Sorry for the non-posting in November - - it was a quiet month...and that's a good thing, since wintertime can bring more weather to deal with. Like today, we're getting our first real snow...they're predicting 1-3 inches, depending on your location. I swapped out my regular mountain bike tires on the mountain bike and put the studded tires back on. You feel kinda silly riding with studded tires on dry pavement....but the snow started about 10 a.m., and since it's been pretty cold lately, the snow is sticking quickly. So I'll be thankful for the studded tires when I get off work.There's a bike commuter guy who I pass often, and in the winter, I call him "Stud Man" because you can hear the studs on his tires as he rolls by. :) I saw a number of other guys on the path this morning with their road bikes, and thought that they will have a little trouble tonight when they head home....but me and Stud Man will make it with no problems. :)
The Ride Home:
Since this is my first winter at my new place, I wasn't sure what to expect for the winter's ride home, as far as sidewalks being cleared, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to see, as I approached the Crystal City bike tunnel, that the path had been plowed and salted to the pavement! So that made it easy going up the hill on the other side of the tunnel into Crystal City. :) Since there is a train line that a lot of people take, and there are a lot of pedestrians for the various office buildings along the streets there, the sidewalks were immaculately cleared and salted. MUCH better than riding on the road for a little bit. When I came up to the Air Force Memorial area, the sidewalks were totally cleared there too...and also along the way to my apartment building! How nice! What great service! So the bike path and 14th Street Bridge were the only places with 3-4 inches of snow to contend with, and that wasn't too bad. It took me a few minutes to get my "snow legs" back, and getting my balance and loosen up on the handlebars as I ride. :)
