On Dec 15, 5:38*pm, Mark wrote:
Jay Beattie wrote:
I feel for you, really. *We got snow over the weekend and are in the
middle of a cold snap -- but no where near single digits F. The snow
is only an inch or two downtown and has been reduced to sheet ice in
many places. I rode to work on my cross bike and had to get off and
walk in a couple of spots. I am going to have to pick my way home
until I get off the main roads and in to the hills. *I can't gain too
much elevation, or else I'll be sledding home. I'm probably going to
have to drive tomorrow or take the bus.

On a somewhat tech note, I went to put on my (car) snow wheels on
Saturday, [...]

Heh. *Last night I put on my /bike/ snow wheels. *Nokians work great:http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/nokian106.htm

Tomorrow I gotta try a bit lower pressure, though. *On the bike/ped
bridge facility, the footprints make hard-sided craters that you really
bounce through. *Crossing the bridge is quite a pounding.

Mark J. - 50 miles south of Jay, with a lot less snow.

Hey, I made it home last night on the sheet ice without any major
crashes, but I decided to take the plunge and buy some cheap studs
(Innova) from Bike Tires Direct (over near the airport) -- and after
my super-duper VIP discount, they were only about $26 a tire, which I
thought was not too terrible, even if I only use them a few times a
year. Beautiful blue skies today, but It's supposed to snow again
tomorrow, so I'll be really, really ready this time.

Last night, some guy yelled at me that I was supposed to be using
chains. I assume he was joking, but with all schoolmarmish behavior
towards bicyclists around here, I'm not quite sure. For you people
who see real winter weather, you would get a laugh out of the drivers
in PDX who panic over an inch or three of snow. The place practically
shuts down, and it turns to weather hysteria on the local news
channels.-- Jay Beattie.