe and enjoying electrical power.

Glad you like the kickstand; I'm thrilled with it. If you're interested in a good bit more info, my review can be found here.

Hats off to you newleaf. I haven't been out once since it has gotten *cold*. Guess I have "thin" skin, lol. I find it curious that you run fenders in the winter/with studded tires. I would think that much would get packed in between the fender & the tires.

But I understand, that you also want to keep the tires from throwing all that stuff all over your clothes & the bike. Anyway, looks like fun, & I can't wait for March or April...

Thanks Katz! It's a lot more difficult to get out in the cold, especially the first few times. Takes trial and error to get the clothing mix right. It's very rewarding, though. The pics really don't begin to tell the story.

When it comes to fenders, I mounted mine with some extra clearance from the tire. They are wonderful for mixed conditions where a section of ice and snow gives way to a big, semi-frozen puddle or morass of slush. The bike still gets dirty, but it's a whole different order of magnitude from what I dealt with last season on my fender-less MTB.

Thus far, I've not had trouble with snow build-up under the fenders. There are many different types of snow, though, and my on-bike experience in snow remains limited. It may be that I'll eventually run into some which causes trouble; so far, even at low speeds, my tires have shed snow pretty well.

We're forecast for snow this afternoon and into tomorrow, though, so I may get some more testing in, soon

 

[newleaf150]

The snow was sticking for hours weighing down trees & lines. The wind got a little scary in the wee hours when I couldn't see through snow caked window screens. The lights flickered but stayed on.
It took a couple shifts to reach the street. The front door will get cleared tomorrow. Sarah had fun, too.

Digging out. Nice :thumbsup: Given the personal history you've shared in previous posts, I have to say I'm especially thrilled at your earlier conversion to cycling and fitness! Having shoveled my share of shallower but still wet, heavy snow, I must say your pic looks like the kind of job that might kill or seriously injure someone with too much determination and too little cardiac capacity.

For any who haven't had to dig their way out of even 6" of this kind of snow, it's a serious workout. It's also really easy to miss the extended exertion and its dangers when you're facing the necessity of getting it done before you can leave your home in any way but very awkwardly on foot. Snow falls on couch potatoes and cyclists alike.

I'm glad to hear your electrical power held out, too! I hope that happy state of affairs keeps up! Even more that you and your bike can find your way safely back onto the road sooner than later! Take care of yourself, Andy.

 

[newleaf150]

Glad to hear you're safe, Andy. Smart move to get out and check the roof after that kind of snow. It's amazing how bright sunlight on largely unbroken snow can be. Sunglasses can literally become PPE (personal protective equipment) at that point. It takes time, but that kind of brightness can blind! Stay warm.

 

[newleaf150]

Great shot, erk, thx for posting!

 

[newleaf150]

Nice one, BJ! Little slice of cycling heaven.

 

[newleaf150]

Well-done, John! I bet it was fun to pose for the pic, too

 

[newleaf150]

Part of Denver's downtown across the Platte river. Note the 'bent with fairing in the mid-background at the treeline.

Beautiful view, but pretty noisy with traffic on I-25 just on the other side of the concrete wall on the right.

 

[newleaf150]

Dremel your cables for smoother operation:

Grr. Good idea, and a reason to buy a dremel. I've got a set of disc brakes in need of installation.

Just bought a Park cable/housing cutter, planning on picking up the cables and a torque wrench this weekend. Now I need a dremel, too .

Thanks, Hack

 

[newleaf150]

I noticed this once when I brought my bike back into the garage after a few miles in single-digit temps.

 

[newleaf150]

Go John! How cool is that? Congrats!

 

[newleaf150]

The pics in this thread just keep getting better. Thanks to all the contributors!

 

[newleaf150]

^^ nice!

 

[newleaf150]

Created during an exercise.

Ouch, is that you? What happened?

 

[newleaf150]

Looks like someone may have forgotten the rule about keeping the rubber side down If so, I hope the impact wasn't too bad.