0 comment Sunday, August 10, 2014 | admin
Foolishly, I took my road bike to work today, even though every forecast in the area said Denver was going to get snow. When I started my ride home, going east on 16th Avenue starting at Broadway, I didn't think it was going to be so bad -- a little slush, a little sloppy, no big deal.
When I got to 16th and Sherman, of course, it turned to shit: a couple inches of snow in the bike lane, so I rode in car tire tracks, but then the road became completely covered in packed snow, which is horrible to navigate on slick tires. Awesome, so happy I wore my bike shoes today so I can stay clipped in when I eat it.
I broke my new year's resolution to stop running red lights just so I could stay ahead of traffic. At 16th and Washington, I gradually slowed down starting about 150 feet back from the stop light. I usually unclip my left shoe with about 20 feet to spare before intersections. I did. Instantly, my back wheel slid out to the right. Whoa! I shot my left foot down just in time and had to hop, hop, hop, hop to a stop, with my bike still attached to my right foot and sliding sideways.
I say if no part other than a foot hits the ground, no fall is recorded. I'm tempted to say even if you can catch yourself with a hand and a foot, no fall. Hip hits the ground = fall. Shoulder hits the ground = fall. Elbow, fall. Face, definitely a fall.
Any thoughts?
This was the darkest black grime I've seen on my bike this fall or winter after a ride home. The wife was sure excited to see me dripping it all over the carpet when I walked in carrying my bike.
When I got to 16th and Sherman, of course, it turned to shit: a couple inches of snow in the bike lane, so I rode in car tire tracks, but then the road became completely covered in packed snow, which is horrible to navigate on slick tires. Awesome, so happy I wore my bike shoes today so I can stay clipped in when I eat it.
I broke my new year's resolution to stop running red lights just so I could stay ahead of traffic. At 16th and Washington, I gradually slowed down starting about 150 feet back from the stop light. I usually unclip my left shoe with about 20 feet to spare before intersections. I did. Instantly, my back wheel slid out to the right. Whoa! I shot my left foot down just in time and had to hop, hop, hop, hop to a stop, with my bike still attached to my right foot and sliding sideways.
I say if no part other than a foot hits the ground, no fall is recorded. I'm tempted to say even if you can catch yourself with a hand and a foot, no fall. Hip hits the ground = fall. Shoulder hits the ground = fall. Elbow, fall. Face, definitely a fall.
Any thoughts?
This was the darkest black grime I've seen on my bike this fall or winter after a ride home. The wife was sure excited to see me dripping it all over the carpet when I walked in carrying my bike.Labels: Winter