Woohoo, that whole inclement weather thing just got a little more intense. Here's tonight's adventure.

Based on my experience biking last winter, I have argued that if the roads are good enough to drive on, they’re good enough to bike on.

I should have taken care of groceries first thing this morning. Instead I wrestled with chopping a 16 page grant down to 10 pages. It got bloody. This afternoon it became apparent that we were in desperate need of food and I checked the weather. “Icy drizzle” was the current outlook, progressing to “Freezing rain” for the rest of the night, and it is not supposed to abate tomorrow.

I decided there was no time to lose. Starting out, the roads were fine. I almost regretted not waiting a little. Riding in an icy drizzle would surely be an adventure. My goggles iced over o.n one side so I rode with my head tilted. After I parked my bike, I slipped & nearly fell twice walking into the store.

Getting groceries took quite a while, because like I said we were out of food and needed a lot. When I came out of the store it was dark. I noticed the ice immediately when my wheel spun out when I tried to start. But I got going and headed home carefully.

I tried to stand in the pedals going up one of the slightly steeper hills but my rear tire slipped on every down stroke. I sat down. I was more than halfway up the hill. Then my rear tire started slipping more often. Then it was slipping every stroke and I was slowing, unable to put any power into my motion. Finally I was about to fall over so I stopped. Now I was in a precarious position. Still straddling the bike, I shuffled it over to the curb. I got one foot in the grass up on the curb, and got off the bike. I tried to push the bike along the street, walking in the grass, but the bike kept slipping away. I got back on the street and gingerly pushed it, managing not to slip backward. It was a busy street, and it was dark, so this wasn’t the safest I’ve ever felt.

At the top of the hill I got back on the bike and had no problems after that, even on other steep hills on Bearfield. Probably something to do with the direction of the wind. I had several thoughts as I pedalled home.

Winter is better for biking than summer. You can have your adventures 3 miles instead of 100.
I love that sinking feeling of “I’ve gotten myself in way over my head” because I know I’ll get out of it one way or another and it will make a great story when I do.
Maybe road conditions for bikes & cars are not equal.