The Chainlink

Anyone planning on riding tomorrow?

From the NWS

A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE REGION THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT BRINGING WET SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS. RAIN WILL CHANGE TO WET SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST LATE THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...WITH SNOW CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY EVENING. SNOW COULD FALL HEAVILY AT TIMES WITH ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. IN ADDITION...VERY STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY GUST TO OVER 50 MPH AT TIMES VERY LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY EVENING.

Most concerning is the 50 MPH winds blowing snow everywhere and reducing visibility.

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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on December 20, 2012 at 6:23pm

My metra line on the way home was PACKED. Probably people who thought we were going to get hit hard. 

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on December 20, 2012 at 6:54pm

What's at 31st/Sac?

I'll most likely catch the CSO on Saturday night, thanks for the reminder.  



David P. said:

I'm still wondering what the hullaballoo is about, but I've been in the house for 45 minutes now. Ride to work was normal. late-morning ride from near northwest to 31st & Sac was normal. Ride back to office from downtown was normal. Ride home was normal. I'll probably take the Blue Line to the CSO tonight instead of riding, but it doesn't seem like an unusual day.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on December 20, 2012 at 7:02pm

So I did ride home--in the rain.  Rode in prepared for rain with hood and baseball cap and no rain.  Rode home with rain in my doggone face with the baseball cap in my bag and the hood down.  At least the wind had not shifted and the temperature was still warm.  The temperature is falling now, and the wind seems to be shifting, so we will see what the morrow brings.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on December 20, 2012 at 7:16pm
The driver is just an asshole.
Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on December 20, 2012 at 7:42pm

For someone who was quite intent on getting somewhere faster, it probably would not have mattered.  If you had been a car with headlights, that driver probably would have done the same thing.  There are just some people who 1) are so very important that they cannot wait for others and 2) refuse to believe that potentially slick pavement will affect them.  This is the kind of thing that makes me wary of riding in snow/slick conditions.  My bike can be fixed up for it, I am not concerned about cold, I can learn to handle the bike in the snow, but there is nothing that can be done about drivers who don't know how to drive in this weather or don't care.  I just don't want to be in the way when one of them does something stupid and loses control.

Jennifer said:

But could I have been genuinely unseen? Was it wrong for me to assume that I was visible to oncoming traffic, even with all the snain?

Adam Herstein said:

The driver is just an asshole.
Permalink Reply by mike w. on December 20, 2012 at 7:44pm

Adam, don't go insulting a--holes... the driver was way worse than an a--hole.
 
Adam Herstein said:

The driver is just an asshole.
Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on December 20, 2012 at 8:06pm

Always assume people are not going to see you.

Jennifer said:

But could I have been genuinely unseen? Was it wrong for me to assume that I was visible to oncoming traffic, even with all the snain?

Adam Herstein said:

The driver is just an asshole.
Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on December 20, 2012 at 8:50pm

I ride my trike around lit up like a Christmas tree, a front blinky light, a helmet light and two blinky red lights in the back. Plus, I have one light on each tire, if i feel the need. With that said I still take Dug's advice and assume they cannot see me. So, I check each cross-street, whether I have the light or not and assume every driver is a numbskull. Unfortunately, drivers licenses are easy to come by, and there are many drivers who are convinced that they are at the center of the universe, and they are divinely ordained to do whatever they want.

I am sorry you had such an irritating learning experience, Jennifer.

1zt7hr8qm0y90Permalink Reply by 1zt7hr8qm0y90 on December 20, 2012 at 8:53pm
I wear a reflective vest with flashing red L.E.D's. White isn't the best color under whiteout conditions. Yellow, chartreuse or blaze orange is better. A flashing headlight also helps.
Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on December 20, 2012 at 9:26pm

I was trying to put a positive spin on your unfortunate experience. Sorry.

Permalink Reply by LT on December 20, 2012 at 9:29pm

How quickly does the south section of the LFP get plowed/salted?  I would love to do my normal commute tomorrow but am a bit worried about slipping and sliding. Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on December 20, 2012 at 9:47pm
Glad you made it home okay!

Serge Lubomudrov said:

Whoa!

Though the wind tonight wasn't the strongest I have pedaled before, it was definitely the trickiest. I thought I knew all the "wind tunnels" on my routes home (like Dearborn just south of North Ave, or Clark between Armitage and Dickens) and tried to avoid them. Everything was fine, and, as I was getting closer to home, I was getting (over)confident. Then, just as I crossed Fullerton going north on Clark, I almost lost control of my bike. The wind all but stopped me and almost succeeded in toppling me over. I swerved left and right, barely avoiding hitting a parked car, and, fortunately, wasn't hit by a car from behind me.

That was something.

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