You guys really have the worst of it.

I complain when it gets down to 11c at night in winter here.

We don't have salt on our roads or jumping slugs, but we do have a nocturnal creature called the Wombat!

Man these things are like cast iron. They have been known to rip the sumps out of cars if you hit them so imagine what it's like on a bike .(Google it) I have had a couple of near misses cranked over on a corner at daft vader speed in the dark of night. These incidents trigger a change of underwear because you know if you hit one you are history. This has happened to me a few times.

Still think I have the better end of the stick with the conditions that I enjoy here. I have only ever seen snow 3 times in my 58years. Once in the Snowy Mountains when I was a kid, once in the Swiss Alps, and once at the Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky Distillery in Scotland.With the last one I'm sure it was snow, but it could've been the tasting that I enjoyed at the distillery.

I admire your commitment.

 

I live just outside of Detroit. There will be no bikes on the road for another month at least. No bikes. None. Snow removal here is not so good. It's better this year but still not very good.
I hear down in Texas there is a little varmint that will tear out the oil pan on your car if you hit it, known as a Texas Cannonball. I hit a June bug with my chest while going about 70 MPH. I was pretty sure I'd been shot.

 

Methinks you've never been shot in the chest.

 

Chicago winters. One day the streets and yards are about clear, the very next... 24" of snow in 24 hours. And snow drifts 4 feet + deep.

High today a balmy 15F (-9.4C). Which is not as cold as 2 weeks ago where we did not get above 0F (-17.77C) for days.

I know our Canuck brothers can see much lower temps and more snow but none of them have to contend with 5 ~ 8 million other road users within a 2,000 sq mi (3,219 sq km) urban area.

BTW, the photos were taken the morning after Super Bowl Sunday on which I had already cleared away 12" of snow.

 

Yeah, rode today. Maybe a bit soon after the ice storm yesterday. Some of the most snow I have ridden through. It was also only 21* so ice was a certainty. The real problem was that no one shoveled the sidewalks so nowhere to park.

Went mountain biking last night just to get out of the house on 2 wheels. A very windy 17* and very rutty snow after the 4" of snow & slush froze. Nice hour ride.

 

Are you in that picture, joe? I can't see you or your bike.

 

This made me laugh out loud... Good one.


James

 

If you think a junebug hurts, try a pigeon in the chest. Its like a Tyson punch.

(No, never been hit by Tyson, but its at least a chicken shot out of a canon.)

 

What's a June Bug?

I hit a Major Mitchell Parot once at 160kmplus out in the bush once and it glanced of my helmet. The noise was incredible and the guys behind me were covered in blood and guts.

My ears rang for three days and my balance was shot, so I just sat at the bar of the local hotel and drink beers while my mates had fun hunting.

On the ride home I was very wobbly but made it home and then went to bed for 2 days before I felt right.

No snow here but raining!

 

I was hit in the chest (open jacket) with a dollop of bird **** cranked over on an off ramp on my way back to work from lunch once. That was like getting hit in the chest by a dollop of bird ****.

 

smokinjoe the urban mountain man. That's very hard core stuff, but it's nothing compared to what I have to deal with.
National Weather Service

 

I have hit some pretty big bugs, some that stung thru a leather jacket.

One time I was tooling along at about 5:00am about 70mph between rice fields and caught movement from the side and ducked my head. I had what had to have been a large owl miss me by a couple of inches. I am glad I noticed the movement because I suspect that may have removed me from the seat.

 

Waltr, don't let that ducking become 2nd nature if you have a passenger that you care about.

I have taken some shots from pedestrians and birds to keep my beloved wife safe.

 

Pedestrians? More please. I want more.