Cold Cranking

We are Tony Thomas and Trenton Raygor; two bicycle commuters living in south Minneapolis hellbent on discovering all that there is to know about winter cycling in Minnesota, simply by doing it. There may be picture posts of our blood and broken bones on this blog, but hopefully just mundane stats and photos of this frozen city in all of its glory. Ride on and be safe. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-619508-14']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

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I'm inspired to make the first Cold Cranking post of the new season now that my fingertips have thawed from this morning's ride.  The days are only going to get colder and darker, so plan ahead and gear up.  Today's pro tip is for all of you looking to pickup some safety gear on the cheap.  The UMN's Boynton Health Services is selling the following items (see photo) for what we would consider extremely reasonable prices, and to the general public to boot!  

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In October 2011, I purchased my All City Nature Boy from The Hub bike shop for a cool $845. Every day since, I've been commuting on that bike rather than taking the bus, thus saving $2.25 per bus ride. I'm using those saved $ to pay off my bike. It's May 23rd and here's how much I currently owe. Nature Boy | 309.25 Is a bike a good investment? I think so. No ice out there today, but I've still gotta say it; keep the bike underneath you.

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It's snowing right now, which means cold cranking is temporarily back on? It was 35 degrees F for the commute this morning with some harsh headwinds from the north. I sported my new NBC (never been crashed) Giro helmet that my pops hooked me up with this weekend. Fits like a glove...on my head. Thanks pops. Keep the bike underneath you.

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Winter? 2012 is over and we uh...survived. We now welcome the warmth. Happy crankin and keep the bike underneath you.

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Here's what happens when you neglect to keep the bike underneath you. That midtown greenway was slick this morning. Ride safe.

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Here's a closer look at the hanging cables.

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Commuter alert: The Sabo bridge is closed due to damage incurred sometime this AM. The highest of the suspension cables needed to support the bridge appear to have completely dislodged from the vertical support pilar and are now dangling from the sides of the bridge over Hiawatha Ave.

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Broken cable on Sabo bridge has both the bridge and Hiawatha closed this morning.

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Here's a photo of a tag spotted on our commute route. Not a lot of winter biking news to report as of late, hence the infrequent posts. We're still suffering from/enjoying the results of the continued Fall 2011 drought. No snow and very little ice on the roads right now. None the less, ride safe. Temp today | 18 degrees F Nature Boy | $610.75

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Another amazing sunset.

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Cold crankin just got a little colder. Layer up! Thanks for finally joining us, January.

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Sunrise from Washington Ave. bridge.

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Here's a status update on the commute. Happy 2012 Cold Crankers!

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Two recent sunrises over Powderhorn Park. Today's might be the most spectacular I've seen this year.

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Solstice greetings from us at ColdCranking. See you in the new year.

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Today I realized that the battery on my rear blinky red light was almost dead. Given that I needed a headlight (to be legal riding in MN at night you do) Tony recommended I stop into Boynton Health Services and pick up a set. I scored this Planet Bike set for $13.92 (batteries included!) If you're in the market, they also have helmets and U locks for super cheap. Note: you don't even have to be affiliated with the U of M to get these nice discounts. Check it out and ride safe.

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I bought these studded tires at the Free Wheel Winter Biking Expo yesterday. This morning I trashed both tubes trying to put them on. (Pinched one & accidentally tore the valve stem off the other.) After returning to Free Wheel for professional installation, new tubes and extra reflective tape, the cost was $150.