Ridin': Lots of Water

[jerrykr]

Golly, you guys are amazing! Love the snow picture series. No kickstand needed huh?

 

[aka_locojoe]

I guess the Surly riders assume they'll float across any open water.
That selfie pic is great. Really like the snow pics when the sun is shining.

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks Pick! Yeah Skipton commutes so he's the real deal, I just go out to get exercise, fresh air, and have fun

Thanks Skipton, It was fun!
Like you pics of the deep snow, we have just been getting the bitter cold, Arghhhh!

Thanks Jerry! Yeah, that's why I take the kickstands off LOL!

Randy, it looked like the Surleys were trying...
Thanks for the comps

Okay so it's been bloody cold up here as most have seen from some of the posts lately
Didn't get out for a ride for 2 weeks...

Finally the sun came out and it got to ~30F and sunny but with a 15mph wind

Got out in the afternoon to get some of the last light
First hit the streets that were hard packed snow and rode pretty fast

Stopped at the community garden and tried the not so deep snow but just stopped
It stood up just fine (without a kickstand LOL)

Got on to the river road path on the Mpls side and it was mostly clear with some snow, so great
Nice to be able to see the east bank, Mississippi, and blue sky with no trees blocking

Went over to the St Paul side and it was all soft pack snow
It would have taken an hour to get back so I hopped on the clear/wet street
The street is pretty narrow and you have to keep a good eye out for traffic

Took the Lake street bridge back but rode the sidewalk versus the narrow bike lane and 45mph traffic
It was ~3" deep snow/slush/water and was a bit tricky but interesting
Like the way the snow turns blue on days like this

Back on the Mpls side and the components are getting slushed up but working well
One reason I like a sealed (and replaceable) BB

Back on the packed streets to head home went well but I was running out of steam LOL
One more from Franklin Ave Bridge

Looking forward to more (relatively) warmer days as Jan winds down
Thanks for looking
Steve

 

[jerrykr]

Steve you know I'm never critical, I love to see your pictures and adventures, but I do think that new camera has solved your OOF "problem". Ha! Silly thing is, of these, I like the OOF handlebar shot the best. (pay no attention the the man behind the curtain!)

 

[Skipton]

Steve,
The hard packed snow must feel fast. You guys got the REAL COLD we just had 17 below zero.

One good thing.... After it was so cold riding to work in 6 degrees felt warm

The bottom bracket sure gets covered when riding in the slush.

How do you ride in the winter with running shoes! Talk about Hardcore!

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I got my beast out in the thick of it to go get groceries, it was funny seeing a bicycle riding past trucks that were stuck.




That week was cold and snowed hard

 

[MplsCoaster]

Think your right Jerry, the new camera works a lot better .
Only OOfs for the action shots on lumpy snow, Wizard LOL!

Skipton, you couldn't have said it any better, fast pack and "warm" at +6F LOL.
Saw Chicago and the most of the rest of the country is getting a reallycold snowy winter too
The BB dries up pretty clean but the crunching this time says it's time to clean up the drivetrain...
I tell ya, those Brooks Cascadia shoes are great for walking, riding, and shoveling snow with their continuously flat and grippy soles (on the left) but I need a couple of sock layers because they "breathe". My running shoes (Nike Air Max) are a bit better for running in it (on the right)

Great to see you got out riding Outskirts !! and passed trucks! LOL
Your bike looks awesome all caked up with snow
I've heard how hard you've been getting hit hard, something like a 100" of snow and 14" normally?!
Plus the cold!! Hang in there and keep on riding...

So Last Sunday it got weirdly warm (35F) again. This is the third time so far! Not that I'm complaining (too much) and at least it's coming on the weekend but we could do with a break from the sub zero temps during the week. It's supposed to be -20F with a ~-40F windchill tomorrow Brrrrr!

So while I could I headed out in the neighborhood to see to if other people were enjoying it too.
Sure enough the ice rinks were packed with happy skaters of all ages.
Not enough room for bikes after the 3" of powder the day before...

The snow is really piling up and the plowing isn't quite clearing everything.
Here is one way of making sure your converted single speed doesn't get stolen LOL!!!

Lots of parents with kids playing in the snow.
Saw a dad building a snow fort and his little one was inside and only his tossle cap was visible .
So I started looking for snow men found this one first. It's a classic!

Went to the other park/rink and that one was hopping.
It was great to have the warmer weather and some sunshine too
Most of the time in MN it's either warmer and cloudy (and snowing) or super sunny and sub zero...

Laughed me head off when I saw this snow woman,
got to have a sense of humor to live on the frozen tundra LOL

Lots of different surfaces to make no-handed riding more challenging, packed snow, wet streets, loose pack and ice. These are the real "stripe-maker" streets LOL

Pulled out of this no-handed bobble by remaining calm and putting the camera away (duh, LOL)

I guess some people don't like finishing their snowmen, just keep rolling the base around to see who can make the biggest one

So I had a great shorter ride in the neighborhood. Not so lucky this weekend with the brutal windchills and the crazy junk coming in for tomorrow again (-20F with -40F WC) Arghhh!
Hopefully things will improve once we are out of January

Thanks for looking
Steve

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Calvin and Hobbes live nearby?

Luke.

 

[aka_locojoe]

Something about that last photo I find funny... The snowman builders in the cold Northern reaches of the US were a thriving civilization and then for some unknown reason they all disappeared.

Good to see you still at it. I admire your tenacity in what looks to be some pretty tough weather and riding conditions.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Something about that last photo I find funny... The snowman builders in the cold Northern reaches of the US were a thriving civilization and then for some unknown reason they all disappeared.

Good to see you still at it. I admire your tenacity in what looks to be some pretty tough weather and riding conditions.

SUMMER?

Carl.

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks guys, You're cracking me up!!
That's what I really like about this forum

Yeah Luke, C&H live just down the road Ha Ha!
Fantastic dry sense of humor Randy!
Good One Carl!

It IS getting harder to ride with the snow building up.
It got up to 27F on Wed (started at -9F in the morning ) so I had to get out there
Did my 8 mile river road ride and the snow is packed underneath but loose on top
so it's constantly trying to keep balanced and pushing hard (no coasting)
At night it makes it even a little trickier (non action shot LOL)

Was trying to find some new pics along the route
This is the sign for the Mpls Rowing club that was started in 1930 (they must have short seasons, LOL)
Think I was shivering and got an OOF

This ride really wore me out especially with a 15mph wind
I had to make a few water breaks along the way (luckily the bottle didn't freeze)

It's getting so much tougher to ride and run now with the snow piling up
But better to burn the winter fat layer away LOL
We got ~7" of new snow the next day (lots of shoveling lately).
With the snow banks at about 4-5 feet high,
I bet there will be flooding on the Mississippi again this spring...

But today is sunny and supposed to get to 20F
so after I get some more shoveling done, I'm going to head out again this afternoon, Yeah!

Thanks for looking
Steve

 

[LukeTheJoker]

You sir are a hardcore winter rider!

Luke.

 

[mikeeebikey]

Big props for snow man rides!
Years ago.....I reached a point where I thought it was never going to end, global warming was bringing on the next ice age! So I moved south.
Still 8 milers hurt, but the hypothermia is lessened a bit....
You da man!

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks Luke! In this part of the world you can't let the cold weather stop you for months at a time

Thanks Mikeee, glad you like the ride pics! It definitely feels like a new ice age this year. Saw that it's even hitting Randy hard in Kansas

Thanks Pooki42

So I took a short ride last Sat (before all the stuff happened with my Step Son) so I could get some sunshine but it was still pretty cold (~2F WC)

Headed up to Minnehaha Falls to see how the ice formed this year. Thought I'd take a shot to show how the snow banks are building up and the plow piles are getting deeper too

There was quite a few people at the Falls including this group ride

The Falls Looked really cool and there were at least a dozen people climbing up to and inside them. I was getting cold already so I didn't check it out any closer this time

I guess you have to appreciate the simple beauty of the snow and bare tree shadows

The sunshine helped warm things a bit but the really cold NW wind kept the photo sessions short.
Had to take advantage of someone's snow angel for a back ground shot
Really like the shiny metal and big meats on this bike

Headed home because my hands and feet were already starting to get cold but it was good to beat old man winter again

Thanks for looking
Steve

 

[kingfish254]

Always love the frozen Falls shots each year. It's like another world to someone that lives where it snow once every 30 years.

I like how the bike is just stuck in the snow here with no tracks.

When you made the snowmen builders comment, I immediately thought of C&H too. There are many cool panels of these, but my favorite is the second to last one Snowmen House of Horror with the sled slicing one in half.

 

[pick]

Steve: Awesome photos as usual & you guys up north are hardcore when it comes to winter riding! Keep entertaining us.

 

[oldgreaser]

This one is more proof why Minnesotans don't put kickstands on their bikes.....there always a snowbank to stick it in!

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks for the comments about the pic, Kingfish! I didn't ride it into that spot LOL. Great snowman comics! Now it's twice every 30 years isn't it...

Thanks Luke and Pick! I'll try to keep going. It should be a little easier now that the worse of the sub zero crap is (hopefully) over. We just got done with 17 days in a row below zero and a month and a half before that slightly above and below

Yeah, who needs kickstand Rick LOL

Am going to start naming my posts since the new format doesn't save them (I think...).
This one is "Difference between Night and Day"

I went for a ride to clear my head after first hearing about my Step Son about a week ago. It was about 0F windchill and I started getting brain freeze after about a mile. I was looking for a wind break and found this shot. It's Dowling Community Center and it was built in the early sixties as a school for kids with disabilities. So it hasn't got steps into it and the drop off area is large.
This one really fit my mood and is now one of my favorite shots of the season.

About 2.5 miles into the ride, my hands and feet were already tingling so I started heading back. Thought I's stop at Longfellow park to see how the ice rink was. It was really slick with large and low bumps so I tried riding on it and made it but only in a straight line.

When I was setting up this shot the young hockey player (on the far right) asked me "What's your setup?" I'm too old to know what that meant for sure so he asked if I was running a fixed gear. I told him I liked a coaster better and described the bike a bit. He said he rode all last winter (I said good job!) and he was working on his sixth bike, a fixie. I told him that was great and good luck on it as I was shivering and then I took this quick shot.

You know it's great how bikes bring people together and it really lifted my mood.


So fast forward to last wed and the weather was ~ 20F with a 5F WC. It's nice to know the days are getting longer and the warmer weather will eventually come. I got my first (kinda) daylight weeknight ride and it was great! The roads and trails were ice and snow packed with some light stuff on top but I made it my whole 8 miler, yeah!

Snow really packed on the bike and my water bottle mostly froze but it seemed easier in the light

By the time I was finishing it was getting dark again. You can tell in this shot (non-action) that the streets are getting more narrow due to the snow bank build up. At this point of the winter, us Minnesotans are forced to be "Minnesota Nice" (or at least polite) and take turns pulling over so on coming cars can get through. I swear this is part of our survival techniques in the frozen Tundra, LOL

Thanks for looking
Steve

 

[aka_locojoe]

Sorry to read about your stepson. We'll be sending positive thoughts your way.
I really like that photo at the Dowling Community Center.
It's really cool when you meet up with someone who may be at the opposite end of the bike spectrum yet you still have something in common and appreciate what the other is doing.

 

[mikeeebikey]

You snow riders are a bad butt bunch! I couldn't and wouldn't, no way!
In the wise words of Frank Zappa, "don't eat the yellow snow where the Eskimos go!"

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks Luke and Carl

Thanks so much Randy.
And You are so right!

Thanks Mikee! If you were stuck in your house for 5 month out of the year,
you might find a way to have fun in the snow too.

So this week it got crazy and warmed up the low 40's (of course after 3" of new snow).
I had to get a ride in. It was really messy and challenging.
I got through the sloppy Community Garden path pretty good.

The river road path was like a cold lake but I had to stop and try this shot.
My feet got soaked but I think it was worth it

Ended up going back through the streets which was worse than the path.
Dodging drivers and curb-to-curb ice lined puddles.

We paid for our "warm" weather with a huge storm which started with 4" of heavy "Heart Attack" snow (like shoveling buckets of water), only to be followed by 40mph-wind blizzard and 6 more inches of snow

Driving to work the next morning, I avoided the 964 accidents that happened.
It looked cool and I saw the real die hard bike commuters (Man they are tough!)

So now everything is really frozen again (washboard roads and solid ice chunks, some ~50lbs)
and we are going back into the deep freeze with the polar vortex all this week
so I won't be riding again probably until next weekend

Thanks for looking
Steve