Transportation

[TC Chris]

Today I rode the bike to work for the first time in '26. We've had a bit of a melt-down, with temps in the low 30s, so there was room at the edge of the streets for me to claim a bike lane. Ice is not a problem. The studded tires take care of that. The problem is congealed mush from cars driving over the snow before the plows get there. Then the plows toss it into my lane. But today it was in the 30s again and I had no excuse so I backed the winter warrior out of the garage and rode. The only hard part in the morning was the last 1/2 block where I have to ride on a sidewalk, and it had its own kind of congealed mush. Disaster was narrowly averted. Coming home as it got dark, it was all reflective pants clips, reflective vest, and flashing lights.

There aren't many winter bike commuters around here, although the numbers are inching up. Most people express surprise that somebody does it. My response is usually, "How many times have you ended your commute in your car and said, 'wow, I feel great?' " Well, on the bike....

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

Maybe you need an all-wheel-drive bike? You are a brave soul, I'll give you that. You have grit, a most desirable human trait....

There was a small town in southern Indiana I passed thru on my way to the grain dump. I had to go around a fair curve downtown. There was the customary storm drain on that curve and if traffic was heavy coming toward me, I had to drop the trailer tandem in that storm drain. When it was raining, the wise pedestrian or bike rider would cut a wide swath from that storm drain, in case the errant trailer tandem was to give them a bath....