Friday Storm Stories
Were you on your bike when that crazy storm hit last Friday? I just wrote mine up for the Gaper's Block discussion section, and am curious about how other cyclists handled the storm. So please share your bike storm story! Here is mine, filled with rain and Good Samaritanism:
I was biking south on Damen, on my way to KitchenChicago to prep cook for my upcoming Gan Project weekend workshop that included a picnic
lunch. When the storm presented while I was at the Addison intersection,
first I only felt a few sprinkles but then saw the black cloud above,
and knew what was coming.
In the first five minutes, it was fun to ride in the storm, the thunder and lightning were really thrilling. But
after five minutes, I felt it was too dangerous to be out there,
particularly because I didn't have confidence that the cars could see me
with the rain falling horizontally onto their windshields.
That said, before I went to take shelter at a minimart at Damen and Diversey, a car
full of Latino men pulled down their window, one man smiled at me, I
thought he was going to say something about me being out there, but
instead, he handed me an unused garbage bag to fashion into an emergency
poncho. I poked a hole for my head and two for my arms, and thought
that was the nicest thing in the world that anyone could have done to me
on that wet Friday afternoon.
I was biking south on Damen, on my way to KitchenChicago to prep cook for my upcoming Gan Project weekend workshop that included a picnic
lunch. When the storm presented while I was at the Addison intersection,
first I only felt a few sprinkles but then saw the black cloud above,
and knew what was coming.
In the first five minutes, it was fun to ride in the storm, the thunder and lightning were really thrilling. But
after five minutes, I felt it was too dangerous to be out there,
particularly because I didn't have confidence that the cars could see me
with the rain falling horizontally onto their windshields.
That said, before I went to take shelter at a minimart at Damen and Diversey, a car
full of Latino men pulled down their window, one man smiled at me, I
thought he was going to say something about me being out there, but
instead, he handed me an unused garbage bag to fashion into an emergency
poncho. I poked a hole for my head and two for my arms, and thought
that was the nicest thing in the world that anyone could have done to me
on that wet Friday afternoon.
Tags: Damen, Friday, poncho, storm, story
Views: 15
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Casey on -
I was leading a bike tour minutes before the storm started last Friday. We just got our bikes back into the shop when the rain hit and the wind started blowing trash cans.
My luck ran out later in the day. I went to a movie in Lakeview and when I got out the second storm hit. I waited for about a half hour in the lobby and then decided to just push my way through on my bike and get home.
Not a great choice. Admittedly the second storm was not as bad as the first, but the rain was vertical and felt like bb's hitting my skin, the wind about 25 mph, and there was nearly a foot of standing water on the road. Somehow I got home alive. I think my grandmother was praying for me. She knows I'm a stubborn fool.
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Permalink Reply by Rich on -
It's a 30 foot Pearson from 1976. An awesome little boat. I saw the exact boat you mentioned once we were reentering the harbor.
Clark said:Great sailing story Rich. Glad you posted...even if it is on a "biking blog." What kind of sailboat were you out on, and how large was it? Glad you were able to get the sails down and the engine started before the big blow hit. I drove past Monroe Harbor about 5:30 pm last Friday and there was a sizable sailboat moored just inside the breakwater with sails just ripped to ribbons, and still flying in the wind.
Rich said:I decided not to ride to work that day because I was to sail to St. Joe's....
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Permalink Reply by Julie Hochstadter on -
John, what bike tours do you lead?
John Casey said:I was leading a bike tour minutes before the storm started last Friday. We just got our bikes back into the shop when the rain hit and the wind started blowing trash cans.
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Permalink Reply by John Casey on
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I work for a company called Bobby's Bike Hike. Located on McClurg and Illinois. Right behind the Fox and Obel store. I was bringing back the Lakefront Neighborhoods Tour.
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