Cycling Thread 2

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Garbage ride home. Streets are full of snirt and very very hard to ride on if you are not rolling fat tires (I'm assuming as I skidded around everywhere on my studded 35mm's). Fox Hollow hill not touched, probably can't ride up it. Nose creek had a clearing pass but was already back up to around 3cm covered and bumpy and slick. Bow river pathway same way. I figure if the paths don't get cleared overnight I might actually take the car in, boo.

I think tomorrow is going to be a bit of a suffer fest, depending how much snow falls. Though it is supposed to stop soon. Most of my side streets were pretty compacted.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Garbage ride home. Streets are full of snirt and very very hard to ride on if you are not rolling fat tires (I'm assuming as I skidded around everywhere on my studded 35mm's). Fox Hollow hill not touched, probably can't ride up it. Nose creek had a clearing pass but was already back up to around 3cm covered and bumpy and slick. Bow river pathway same way. I figure if the paths don't get cleared overnight I might actually take the car in, boo.

Looking out my window today, that is brave of you. Where is Fox Hollow Hill?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Looking out my window today, that is brave of you. Where is Fox Hollow Hill?

It branches off the Nose creek pathway just north of 16th avenue. Climbs the hill next to Fox Hollow golf course and leads to the pedestrian bridge that crosses Deerfoot, right next to the old Calgary Sun building on the east side. It grinds my gears that it gets inconsistent snow clearing considering it is one of the only connections to the NE pathway system east of Deerfoot. Should be higher priority.

[Northendzone]

Tomorrow the wife and I are taking our first rip on e-bikes. She is not much of a cyclist, as she has never embraced climbing. I have suggested an e-bike for her last summer but she was against it.

It will be interesting to see what she thinks of this rig after tomorrow

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Tomorrow the wife and I are taking our first rip on e-bikes. She is not much of a cyclist, as she has never embraced climbing. I have suggested an e-bike for her last summer but she was against it.

It will be interesting to see what she thinks of this rig after tomorrow

Picked the best day of the year for it, too...

[RichieRich]

Ride from Home Road into downtown this morning was much better than expected with pretty sweet grippy snow which 99.99% hid ice from last week. Was only 10% slower than normal and that was riding a studded front and lower pressure rear. Near end of ride on crossed paths with the path cleaners around 8’ish.

Return journey this eve leaving 530’ish. I swear nobody cleared all day. Pretty rutty and deep sections so had to keep the pressure on and plow ahead wash here and there. Looked like a lot of other riders had skids and slides etc. took about 50% longer than summer so solid workout. Had be super focussed to stay upright on the 43mm front tire. I sure hope it gets pliéed tonight or earlier in the morning.

Am wondering if every year the city gets a new contractor and has to re-train them based off complaints of poor or inconsistent quality or clearing the middle of nowhere pedestrian path with nobody on it instead of the high use MUP immediately adjacent?

[calgarygeologist]

This likely wasn't you but I was driving home tonight just after 7 and there was a cyclist that tried to ride up Home Road. It was pretty slick and obviously he didn't make it much past 52 street before he lost all traction. Of course because he was on the road it backed up vehicles going up the hill and created chaos as some cars lost momentum and traction.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Picked the best day of the year for it, too...

Meh, we are currently in Cabo. 29 and sunny tomorrow…..but, I might be rolling the fatty in the Calgary weather

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

This likely wasn't you but I was driving home tonight just after 7 and there was a cyclist that tried to ride up Home Road. It was pretty slick and obviously he didn't make it much past 52 street before he lost all traction. Of course because he was on the road it backed up vehicles going up the hill and created chaos as some cars lost momentum and traction.

Nope not me, Today.
That’s a tough hill in the winter as the snow gets pushed to the side. Last few years I avoided riding up there and instead took a side street to avoid conflict. In all my years of winter riding I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had to walk that hill (the west side where there’s a path) - it’s skill, luck, finesse and fitness when it’s slick.

[Bigtime]

Don't know why I went for it this morning but I did. Sweepers haven't touched anything since whatever passes they made yesterday afternoon. Greasy and rutty everywhere, most of the ride was me correcting swerves as I constantly lost traction. Fox Hollow hill I proved my prediction of not being able to ride up it somewhat wrong, had to hike the first bit, but was able to ride the shallower slope up until the climb to the pedestrian bridge. Streets like 12th were a mess, just snirty garbage that I could barely ride in.

I really really really hope we get some clearing during the day today to make it rideable.

I should add that I was following some fat bike tracks, I'm guessing you'd have an easier time riding on one of those in these conditions.

[Fuzz]

All my paths were plowed and in good shape, bit of ice shining here and there...man, I forget how much effort it takes to ride in this cold, gotta be a 3x multiplier! Or I'm just getting old.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

All my paths were plowed and in good shape, bit of ice shining here and there...man, I forget how much effort it takes to ride in this cold, gotta be a 3x multiplier! Or I'm just getting old.

Definitely the cold, and definitely us getting older too. It compounds the challenge.

All my paths were plowed except for Fox Hollow hill, well past the 24 hour mark for clearing. So I've fired off the 311 requests.

[Northendzone]

Well yesterday we did our bike tour in Mexico, and it was alright. He bikes must have weighed 50+ lbs, and the chains likely had not been lubed since they left the factory. We went about 12k in total. Ripping up the packed single track was fun. And cruising the beach was cool, but the bike bogged down in the looser sand.

My wife dumped hiker bike three times, inCluding a nice one where she was not paying attention to what was in front of her and rode off a drop that was almost 3 feet on the beach. So I am feeling like she is unlikely to ask for an bike for Christmas.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Well yesterday we did our bike tour in Mexico, and it was alright. He bikes must have weighed 50+ lbs, and the chains likely had not been lubed since they left the factory. We went about 12k in total. Ripping up the packed single track was fun. And cruising the beach was cool, but the bike bogged down in the looser sand.

My wife dumped hiker bike three times, inCluding a nice one where she was not paying attention to what was in front of her and rode off a drop that was almost 3 feet on the beach. So I am feeling like she is unlikely to ask for an bike for Christmas.

Hope she’s ok after her crash and can now effectively double your budget for a new ride. Heh heh.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Definitely the cold, and definitely us getting older too. It compounds the challenge.

All my paths were plowed except for Fox Hollow hill, well past the 24 hour mark for clearing. So I've fired off the 311 requests.

Yeah many sections of the paths are going to turn into skating rinks pretty quick before they melt off. All thanks to a big snowfall and truly very slow and not great clearing. I swear every year brings new contractors who have to learn all the same lessons.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

Hope she’s ok after her crash and can now effectively double your budget for a new ride. Heh heh.

Thanks, she is pretty beat up physically and picked up several bruises, but nothing serious

[Icantwhisper]

Bump back to page 1, paths in the south completely different depending how far south you are, south of Glenmore is ice patches every 20 feet, north of Glenmore I could use my road bike to get to downtown

[Fuzz]

I made the mistake of forgetting to take 10th st, and ended up on my usual path down the bluff. As my yesterday brain suspected, it's a luge run. Ended up with one foot sliding on the ground until the sides lope got the better of me, and I had to resort to walking. Going to be awhile before this us usable again.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Icantwhisper

Bump back to page 1, paths in the south completely different depending how far south you are, south of Glenmore is ice patches every 20 feet, north of Glenmore I could use my road bike to get to downtown

Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing on my commute in. Except for a couple of side street sections one could have cracked out the summer bike today.

[Ryan Coke]

Gravel bike question for anyone with experience….

Anybody ridden a checkpoint with Isospeed? Or any other trek with it? Like it? Thoughts?

And more generally, is it worth getting a gravel bike with with some ride smooothening (isospeed, future shock, kingpin) or are the big tires good enough for ride quality?

I think I'm down to either a checkpoint or a Scott addict gravel. The Scott is fast and looks great, but is a little more limited than the trek.