(Photo © J Maus)
What did you think of the Bicycle Film Festival that wraps up tonight with a after-party in Southeast Portland (the Sprockettes go on at 11:00!)?
Are you planning to do the Macaframa alleycat and then check the film afterward?
Are you prepping for the snow and freezing temps that are in the forecast? Or, if you’re reading this while the white stuff is already coming down — how’s the riding?
Are you one of the lucky volunteers at the Community Cycling Center’s Holiday Bike Drive? If so, share a quick report in the comments.
The holiday light extravaganza at Peacock Lane will open one day early for a special, carfree night on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how that event goes if there’s a few inches of snow on the ground.
Use the comments below to keep us all posted on what you’re up to…and stay warm!
Thanks for reading.
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We’re hoping to make it to Peacock Lane tomorrow night, so hopefully I’ll have some pictures and maybe even video to post after that. I’ll post a link here if I do. Cheers!
I’ll be at Peacock tomorrow volunteering to help park bikes and such. I hope it snows like crazy, I wanna test out my DIY tire studs!
Thought I would head over to Peacock Lane this year. I have not been in years. I do not get much out of it, but the kids will love it and the ride over will be great. Thought I would do my bakfiets up to look like a present. The kids are thinking out their themes too. Hoping for snow.
careful if you ride, people are huggin the right side of the road! love this!! fun
my tires did well 🙂
love it almost not cars on the road.
Joe
Wilsonville
BTA Safe Routes To School Ambassadors are leading a Pedestrian Safety Training for kids and parents at the Belmont library at 4:30 and then taking a walk to see the lights!!
The girls and I just went outside to play in the backyard… wow. very strong winds and lots of snow flecks… we only lasted a few minutes outside.
if it’s like this for tomorrow morning’s commute… the whole city will probably shut down.
Installed bike snow tires yesterday for the first time. Haven’t tried them yet. The sane approach tomorrow might be telecommuting.
Just got inside from the neighborhood “snow park” (it has a steep hill) with the kids. They had fun sledding but soon got cold and cranky. Now it’s hot chocolate time.
Stay safe out there!
Mitch
Near Beaverton
man this day is fun! anywhere we can share a photo or two? can’t type my mind must be cold! ahh.. I would like to share my human powered bike sled!
Joe
The alley cat is going to be nuts. I know there is an emphasis on fixed gear riding, but im going to sport a cross bike since I have one. Ride safe out there everyone.
There better be some hot cider at the end.
I picked up some knobby tires for the snow- I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find any 27″ but lucked out. The difference is instantly noticeable on the icy roads, although I partly miss the fun of feeling my back tire slipping all over the place when I really crank it. I hope the weather keeps up for a while! Its great out there right now.
tomorrows going to be an interesting one – im betting itll be pretty slippery, as the wind has kept snow from building up on the roads, from what i can tell, and the wind and cold have made it icier, much more so than the jan 07 snow days. i definitely would prefer a couple more inches of snow buildup for better traction, counterintuitive as that might sound. well see what the night brings – nws says little to no further snow accumulation, but the dopplers saying otherwise, as theres a big green blob moving up the valley right now.
tomorrow im heading downtown on the cargo bike, for its long wheelbase and low center of gravity, and bringing zipties in case traction is an issue. im expecting it to be a bit trickier than last time, but fun all the same – though im betting theres gonna be a lot of standby time for us messengers.
A few months ago I finally built my mountain bike frame up after an 8 year delay. I am so glad I did. I had so much fun today! I had large knobby tires inflated to about half full. I saw cars spinning out and such, but I stuck to the side streets and had no problems. It was the first time I’ve worn full ski gear (helmet, googles, gloves, wool pants) for a bike ride.
The snow started really coming in around 7:45 this morning when I hit NE going to the bike drive. We all had a good time at the drive, there was a huge line until around noon, then it slowed down bit by bit. The last families went through around 4pm.
Everyone was in great spirits, though we wish the snow storm had hit..ya know…tomorrow. 🙂
As for riding, it got icier as I headed back to SE. It’s ridable (also FUN) but very cold. All the cars seemed to be driving pretty safely and slowly. I found it beneficial to stick to routes without hills. The wind gusts are pretty darn amazing.
SNOW RIDE today was a blast! Got 13 old and new friends together to ride Forest Park–everything from SS MTB to full suspension to cross bikes and few road bikes with knobbies. We has a few skids and wipe outs in the park–but such soft, powdery landings–there was easily 6 up at the top of Saltzmann, and less than 2 at the Leif trailhead gate. Careful riding on mostly empty roads to and from the traohleads had us all in good shape on the streets. In summary, it was a great ride… Not many times you get to call the Leif/Saltzmann/FL5 dance “epic”! Oh, how a little snow dresses things up.
Friend Paul and I went up on Tabor today with the mountain bikes. I had an old 80’s Miyata with street tires and ran pressure as low as I could. Super fun loops on the trails and traction with the dry snow was great. Beautiful day for a ride.
Already got the call – snow day Tomorrow! Springwater Trail?
Carfree Peacock Lane was amazing. 1 degree wind chill and people were out having fun!
It was beautiful.
Here’s a nice shot of it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregraisman/3110231666/in/photostream/
Walking around the neighborhood today was amazing. Lots of bikes out.
Check this bike fun out:
Portland Sleigh Ride: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregraisman/3109379975/
Our Sunday ride to the Sylvan Starbucks… past four TV news live trucks doing reports about impassable roads.
http://drop.io/redbike/asset/snowridedec142008
You can see my photos from car free Peacock Lane here.
More photos by Aaron available here
Does anyone else have photos from last night to share?
Black Ice, ahhhh crazy!
becareful, if you don’t have to be out
stay in/warm. I hit the deck.. haha
Hey Portlanders, I’m a regular winter bike commuter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin … where a few inches of snow, icy streets and below freezing temps counts as a “nice” day for riding in the winter.
Please, please, please be careful out there. Snow and slush are one thing, black ice is another thing entirely. If you can, get steel-studded tires. They can hammer over just about any surface, including sheer ice, and give you tons of control.
Take your corners real slow and steady. Each time I’ve wiped out on ice, it’s been taking a turn. Even with knobby tires you have to be very careful when there’s ice on the streets.
Just thought I’d drop some unsolicited advice from a snowbird. Keep riding and have fun!
Rode in to work today with my normal semi-slick street tires. I aired them down to 15 psi and put zip ties on the front wheel. Using the rear brake I was able to do controlled stops pretty well. I wore my regular work clothes (slacks and dress shirt) but had some polypro on underneath. It was nice to have so few cars on the road – we’ll see how the commute home goes ! Be safe, have fun, and avoid hills if you can!
I had an enjoyable commute with road slicks! The snow is quite crunchy and grips well. Had to walk a few steep spots with sheet ice but overall it was a safe ride.