Are you disappointed that the Worst Day of the Year Ride was cancelled on, well, the worst day of the year?
A lot of people are miffed that the ride won’t go on. And the story has even gone national with a blog post by The Atlantic Cities and the Editor-at-Large of Bicycling Magazine tweeting about it. “I’m trying to understand—& not be an ass about,” Bill Strickland wondered to his 8,800 or so followers, “how “The Worst Day of the Year Ride” gets cancelled because of the worst weather of the year.”
Now, in an effort to show everyone that there’s no weather too tough for Portland bike riders*, a ride has been put together by Alex Criss (River City Bicycles employee) and a few other folks. Dubbed “Knobbies and Tots”, the ride will leave from the parking lot of River City Bicycles (706 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd) at 10:00 am tomorrow (Sunday, February 9th) morning. There will be free coffee at the start.
Bring your knobbiest knobbies — or even studded tires if you have them — and join some other hardy folks for an urban adventure. The route will be 10-12 miles, and rumor has it that hot and fresh tater tots and some adult beverages will also be provided. And, since the Worst Day of the Year Ride would have been a major fundraiser for the Community Cycling Center, Criss and crew urge everyone to bring a $5 donation for the non-profit.
With freezing rain falling all evening, please be advised that conditions are likely to be very tricky tomorrow. Ride at your own risk!
*I just want to reiterate that PBOT has issued a severe weather alert and they are telling everyone to stay inside and not attempt to travel at all. Based on reports from readers and a quick walk around my own house, I agree that the conditions are very challenging. A layer of ice has formed above much of the snow and even with knobby tires, it will likely be difficult to stay upright on a bike. Our only hope is that it gets above freezing after sunrise tomorrow.
UPDATE: Sunday morning at 8:49 AM: With ice all over the place and an official, emergency alert from City of Portland this morning, it should go without saying that riding a bike today might not be the best idea. Please use your own best judgment as to whether or not to give this a try. For updates on riding conditions, several readers have shared their experiences via comments to our storm update post yesterday.