My icy commute: How was yours?
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor) on December 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Now that was a bit scary.
I just arrived at our office in the Central Eastside after a challenging and harrowing ride from North Portland. I consider myself a pretty skilled rider, but with many streets covered in a sheet of ice, there’s really no chance of staying upright.
I was doing fine until about the Rose Garden; then I had a major slide-out. Luckily, I managed to keep myself and my bike within the bike lane (there were cars just a few feet away). After my fall, I got up, and then fell right back on my rear end!
The rest of the way to work, I either walked or rode cautiously on the sidewalk.
I only saw two other riders — and one, riding down SE Salmon was flying over his handlebars.
While riding, I thought of a few ice biking tips that you might find useful:
- Use the widest tires possible, and consider lowering the air pressure a bit for better traction.
- Begin to think about stopping long before the intersection.
- Don’t (!) rely on your brakes. I found dragging my foot on the ground to be more reliable.
- Keep equal and constant pressure on your pedals — don’t accelerate suddenly.
- Try to keep your body weight centered over your wheels.
- Ride as smoothly as possible. Gently lean into turns instead of turning your bars.
- On roads, ride in the parking lane if possible (less ice).
- When possible, ride on the sidewalk.
- When in doubt, walk or just stay home.
The freezing temps are expected to be here all week. I would really advise caution and consider not riding on the ice at all if you can avoid it.
Did you ride today? How was your ice-biking experience? Share your tips/mishaps/adventures below…
NOTE: We love your comments and work hard to ensure they are productive, considerate, and welcoming of all perspectives. Disagreements are encouraged, but only if done with tact and respect. If you see a mean or inappropriate comment, please contact us and we'll take a look at it right away. Also, if you comment frequently, please consider holding your thoughts so that others can step forward. Thank you — Jonathan