http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/03/quit-picking-on-the-bicyclists-city-councilmembers-tell-nypd

The leader is a Weather Wussy. Tomorrow will be cold. Therefore this Weather Wussy won't ride.

However, if you intended to come and want to learn wheel truing instead of riding, I'll give each of you a one-on-one, forty-minute class tomorrow if you contact me directly—see that little envelope icon on the lower left?— before 8PM today, Friday. Write, include your phone number.  -Richard

Too cold to ride, too cold to sign. We'll wait for a warmer friday.

thx

hw

After a close call in bumper to bumper traffic on the Grand Central Parkway, watching a car in my rear view mirror come a bit too close to my bike hanging on a trunk-mounted rack, I've decided to save the rest of my nails and get a roof rack.

I've looked at the Thule and Yakima brands, but am not convinced about which system would be best.  I have a carbon bike (Trek Madone) and am concerned about damaging the frame.  I contacted Trek Support in the hope that they would be able to guide me, but received a non-commital response (as expected).  I've copied and pasted their reply below.

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     Saturday's 9am termperature is presently predicted to be 27 degrees. Huh??? Given that winter temperatures have revisted us for the weekend, Gerald and I thought we'd be better off starting the day a little later so that more of the riding could be done in at least nearly humane temperatures (30's predicted by 11am). This ride has a potential for being a 60-80 miler; in the past, when the weather was conducive (and if the legs were there, too), at least a few riders would push on to Cold Spring.

So, the wintertime really isn't ending six weeks sooner this year, and now us riders must plow through the cold weather (40 degrees and below) to get our bike time in.

While it's true that bike stores are cutting deals on winter gear to clear inventory before the balmy spring/summer season, the truth is that gear is NEVER cheap. New stuff is always pricey, everything costs more in NYC, and the little things add up to big expenses. I'm already $400 over budget for the season, when my budget was initially $1400 (including a new bike). I'm ready for the summer as initially planned, but not for 27 degree weather! And we are supposed to ride through exactly that on Saturday morning for the SIGs. 

I suppose the basics are:

SUNDAY, 3/27, B17+/50, USTS #3 -  "Schaghticoke"

START: Meets 7:30 AM at Grand Central Terminal

FINISH: 6:16 PM at Brewster Metro North

LEADERS: Dan Labovitz, Neile Weissman

WHAT: An early train deep into Dutchess County then we work our way south through mountain lakes and preserves including Quaker Lake, Cranberry Mountain and the Schaghticoke Reserve, one of the oldest Native American Reservations in the US.   

Just to recap the events of the last two weeks. On March 14 Captain Wishnia appeared before 200 or 300 angry cyclists, including the leadership of the various cycling clubs and asked us to be patient while a solution to the enforcement controversy is being worked out. On March 22 Captain Wishnia then deploys scarce police resources to set up a speed trap at 6AM knowing full well that zealous enforcement against cyclists in the early morning hours is what most provokes the ire of cyclists.

A heads up to all ride leaders that we have an overnight freeze and daily thaw cycle through this weekend.  As such you should keep clear vision and treat any wet spot as if it were black ice.

Please be careful out there.