Commute in ice, rain or snow

[Daniel Korman]

What are some of the best ways of commuting in Oregon's finest weather?

* Snow
* Rain
* Ice
* Hail
* and of course all of our favorites "THE WIND"

Lets hear your best methods/suggestions of clean air act of transportation or alternative transportation (carpooling and etc).
I am looking for ways that others could benifit without having to use petrollium energy.
i.e. what type of clothings, buses, special routes that might be listed online or on a specific T.V. station or just ruff it out like a true Oregonion.
:-)

[Emett]

Ok, here's a quick answer from the biking angle:

SNOW is not really a problem for bikes, it is surprisingly soft, and balancing is not a problem -- in a straight line. Turning, braking, and stopping are inpaired, just like a car. Ice hiding under snow is a bad bad thing. I've hit some going straight and was just glad that I wasn't turning or stopping. So if it just starts snowing while your at work with just your bike to get you home, you'll be OK, late, but that's OK for going home.

RAIN: Well, you and your bike get wet and grimy. Lots of rain=really wet, little rain= really grimy. But just Go for it. A little extra oil on the chain (don't wipe off excess as is usually recommended) will protect it from rusting if you not able to quickly clean/dry and re-oil it. Bounce the bike at the end of the ride to get extra water and grime off. lots of wipe downs help. You know how some people use a paper towel to open the bathroom door to keep their hands clean after using, well after that I just stuff the paper towel in my pocket to keep for bike and chain wipe downs.
It's been a really wet rainy year, yet not that many bike rides end up being wet ones.
But, it's still a big deal. I'll write more later in the gear discussion.

ICE: Forget it! Tried it! You just fall. Get a ride if anybody is crazy enough to drive. Use the bus. Maybe if you lived with ice for months of the year you'd look into finding a solution like spiked tires...

HAIL: Biking in hail, it's like going 60 in a rainstorm on motorcycle. It hurts and stings. Don't forget slush. Bikes like slush! But your frozen toes will never forgive you, and there could be ice hiding again.

WIND: For me, a nasty head wind has added over 20 minutes to a usually 45 minute commute. It has made me late. More times than flats! (Late to work causes: left late is #1, wind is #2, flats is #3, feeling sick and weak #4)

thanks for the topic DK!
ok, c-ya. -e

[Emett]

I found an informative site about winter biking! ICEBIKE.com or ICEBIKE.org
So, with studded tires, you can take on all the icy roads you can handle. This site has great biking advice for bike commuters too, geared toward winter biking survival. They've got advice and reviews of equipment and ya, check this one out! I'll add it to the main page link list too...

[Emett]

A windy story:

During the onset of the “Arctic Blast” last week, I was biking home with the powerful east wind at my back, and not enjoying it due to my freehub being frozen (18 F should be too warm for that to happen, but it does!) and only engaging intermittently. Well, I had heated up, so I took off my gloves, but after just a few blocks my fingers were freezing again, and since stopping meant I'd probably lose power again, I just went no-handed for a moment to get them on, when WHAM, the wind blasted a gust from the north, my right side, with no warning. I was fully aware this was possible -- having been buffeted a few times already -- so I was kinda ready, but wow! Strangely enough, due to the way the wind actually turned the wheel, my fall was toward the curb, and I would've recovered fine if I weren't quite so tilted or the curb hadn't been there. The curb tripped us (the Mistress and I) and we went down. Minor road rash only. Ripped the knee of a 12 year old pair of rain pants, no noticeable damage to the bike... So I jumped up, because the worst part is the embarrassment of so many witnesses --- I was just passing the rear cars in a long line of cars waiting for a light (all polluting, mind you!) at about 122nd and Glisan, and also a pedestrian witness. The walker asked if I was alright, and suggested I bike safely. I didn't even want to tell my wife when I got home, but I like to tell stories... So there you go.

[Emett]

And as addendum: I solved the frozen freehub problem on the next two mornings!!! The freehub is the part that allows a bike to coast and it is super important to all bikers -- except for the fixxy-only crowd. They would never have this issue at all with their bikes!

The issue is that it would not give power from a stop, or even if I just stopped pedaling, and a full strength stroke would make it "skip" once I did get it to engage. The skipping feels a lot like the chain getting old and slipping past a few rear gear teeth. I was fooled by that feeling a few years ago and got the chain and cassette replaced, only to still have the same failure mode. That time the freehub went out completely and I had to get it replaced (10,000 to 15,000 miles on that unit). The slipping can hurt you when you suddenly "fall" onto your seat.

The solution: I used my new-to-me coffee thermos to carry hot water home with me! Pouring a little hot water on the rear gears and hub totally worked! No sign of the issue returned for about 6 miles, and so then I just did it again. Cool. In so many ways.

Later I found out those three mornings were the three coldest consecutive days ever in all of Portland's recorded history!