Wow. What a day.
After my post this morning, I headed back out for a longer ride. I ran into lots of cyclists and got my first taste of urban snow-riding. Busting new tracks through the fresh powder felt awesome…but the stinging snow in my eyes wasn’t.
Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. The best tip of the day came in as a comment from a reader named Ian:
“Before departing, I attached zip-ties around the rear wheel of my trusty fixedgear – one between each spoke, wrapping around the tire and rim. Just like chaining up. It worked great, even on the packed snow.”
Great idea Ian.
The other great idea comes from everyone who made it up to Washington Park to join the Zoobomb crew for a day of sledding, libations, and yes, snow-bombing! I didn’t make it up to the hill, but here are my photos and notes from the road…
I camped on the East side of the Broadway Bridge for a while. I met a guy named George who was headed downtown to “just play around and have fun.” That’s the spirit George. I also snapped a shot of BTA office manager Christopher Duran, pressing on through the driving snow (at least I think that’s him).
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Then, after checking out the scene on the Esplande, I set off for Stumptown Coffee on Third. It was pretty quiet other than a few messengers hanging under shelter waiting for calls to come in.
After that, it was off to assess the Zoobomb Pile. And there it was, just as I’d hoped…all covered in snow:
On my way home, a man named Amir and his son Adrian caught my eye playing in the snow on their bikes in Jamison Square:
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Crossing the Broadway Bridge I ran into messenger Ayla Holland (yes, that Ayla Holland). She was pushing her fixie through the bumpy snow so I got off and joined her. It was great to share a snowy bridge walk with another cyclist.
Hope you had a fun day. Now let’s hope things don’t get too nasty overnight. If this city freezes tonight, we’re in for an interesting day tomorrow…
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[Note: Something screwy is going on with my photo pages, so if you ever get an error message, you can always go directly to my photos on Flickr.]