(Photo © J. Maus)
The rain has come, the ground is full of leaves, and darkness falls ever earlier. Add it all up and things get a tad trickier on a bike this time of year.
We thought it was a good time to share a quick reminder about staying lit and watching out for slippery spots.
I got an email from a reader who witnessed an “ugly bike crash” on N. Willamette last night. He said a girl wiped out and “smacked her (helmet-less) head very badly”. Luckily the reader knew how to respond and took care of her until EMTs arrived.
(Photo: Ben Latterell)
After the ambulance left, he went over and checked the spot where she fell. “It was very, very slick. I think the leaves and pine needles leave behind a slimy residue that makes that white paint extremely slippery.”
It’s also an excellent idea to make sure you’ve got a good set of bike lights. The Community Cycling Center is doing their part with their “Get Lit” free bike light program. I rolled up on one of their “random acts of bike safety” at Portland Community College on N. Killingsworth the other night (their new bat signal caught my attention).
The CCC expects to give out 400 sets of lights this year at surprise locations throughout the city. If you don’t run into them, stop into a local shop and pick up a pair of good lights. They aren’t too expensive and they’re essential equipment in winter.
I’ve enjoyed riding on the wet and colorful streets so far this fall. The challenging and changing conditions make my daily ride into the office a bit more interesting. How have conditions been treating you?