Lovely weather were having:To paraphrase The Great Man, it aint fit out there for Fred or beast, and its so bad that Mayor Mam-commie even has us under a TRAVEL BAN:Not like I actually plan to leave the house, mind you, but its the idea of the thing. See, Ive got an SUV, and Ill go anywhere I damn well pleaseif I can manage to get myself un-stuck, that is:And yes, people really are that bad at driving around here. Ive been watching similar scenes play out over and over again ever since last months snowstorm, which hadnt even melted away yet when this one arrived. Heres the fresh new snow falling on the disgusting old snow:Its like contracting norovirus just as youre getting over a hangover.Fortunately, unlike food poisoning, I at least saw this bout of projectile vomiting coming, and so I made sure to squeeze in some riding first. In fact, I even brought out the PRJCT GRVL bike:There was still too much snow to do any actual graveling, though at this point the roads are so bad Id argue that they qualify:I will admit that after getting spogged on not too long ago Ive been leery of the tires, but so far theyve been holding up:See, potholes are one thingbut the real flat hazard is all the detritus lining the roads:Scientific analysis reveals this terminal moraine of sludge is comprised of the following:Making this especially hazardous to cyclists is that its all suspended in a matrix that adheres to bicycle tires, ensuring the sharper components eventually make their way through the casing. Id share with you the exact composition of this matrix, but the percentage f semen content alone is enough to trigger projectile vomiting, and while ignorance isnt exactly bliss, it might at least allow you to continue deluding yourself enough to going outside. Lets just say you should use full fenders whenever possible, at least until it gets to the point where this stuff is able to eat through plastic:By the way, Ive had those now-discontinued Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires on there since 2020, and not only do they have plenty of tread left, but in that time Ive experienced exactly one (1) flat, though of course I realize that having pointed this out Ive now jinxed them and theyre going to explode at any moment.Nevertheless, for urban riding in filthy conditions, I continue to put more faith in a robust tubed tire than a more supple tubeless one. See, a gravel road is like a monogamous relationship, and as such you may be able to rely entirely on an internal solution such as sealant. However, if youre running around the city indiscriminately, a tough casing is paramount, as it is your first line of defense:Sure, you sacrifice a bit in ride feel, but its worth it, because you never know what youre liable to pick up out there.