tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post4939742795549002354..comments2024-03-27T05:14:23.738-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Salty Roads and Salty AirVelouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-81176587493766589882013-02-06T22:49:57.985-05:002013-02-06T22:49:57.985-05:00The overzealous salting of Boston's roads caus...The overzealous salting of Boston's roads caused me to lowside my bike tonight on my way home from work...bastards! I went to make a quick turn, hit a patch of salt that was hard to see in the dark, and the rear wheel slid out from under me. Twisted my left ankle a bit, hopefully it's not too bad...I already sprained it over the summer!agmetalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17947109932507880159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-34951708936725257652013-02-01T04:52:05.944-05:002013-02-01T04:52:05.944-05:00I live in Seattle too and I wouldn't take this...I live in Seattle too and I wouldn't take this so lightly. This guy must not have had to go very far. It took me hours to get home (usually a 15-min bus ride) and a couple hours more for my husband, who does commute by car but both ends of his commute are within Seattle city limits (i.e. we are not suburban dwellers mindlessly driving SUVs around). It was scary and I'm glad the roads are salted now. But in Seattle when we only get snow and ice once or twice a year, the environmental effects are said to be minimal. Angie Kritenbrinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17878595044600808636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-44031652183831994312013-01-30T15:44:20.464-05:002013-01-30T15:44:20.464-05:00The thing that always kills me about FC in the win...The thing that always kills me about FC in the winter is the way roads get plowed up to the bike lane, which turns into a lane of ice for days or weeks as the snow in the parked car lanes slowly melt and re-freeze daily. Although I'd think I could be fairly sure it's not only here.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89442214656263910812013-01-25T12:05:04.879-05:002013-01-25T12:05:04.879-05:00As a rider of an aluminum bike for winter, I'd...As a rider of an aluminum bike for winter, I'd be curious to know what's on the roads in the Boston area.AaronPiknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-38186828081900212122013-01-25T09:54:03.525-05:002013-01-25T09:54:03.525-05:00I'm totally in agreement; excessive salt sucks...I'm totally in agreement; excessive salt sucks and seems like a bad idea, but when compared to the alternatives, what're we to do? I'm tempted to say that maybe some snow days wouldn't hurt us as a society, but in my line of work, there is no such thing as a "snow day".. It's a 24/7/365 type of gig, and not for market-driven reasons. I live close enough to work, and have an arsenal of bikes that'll get me there, but what about my coworkers? Few of them are in a similar situation.<br /><br />All I really have to say is: "...I never had to worry about *sleek* road surface conditions..." Yeah, me neither. It's the slick ones that always give me the problem. =DScreechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15397676711365438175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-101089148662308832013-01-25T08:21:09.505-05:002013-01-25T08:21:09.505-05:00When it's all over start the inspection. Bigge...When it's all over start the inspection. Biggest one on a steel frame is pull the bottom bracket and have a look. You do not know what you will find until you have a look. Rust is like cancer, it can be latent a very long time or it can grow very very fast. Total prevention is simply not possible, early detection is your best bet. Open the bracket. Drop the fenders and racks and bottle cages and see what's under those screws.<br /><br />Steel frames have vents. Make sure they are clear. Do not allow them to be plugged with salt and road snot. If you have a fancy frame with a drain hole tape it over when you ride and open it as soon as you get home.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-30992458077936558822013-01-25T07:41:45.082-05:002013-01-25T07:41:45.082-05:00http://www.flickr.com/photos/7516215@N03/838458299...http://www.flickr.com/photos/7516215@N03/8384582991somervillainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13903377050982678550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-15297458231455742672013-01-24T22:49:56.825-05:002013-01-24T22:49:56.825-05:00No one mentioned what happens when you fall on a w...No one mentioned what happens when you fall on a well salted road, I hope I'm not the only one who knows what that's like.<br /><br />To find ones self on ones back, one foot skyward with a bicycle attached and the other coiled neatly around ones waist, your lower back marinading in a chilly sand/brine solution with your jacket inside out up around your shoulders, That's refreshing. Then you get to ride the half mile home grimacing like Joe Cocker with the salt/mag cloride/beetjuice stripping your Marco Pantani tattoo off along with half your hair and the remnants of last summers tan knowing, KNOWING, that the real fun starts at home.<br /><br />Cleaning that mess up is AGONY. You get home feeling like a well salted codfish and when you've scrubbed yourself into a whimpering shadow of your former self you crawl into bed exhausted, looking like bad sushi. I've had my share of raodrash but that little adventure stands out in stark detail. It doesn't help that I have the pain tolerance of a seven year old. When I finally healed it looked like part of someone else grew back in place of part of me.<br /><br />It's a damn shame I fall down so much.<br /><br />SpindizzyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-57566551216358628302013-01-24T22:27:03.448-05:002013-01-24T22:27:03.448-05:00I'm in Montana, no salt here, and in town they...I'm in Montana, no salt here, and in town they do a little plowing then just let cars pack down the snow. The road clearing philosophy seems to be that if you live here you should have snow tires and be able to deal with some snow. <br /><br />It's great to not have salt in the rivers, but biking is harder. I don't even try during snowstorms, I take the bus. A few days after a storm I will bike but the roads turn into this terrifying patchwork of bare pavement and packed down snow bumps and ruts and I can only manage it on a mountain bike.<br /><br />In truly cold, snowy climates I think the reality is that a few of us will bike through the winter, but others don't want to even if travel lanes are clear. If it's below zero, biking is just...cold. Biking isn't the only solution - walking and public transport are a lot warmer and planning that encourages these transit modes lets people keep getting around without cars in the winter. (But of course we should keep building bike infrastructure for spring, summer and fall!)Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-43483360916094886082013-01-24T18:21:32.189-05:002013-01-24T18:21:32.189-05:00Yeah, I basically taste salt all day long. Disconc...Yeah, I basically taste salt all day long. Disconcerting! Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-24524702691700073642013-01-24T18:19:53.256-05:002013-01-24T18:19:53.256-05:00Beet juice? That's tasty stuff.Beet juice? That's tasty stuff. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-49134301960414755172013-01-24T18:16:33.157-05:002013-01-24T18:16:33.157-05:00For a while some places were experimenting with mi...For a while some places were experimenting with mixing beet juice in with the salt to decrease the amount of salt needed. Whatever happened to that idea?Stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-27058635419541389732013-01-24T17:54:27.878-05:002013-01-24T17:54:27.878-05:00Dear V,
Scrape and sand is effective, but doesn&#...Dear V,<br /><br />Scrape and sand is effective, but doesn't have the same psychological impact as salt or mag Chloride. Salts (MgCl2 and NaCl) and sand both have negative environmental impacts, though sanding impacts can be mitigated more easily (BMPs in the storm drains and frequent street sweeping).<br /><br />Magnesium Chloride (adopted here on the Colorado Front Range) is pretty corrosive to aluminum. A bucket of hot water after a sloppy car-snot ride is called for, unless you've got a sacrificial "salt bike". Keep your pretty chrome-plated bits waxed too....<br /><br />Another note: MgCl2 is used as a gravel/dirt road stabilizer and dust-suppressant in many communities, so all those butter-smooth unpaved roads become salt baths for your bike in the rain....<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Will<br />William M. deRosset<br />Fort Collins, COAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-50412286348374997342013-01-24T17:22:20.556-05:002013-01-24T17:22:20.556-05:00Without defending the practice of oversalting, I&#...Without defending the practice of oversalting, I've been at this long enough to remember when winters were colder, snows heavier and traffic much lighter. When traffic was lighter and citizens were sensible about not driving so much in bad weather it was not so urgent to have the streets plowed and salted instantly .I didn't own a car then so I was out there on the bike. Cars, if they were out there, slid. A lot. Buses slid. A lot. When visibility was poor I was out there with nothing but an incandescent light. Anyone remember those? A familiar sight was watching a bus slide downhill off the crown of the road toward the bike lane (which existed only as a notion in my head). So I'd be calculating trajectories for the bus and calculating possible trajectories for the bike through the ruts and figuring do I get smacked by the flat side side of the bus or could I get into the wheel well? I got smacked by the side of the bus a few times.<br />You wanna go back to those days? I'll tell you, the part where there really was a whole lot less vehicular traffic was very nice. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-15666332776356767592013-01-24T16:19:08.297-05:002013-01-24T16:19:08.297-05:00Same with Saskatchewan, sand worked, I could bike ...Same with Saskatchewan, sand worked, I could bike and did not have corrosion on my bikes.Heathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-75896088245039484092013-01-24T15:53:50.647-05:002013-01-24T15:53:50.647-05:00Well, aside from being a dedicated cyclist, I earn...Well, aside from being a dedicated cyclist, I earn my living as a civil engineer renovating structures, a number of which are the subjects of renovation works because of salt used to prevent icing. So at the risk of cutting of my nose to spite my face, I don't like the practice of distributing salt. <br /><br />Above all I find that in winter, it's very necessary to wash and lubricate the bicycle chain every couple of rides. Failure to do this results in rapid corrosion of chain and surrounding components. Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272755559589366573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-72864884117789700952013-01-24T14:55:53.994-05:002013-01-24T14:55:53.994-05:00“SALT” is a serious water and soil contaminant. F...“SALT” is a serious water and soil contaminant. For an example not many plants grow in the <br />Great Salt Lank basin. Las Vegas Nev. was required to install a multimillion dollar desalinization plant in Vegas Wash to treat water from water softeners before it entered Lake Mead/Colorado River.<br />Many states allow road and street salting this seems like a double standard. Millions of tons of salt are washed into our soil, rivers and lakes annually; it has to stop.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-4377240860064774862013-01-24T13:30:49.885-05:002013-01-24T13:30:49.885-05:00For what it's worth, the Hubway folks have sai...For what it's worth, the Hubway folks have said that because usage exceeded expectations so much, they are going to consider keeping the system running all year (but not this year). So I'd say if Hubway users want to see it open all year, they should definitely voice that opinion to the system managers. <br /><br />And we're doing better than New York, which hasn't even managed to get their bikes out on the road yet.<br /><br />As for the salt, I have nothing to add except to agree with the other comments. The DPW really blew it on this one.Moopheusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-13070522241135446742013-01-24T13:23:41.933-05:002013-01-24T13:23:41.933-05:00You got a dog?You got a dog?MDInoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-73650667384625600982013-01-24T11:21:59.134-05:002013-01-24T11:21:59.134-05:00The Dutch apparently use a saltwater mix that they...The Dutch apparently use a saltwater mix that they spread on the bikepaths but I am not sure what happens when the temperature gets down lower than the freezing point of that solution... They also have a combination of plows and sweepers that keep most paths bone dry even after a significant snow. <br />http://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/dashing-through-the-snow/ Also note that they had recent temps around -16C which is pretty close to what it is outside now (3 F)<br /><br />The Bike lanes coming in from Newton are pretty much all gone except for a 1 foot stripe where cars who cant keep in their lanes are driving. It's alllll salt, can't be good for anybody, though I have not noticed any breathing issues or salt build up on my face...John in NHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07124328678630889953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-17226843684628144492013-01-24T11:21:00.924-05:002013-01-24T11:21:00.924-05:00Salt haters, be careful what you wish for. In Germ...Salt haters, be careful what you wish for. In Germany _much_ less salt is used on the roadways and even less on bike and ped facilities. Some municipalities are even completely salt free. Sand and grit is all that is used. The effect is that as a year-round cyclist you practically have to get studded tires and will often have a hard time getting around even with studded tires. A few winters ago it was particularly cold in Berlin (by Berlin standards) and friends told me that sidewalks and bike paths were completely unusable for months because of the ice build-up. And, of course, once winter is over you'll have to deal with bike facilities and roads covered in sand and grit before they finally get around to sweeping them properly after a couple weeks. I was very happy after moving to salty North America.Hobbes vs Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03745006035218212607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-82411624619160665412013-01-24T11:08:57.086-05:002013-01-24T11:08:57.086-05:00As a bridge engineer, it is worth noting that in a...As a bridge engineer, it is worth noting that in addition to being corrosive to vehicles, salting can also be corrosive to bridges and other transportation infrastructure.<br /><br />Each local transportation agency must weigh the risks, costs, and benefits that are particular to their system, public, and climate..s.s.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15762630721059555282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-28413962529435812032013-01-24T10:36:30.461-05:002013-01-24T10:36:30.461-05:00The issue of salt is not a problem here in Edmonto...The issue of salt is not a problem here in Edmonton, AB. It's too cold for it to work! Sand, sand, and more sand here.BigWickerJimhttp://www.selfpropelledadventure.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-67575229329809535812013-01-24T09:56:04.628-05:002013-01-24T09:56:04.628-05:00Everywhere from Downtown Boston all the way out to...Everywhere from Downtown Boston all the way out to West Roxbury has been oversalted, even the side-walks... it was certainly a case of putting too much faith in the forecast along with, as I am sure, the Boston DPW being concerned with having their budget cut if we wind up with another Winter without much snowfall... their solution? 1" Snow = 1" salt! seems to make sense!<br /><br />Now, as a cyclist, motorist, and pedestrian in our fair city, I would like to echo the sentiments made above in my concern for my bike(s) and components, my car (which I do not think of as a recyclable product like so many people do, I'd like to keep it for many many many years), and my own health. <br /><br />Like Cycler said, I have been tasting a lot of salt on the air the past few days... and with how dry it's been b/c of the extreme cold, it is more airborne. Astroluc (Find me on Tumblr and Instagram @Astroluc)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02035410750985093621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-10749218423307425452013-01-24T09:51:53.603-05:002013-01-24T09:51:53.603-05:00I grew up in Cleveland, where presalting like that...I grew up in Cleveland, where presalting like that was standard; it's brutal on cars, too. Rimes of salt up their sides were standard, and rust endemic. It took me a while to get used to having sand on the roads -- drove me nuts as a cyclist up here and I missed the salt. Now I'm used to it and the smell of over salted road was oddly nostalgic. Sense memory: so odd.antimonyhttp://bikingandbaking.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.com