Mazed
Typically, bicycling in winter is a little more complicated but manageable.
But after 5 feet of snow has fallen within a month here, this winter is nowhere near manageable. It’s pretty unpleasant to bicycle, I admit it. I’ve considered other options but all of them are even more unpleasant.
And just when getting around Boston was bad, it got worse as public transit started failing and streets became fully gridlocked making bicycling pretty much impossible.
So I turned to walking which suddenly became the fastest option. The problem is that cities only only plow for people in cars. There’s nothing like record snowfall to show the inequality. Walking in winter in a city is like navigating an impossible maze.
Wrong place to live it seems. Consider Portland perhaps.
Its 60 degrees in san francisco today…Blue Skies and smiles.
It was -2 with wind chill making it -12 as I rode home this morning. It is amazing how hard it can be to bike in such cold. Even when the body is warm the cold air exhausts one.
Winter biking boots, studded snow tires, and my new LoudBicylce horn (thank you Jonathon – its been a life saver) and I have been having a blast passing up all the traffic.
It’s true in Rochester as well as Boston (except that the traffic is a bit lighter.) This morning on my ride to work on East Henrietta Road near the South Avenue intersection I saw a woman waiting for the bus, holding her young child’s hand and with another in a stroller. The roadside pile of snow and car snot reached halfway up the bus stop sign. The woman was standing in the traffic lane, since not only the curb and sidewalk but also the shoulder were buried.
Two others were waiting at the same stop; they were standing on top of the pile ankle-deep in the filthy snow (an option not available to you if you have a stroller and a small child.)
Of course, despite the absurd inaccessibility of the pedestrian and transit resources, the road was sparkling clean and dry – a paean to the arrogant culture of automotive privilege in which we live.
I completely sympathize. Out here in Worcester we’re currently leading the Golden Snow Globe stats for the US with 92.1″ so far. My 3.5 mile commute last week took me 55 minutes by car. If things hadn’t improved, I was going to walk despite the lack of sidewalks for most of the route. As soon as I finish my DIY studded tires, I’ll be back to riding.
I put my Schwabble Marathon studdeds on last week and have been flying safely past the traffic. Its kind of cool listening to the studs click on the pavement and reassuring knowing that I can safely turn. And they are kick on the marginally clear bike paths.
Agreed, Alan. I love my Schwalbe Winter Marathons. Brian, why mess with DIY studs, when a studded tyre is only about $50?
Took me 1.75 hours this am by my cage car for 18 miles into Brighton. Taking the traffic slayer home tonight. The rockhopper with studded tires.