BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Me

The wheelmen site says this ride has been going since the 1970s. Does that make it the city's longest standing group ride?

in

If i can't make it I'll send Mrs. marvelous in my place

In...would love to say hello to many of you, whom I've never met before. I'll wear something recognizable and unique!

Sounds like fun, but I'm not sure if I'll be back in Pittsburgh at that point. I bought a one way ticket to FL for the holidays to visit my family so that I could be flexible for new years plans.

In.

Also in email contact with ejwme, who said she's a likely.

Im not quite sure where ill be, but does/will/could this ride include the ploar bear plunge at the MOn WHarf?

The Polar Bear Plunge is much earlier - I think around 8 or 9.

So, obviously, if you are really tough you'll do the Polar Bear plunge, then Icicle Bicycle, then, I don't know, sunbathe nude on the Point.

I'm in

In!

This would be fun to do in an abominable snowman costume.

dammit. i really should know better than to leave town for holidays. this time i get back on the 4th.

glad i finally worked out my glove situation.

if tending bar on new years eve doesn't completely destroy me, i think i'm in.

I'm probable.

most likely, yes.

ill be there as long as theres no ice or snow on the roads i dont wanna wipe out and and break a hip or something

I know how to fix fractured hips. You're covered!

@ajbooth - I hope "unique" will with the helmet from your avatar! That would be so cool!!

I'm a gametime decision. Planning yes but......

@Stef, i'll pack an extra pocketknife and some ducktape.

roadside hip setting ftw.

FB event for this ride

https://www.facebook.com/events/549575218393253/

Planning.

Really really wonderful writing. Relatable, if it ever gets cold;

http://momentummag.com/articles/how-to-bike-in-deep-winter/

^Yes, well written (thanks for posting), but Oh, that sounds so awful. I do not want to bike in -40 temperatures, ever. no. not even for the glory of having done it. Yeesh.

Would I feel/be bad ass if I ever did ride at -40, hell yes!!! I'd tattoo it somewhere.

I plan going unless really hung over

How fast/slow is this ride? Trying to 1) decide on our plans and 2) decide which bike to bring if we come.

Slow. I wasn't there last year, but the year before we rode maybe 12 miles and stopped at least 3 times for hot chocolate or some other reason; the pace was super-casual when riding.

There is sometimes a faster post-ride ride

Bruce is thinking about night light up Jan 1st. I don't know if it's going to happen yet. He wanted to blast an e-mail to WPW list too.

in-unless I have to work or something.

I highly recommend BIKING on the first day of the new year, but if hiking is more to your liking, there is also a hike in Raccoon Creek Park you may want to try.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-west/raccoon-creek-state-park-to-take-part-in-hike-on-first-day-668032/

Nice, thanks for that tip. Raccoon is very nice, wish I could do both! That reminds me, I need to do some winter camping.

Looking like this year is the real deal!! Some years are wet or warm-ish.

Low 16

High 32

The weather psychics were forecasting a high probability of snowfall as well.

Dress warm for this one.

It's about time!

I posted in the Facebook event, but I will also let those of you not on Facebook know that the trails (at least the jail trail) are still covered with ice and snow this morning. The route appears to take the jail trail and the south side trail for a majority of it. I am not sure if the route would be changed to road only, but if it isn't, bring fat, knobby tires/studded tires for the trail, unless you have good bike handling skills on slick skinnier on icy footprints and tire grooves that go every direction.

Looks like I'm letting a few pounds out of the tires tonight then. Swapping out equipment is not gonna happen.

I normally run 65-80 pounds; might drop it to about 40. (On the unicycle at college, in the winter I had the tire at about 25#.)

Got an email from Marc (guy heading the ride) about the ride.

It starts at REI Southside at 11 a.m. From there it crosses over to the Eliza Furnace Trail and heads downtown. We end up on the North Side and go to the 16th St or 31st St bridge. Then downtown and cross the Smithfield St bridge to South Side Trail/Carson st back to REI. Come early for coffee/tea/hot chocolate."

I put in a 311 request that it be cleared, but there is no certainty that they will even get the request today (is the City working?)

Additional 311 requests might be motivational..... maybe.

I just exchanged emails with Marc Yergin, who says the route is adapted to Probably Carson to Smithfield to 6th Street Bridge to General Robinson to River to 16th St Bridge. See yinz all tomorrow.

Thanks. Remember we are supposed to get additional acumulatiom by tomorrow. Hoping that the streets don't turn to shit again.

I tried to ride in to town on 700 x 28's on the trail this morning, but bailed part way and took 2nd Ave the rest of the way. I will not be riding home on that in the dark tonight on New Years Eve.

If anyone is out riding, and you make it out towards the Science Center, there is a rack on the trail side of the building and it will be open. You can use the cafeteria without coming all the way into the building.

Looks like an inch and change, and sub-freezing the whole time, so just enough to make things {pick one: interesting | difficult | chancy | slippy | type 2 fun}.

I'll take "What are Soggy Britches" for $200, Alex.

Hubby and I are in, but now I'm debating if I should switch to the knobby tires on my pink bike, or bring my new ride that I got for xmas. What is everyone else riding, given the route change and current snow predictions?

Not an ideal solution, but the 'qualified' public use sjovels are now in place along EFT. Email/PM me if you want access/combination.

I don't have knobby tires or a mtb, but i'm hoping to come along anyway...Hmmm..

I made a test run on the unicycle. It might just work.

I just put knobies on the MTB. It's a little slow, but probably safer than the 25's.

Im gonna do my best to make it in. Its not the ride. But the ride to the that is making me wonder. @marko. Call me if im not there by the start

So is anyone using a bike with slick skinnies? My street is just wet, but I am not sure about other streets.

My streets, including the alley on the corner, are also just wet. Hubby is riding on slick skinnies for sure. I'm still undecided.

Dammit there is snow on the road again.

Peering out the window of Carnegie Science Center around 11:40, I saw what I assume was this group- 32 cyclists coming from the casino heading towards town.

Anyone have any idea whaqt kind of shape the jail trail is in?

Skipped out on doing this official ride, but Emma and I went out on our own first day ride. We rode from Bloomfield to Downtown and then decided to check out the state of the jail trail. From the jail parking lot it was clear that the trail was uncleared, but there appeared to be a bit of a trail worked in it, so we decided to give it a go. That "trail" ended about 100' in, but we kept on. It is passable, but you probably want some beefier tires. i think we both have 32's. We slipped around a lot but we slowly made our way to the other end and then through Junction Hollow as well.

Was fun, but the trail certainly isn't commuter ready.

this is the basic state of the trails...

The temperature is going to start dropping, so the mildly impassable mush will soon turn into completely impassable ice ruts. Yay!

Everything was very smooth and easy today. The weather was warmer than expected, I think, around freezing, and we stayed on the roads, which were merely wet. It was a very nice Icicle Bicycle.

Everything was very nice.

Anybody got any online pictures from today's ride? TIA.

the jail trial looks better than it has been. when i was through there yesterday morning, there were already frozen track marks and foot prints everywhere.

i have some blurry pictures of people standing around before the ride. none on the ride, as it is painful to take my gloves off to use my phone to take pictures.

stu had a flat. did you get that fixed before the ride, stu?

i am very happy with the large turnout. there had to have been over 100 people there on a cold day with snow on the ground. i think this reflects the increase in number people who have started to bicycle. this is very exciting.

i believe it is channel 11 that interviewed Dan B. just know that i was behind the camera man interviewing him trying to make Dan laugh. It was either that, or do the Pee-Wee herman dance in the background, but I wanted the footage to be used.

Great ride. So happy i went. It was one of my goals for the year. Now to the rest of them

The Cheescake Factory kitchen crew kept peeking out the door at us -- great turnout.

so glad i went, unsure how i ended up as route relay - pseudo marshal, but i guess its just how i end up rolling on these rides.

still amazed i swapped a detective innertube inside of 4 min. #madpowersftw.

Great ride today and a very impressive turnout. Does anyone have an official headcount?

I believe it was 125

You can check out my FB page for some pictures from today's ride:

https://www.facebook.com/brent.hudock?ref=tn_tnmn#!/media/set/?set=a.10151326961430827.497263.658185826&type=1

May have to copy/paste the link.

Not a great video, but shows a little about the day.

Yes, some parts are in fast motion to get through it quicker.

hooty, your facebook is locked down and i can't see the photos.

dan, nice video. I always enjoy them. I kept trying to look up while watching the video to see more, but it didn't work haha.

^Yeah, I need to raise my camera mount, jeesh.

i do this with my camera sometimes and i try to look up while watching it, too! do you have a certain program you like to use to edit these?

perhaps changing from a headmount to a handlebar mount.

@stefb - iMovie for editing - built-in with the MacBook Pro. It's fairly easy to get started and edit at the low levels I use.

@pbeaver - yeah, might be a good idea - easier to turn off and on too, I bet.