Anyone Riding To Work...Rain Or Shine?

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5-7HEAVEN

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My new year's resolution is to give up my $81 monthly covered parking stall and sublet my other $47 monthly stall. Then I plan to motorbike to work, rain or shine.

Driving in is an option on the one or two days that I have school after work. Otherwise I'd like to bike in the 12-mile roundtrip.

My old phone company-issued rain suit that I used to work in rain-soaked weather is in good shape. A spare raincoat will be carried on the bike.

Two motorized bikes will be for alternating use. One is "The Iron Dragon", a 7-speed cruiser with twin Mitsubishi engines, front friction and rear chain drive assemblies. The backup will be my Whizzer bike. On wet roads chain drive rules while my friction drive is disengaged. Unsure how Whizzer belt drive works in the rain.

Is anyone else besides the billions of Chinese bicyclists committed to ride in good AND bad weather?:D
 
I'm pretty committed. I've managed to get myself covered up enough to ride in anything down to 0 deg F. That's either actual zero or some higher temp with wind chill.

But we also have to take built up snow and ice into consideration. That can sometimes force us into traffic more than is safe. So we're not really able to ride in the heart of winter. A ride for fun on some safe, open road every now and then is the best we can do.

But I'm willing to ride in rain.

So perhaps I'm 3/4 commited.
 
i'm super commited, i ride very rural county roads that are empty at the time i need to be using them. in town on each end of my trip i have nice wide well plowed streets.

building a new bike this winter with many delays kept me off the road when it was -40* windchill when you weren't even moving, i didn't miss that.

we are experiencing "the thaw" as of this morning, it's going to be in the mid 40's today and the forcast is to keep building that way.

so from now on i'll be out there no matter what, i don't have car backup anymore.

steve
 
Good for you, Steve. I wish I could give up the auto. But it's not do-able yet.

I could definitely like being an MBer in a place like Napannee. With all the Amish traffic I suppose you have a place to ride in most conditions.
 
I commend you snow and ice riders. There are far more dangers for you on the road than for me.

It MIGHT rain 30 days out of the year where I live. Basically it's an inconvenience for me.I live on high ground and it's a pretty safe drive to work. Rain is a godsend here because we need it. I just have to be more cautious about drivers who might not see me. I also need to drive slower and more carefully.

The suspension fork will be installed on "The Iron Dragon, so might as well go for the front disc brake.

My co-workers think I'm crazy for biking to work. They'll REALLY think I'm bonkers when I purposely ride in wet weather.

Can't blame them 'cuz my co-workers melt in the rain.:D
 
i never had to make that sacrifice, give up my car or motorcycle...can't afford either on my budget, anyway...i had to find something that wouldn't eat better than me, and i sure did!!

i ride year-round, in everything, 40mph sideways rain is interesting...all my errands are very close, but pleasure-riding can be 10-20 miles, also in everything.

for the toughest weather, i use hightop duckboots, columbia "ibex" rainsuit, & a neoprene facemask...snug as a bug...sometimes the toughest conditions are the most fun, then an errand turns into a pleasure ride...right past my house and down the road.

it takes a lot to make the full-time committment in a working environment, but not so much to sustain it after you're properly geared up...i really respect anyone making that leap, and i feel that the working MB'er is the TRUE pioneer :cool:
 
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Any good waterproof gloves out there? My leather gloves get soaked and the phone company's gloves might be too big. (They're made to withstand high-voltage electrocution from overhead power lines.)
 
Good for you, Steve. I wish I could give up the auto. But it's not do-able yet.

I could definitely like being an MBer in a place like Napannee. With all the Amish traffic I suppose you have a place to ride in most conditions.


well for the most part drivers are very attentive because of all the bikes and buggies around here.

BUT, we also have the senseless hooligans that think it's sport to drive up past you with a ball bat out the window or the nut jobs that drive by a buggy and pop a 22 or 32 cal. round in the horses lung.

Amish, bike riders HAVE to be the most dedicated out there. this yr. while it was -40* and 12"+ drifts on the roads they were out there morning and night, getting on with life.

steve
 
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Any good waterproof gloves out there? My leather gloves get soaked and the phone company's gloves might be too big. (They're made to withstand high-voltage electrocution from overhead power lines.)

the best and cheapest totally waterproof glove for warmish weather is a silk glove liner under a pair of the toughest "playtex" type gloves you can find.

steve
 
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