I finally had the chance to cycle in the snow with my Surly Long Haul Trucker. What can I say, it is sooo easy.
I have done my fair share of cycling in the snow and snow storms where I couldn’t see further than 50 metres ahead. Quite often I had to stop to remove the snow out of the wheels and away from the brakes. The most “fun” to ride on is when there is one layer of snow that have plenty of tracks from people moving about on bicycles or foot. Which slightly thaws doing the day only to freeze during the night while getting a new dusting of snow.
The main trick to cycling in the snow is pretty much the same when it comes to “normal” cycling.
1/ Don’t brake when you turn, do that before. And don’t slam on your brakes you will only skid.
2/ Cycle at a speed where you have control of your bicycle. Don’t cycle above your skills.
3/ Keep the momentum, not racing, but keep the bicycle going.
4/ Look ahead and around you, so you know what is going around you so that you can plan your route.
5/ If your bicycle is drifting/sliding …

… record.
 
This is a picture of our trip to Wales this coming weekend.
2 passengers, via Birmingham to Wales with 2 bicycles on public transport and back.
Great value for these ticket Euston to Machynlleth and back for 56 GBP for two people with bicycles and 28 tickets.
The return leg is 19 GBP for two, goes via Shrewsbury, but tickets from Shrewsbury were 112 GB, eh?

… causes chaos to London commuters.
Yeah it was a pain for me to ride to work today. I really do hope that this is the last ever tube strike, because I can’t handle this.
I’m mean it took me 10 min less to commute the 7 or so miles to work today, it is just not on ;)
Traffic was at a stand still and I just zoomed past, didn’t have to slow down for other traffic and plenty of the roads were empty.

… every day?
Had to take the tube today at rush hour, quelle horreur.It was not helped with the amount of junk flying around in the air either. I don’t suffer from hay fever, but when the threes and other green stuff makes love, even I suffer.
Oh well still managed to get to Kings X nice and early. Because we took off with plenty time to spare just to be safe. And for once the tube was running with a good service, as the tannoy kept telling us.

… and me just don’t get on.
The longer I’m away from it the more I hate it. Riding a bike in London is just much better, short cuts off the busy roads, seeing spring springing, wind in your hair(ok not that one for me but you get the drift) and meeting other people, whom aren’t p’ed off either, with a smile on their face, it must be the spring sun and riding a bicycle. And to top it off I always know how long a journey will take me, I don’t have to rely on the public transport.
The Tube: I had to take it today, for the first time since November. The smell was horrid, the heat, the crampness and not a smiling face in sight. And to think I used to pay(ok a lot cheaper back then) for this and do it 2 times a day.
Buses: hmm well when they arrive they will probably just get stuck in traffic around the corner. The last time I took a bus, I had to walk for 10 min, then stand around for another 10-15min, in the cold before I decided to walk back home and jump on the bike.
Because in …