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Date: 18 Oct 2007 08:33:33
From: Claire
Subject: A wet night
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Last night, after some volunteer work, I was riding from Fremont to
Montlake, with the goal of loading my bike on to 545 bus to get home.
It was late, dark, and pouring pouring down rain.
I was on the Montlake Bridge. The regular bridge deck is terrifyingly
slippery with any vehicle in the rain, so I was on the adjacent
pavement. There was a pedestrian. I slowed way down and said, "passing
you on your left". He turned to look back at me, and I moved to the
left to avoid him. My tires were then on where they have painted the
pavement red and white stripes to warn you of something, I'm not a
100% sure of what. It was very slick on that red and white paint, and
I wiped out. I muttered "I'm OK" at the pedestrian, got back on the
bike, and rode to the Montlake Freeway stop.
Another cyclist at the Montlake stop said he had been waiting 20
minutes for the 545. If the bus was that late, it was raining hard,
and there was already someone there waiting for the bus ahead of me,
it did not bode well for rack room. When the 255 pulled up with an
empty rack, even though it meant an additional three miles of riding,
the decision was easy.
I pulled the bike off at the South Kirkland P/R. It's about another 5
or 6 miles home from there. It was late enough that I decided that
Northup, usually a high-speed busy suburban arterial, had light enough
motor vehicle traffic, that I'd just take Northup all the way home and
avoid the 520 trail. The trail is OK, but when it's that dark and
deserted, I begin to worry about my personal safety. Northup at least
had some cars on it, and it is very well lit.
I got home, absolutely soaked through, and peeled off my bike stuff. I
was shocked to see a big hole ripped into my tights and my knee
bleeding. I had no idea. After my hot shower, I put some disinfectant
on it and a big gauze pad.
With the injury, and dire predictions of a big wind storm coming in
this afternoon, I decided to just take the bus to work this morning,
instead of the bike.
Warm Regards,
Claire
http:///www.bicyclemeditations.org
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Date: 06 Nov 2007 15:11:45
From: Dane Buson
Subject: Re: A wet night
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Claire <cpetersky@yahoo.com > wrote:
> Last night, after some volunteer work, I was riding from Fremont to
> Montlake, with the goal of loading my bike on to 545 bus to get home.
> It was late, dark, and pouring pouring down rain.
>
<snipped tale of woe and wetness >
>
> With the injury, and dire predictions of a big wind storm coming in
> this afternoon, I decided to just take the bus to work this morning,
> instead of the bike.
I can't really blame you. That wednesday in question wasn't bad for me
, but the following day I was riding with my brother from Bellingham to
Vancouver, BC. It was nasty. 30-40 mph winds driving rain sideways
into us.
--
Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline.
Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top.
-- Hunter S. Thompson
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Date: 06 Nov 2007 16:59:31
From: Zoot Katz
Subject: Re: A wet night
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On Tue, 6 Nov 2007 15:11:45 -0800, Dane Buson <dane@unseen.edu >
wrote:
>Claire <cpetersky@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Last night, after some volunteer work, I was riding from Fremont to
>> Montlake, with the goal of loading my bike on to 545 bus to get home.
>> It was late, dark, and pouring pouring down rain.
>>
><snipped tale of woe and wetness>
>>
>> With the injury, and dire predictions of a big wind storm coming in
>> this afternoon, I decided to just take the bus to work this morning,
>> instead of the bike.
>
>I can't really blame you. That wednesday in question wasn't bad for me
>, but the following day I was riding with my brother from Bellingham to
>Vancouver, BC. It was nasty. 30-40 mph winds driving rain sideways
>into us.
So after the sun had set, the rain turned to drizzle and showers, and
the winds subsided to 30 - 50 KmH gusts, you were comfortable in
shorts, tee-shit and a vest.
okay. . . must be that Nordic blood.
When we met, I was one insulating layer short of full winter kit.
Guess I've gotten soft living in Lotus Land.
(I _was_ over dressed on the up-slope but zipped tight going down, in
the dark, wind and rain that started on the south side of the lump)
--
zk
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Date: 20 Oct 2007 23:59:59
From: Tom Keats
Subject: Re: A wet night
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In article <1192721613.977207.43140@e34g2000pro.googlegroups.com >,
Claire <cpetersky@yahoo.com > writes:
....
> It was late, dark, and pouring pouring down rain.
>
> I was on the Montlake Bridge. The regular bridge deck is terrifyingly
> slippery with any vehicle in the rain, so I was on the adjacent
> pavement.
....
> I wiped out. I muttered "I'm OK" at the pedestrian, got back on the
> bike, and rode to the Montlake Freeway stop.
>
> Another cyclist at the Montlake stop said he had been waiting 20
> minutes for the 545. If the bus was that late, it was raining hard,
> and there was already someone there waiting for the bus ahead of me,
> it did not bode well for rack room. When the 255 pulled up with an
> empty rack, even though it meant an additional three miles of riding,
> the decision was easy.
....
> I got home, absolutely soaked through, and peeled off my bike stuff. I
> was shocked to see a big hole ripped into my tights and my knee
> bleeding. I had no idea. After my hot shower, I put some disinfectant
> on it and a big gauze pad.
>
> With the injury, and dire predictions of a big wind storm coming in
> this afternoon, I decided to just take the bus to work this morning,
> instead of the bike.
Ain't life grand?
I recall last year, when I got recalled to HBC Logistics
in East Richmond. I had on a pair of jeans I'd just
bought the day before. I did my (graveyard) shift, and
when making the left turn off of No. 6 Road onto Bridgeport,
I took the corner too quickly to avoid some pavement divots
created by big trucks. So I had to "sort of" controlledly
high-side onto the sidewalk. I guess it looked dramatic,
because drivers on the other side of Bridgeport concernedly
enquired as to my well-being, to which I optimistically &
cheerfully replied in as positive a manner as I could drum-up,
after I had gradually disentangled myself from beneath my
supine bike (w/ toeclips, BTW) and regained a more-or-less
vertical stance. Lying on the ground on my side with a bike
on top of me is a foreign sensation to me. I really prefer
to be on top. As I recall, the grind up No 6 Road from
Westminster Hwy to Bridgeport was in pouring rain, but when
I wiped out, it was just an insult-to-injury drizzle.
I holed my new jeans, right in the knee. I'm wearing those
very jeans right now. They've got other subsequent wears 'n
tears in 'em. When I put 'em on, I've gotta take care to not
let my right big toe stick into that original hole, thereby
enlarging it. That doesn't always work -- the toe sometimes
homes-in to the hole despite my efforts to avoid it.
The ride up No 6 Road from Westminster Hwy to Bridgeport
truly sux. The other option is Jacombs Road, but that
puts you on the traffically wrong side of the Knight St
Bridge. But y'know what? It's a lovely strip to ride on.
So anyways, the jeans I'm wearing right now have a history.
Which reminds me, I've gotta ride to the laundromat tomorrow.
cheers,
Tom
--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 08:20:53
From: dgk
Subject: Re: A wet night
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On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:33:33 -0700, Claire <cpetersky@yahoo.com >
wrote:
>Last night, after some volunteer work, I was riding from Fremont to
>Montlake, with the goal of loading my bike on to 545 bus to get home.
>It was late, dark, and pouring pouring down rain.
>
>I was on the Montlake Bridge. The regular bridge deck is terrifyingly
>slippery with any vehicle in the rain, so I was on the adjacent
>pavement. There was a pedestrian. I slowed way down and said, "passing
>you on your left". He turned to look back at me, and I moved to the
>left to avoid him. My tires were then on where they have painted the
>pavement red and white stripes to warn you of something, I'm not a
>100% sure of what. It was very slick on that red and white paint, and
>I wiped out. I muttered "I'm OK" at the pedestrian, got back on the
>bike, and rode to the Montlake Freeway stop.
>
>Another cyclist at the Montlake stop said he had been waiting 20
>minutes for the 545. If the bus was that late, it was raining hard,
>and there was already someone there waiting for the bus ahead of me,
>it did not bode well for rack room. When the 255 pulled up with an
>empty rack, even though it meant an additional three miles of riding,
>the decision was easy.
>
>I pulled the bike off at the South Kirkland P/R. It's about another 5
>or 6 miles home from there. It was late enough that I decided that
>Northup, usually a high-speed busy suburban arterial, had light enough
>motor vehicle traffic, that I'd just take Northup all the way home and
>avoid the 520 trail. The trail is OK, but when it's that dark and
>deserted, I begin to worry about my personal safety. Northup at least
>had some cars on it, and it is very well lit.
>
>I got home, absolutely soaked through, and peeled off my bike stuff. I
>was shocked to see a big hole ripped into my tights and my knee
>bleeding. I had no idea. After my hot shower, I put some disinfectant
>on it and a big gauze pad.
>
>With the injury, and dire predictions of a big wind storm coming in
>this afternoon, I decided to just take the bus to work this morning,
>instead of the bike.
>
>Warm Regards,
>
>Claire
>http:///www.bicyclemeditations.org
I'm not really good in the rain. I'm in NYC and we're supposed to have
heavy windy thunderstorms this afternoon. My knee has been aching a
bit, I had some heavy stuff I have to bring to work, and I seem to
attract flats in the rain. So I took the train today.
Most evenings I know that I'm biking the next day. Some I know that I
won't/can't. Others, like last night, I go to bed undecided and weigh
the options in the morning shower.
All I can say is that it had BETTER rain hard this afternoon or I'm
going to be bitching. There aren't going to be too many more 70+
degree days this year and I hate not biking on even one of them.
The good news is that the storms are apparently going to produce
decent waves on the ocean so it looks like I'll be able to go surfing
this weekend. Oh joy.
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Date: 18 Oct 2007 19:06:46
From: Ears
Subject: Re: A wet night
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Since people from all over the world read this group, may I humbly
suggest giving some more specifics about your location (i.e. state and
country?)...
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Date: 18 Oct 2007 21:53:05
From: Frank Drackman
Subject: Re: A wet night
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"Ears" <bubblegumgorilla@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1192759606.348781.297730@q3g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Since people from all over the world read this group, may I humbly
> suggest giving some more specifics about your location (i.e. state and
> country?)...
Seattle Metro area in Washington State USA
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Date: 18 Oct 2007 23:44:16
From: Tom Sherman
Subject: Re: A wet night
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Ears ??? wrote:
> Since people from all over the world read this group, may I humbly
> suggest giving some more specifics about your location (i.e. state and
> country?)...
>
I thought everyone knew that Claire was from Seattle?
DAGS (Montlake Bridge): <http://pics3.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles31046.jpg >.
--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
Beer - It's not just for breakfast anymore!
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 02:04:15
From: Claire Petersky
Subject: Re: A wet night
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"Tom Sherman" <sunsetss0003@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:ff9cn2$khv$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Ears ??? wrote:
>> Since people from all over the world read this group, may I humbly
>> suggest giving some more specifics about your location (i.e. state and
>> country?)...
>>
> I thought everyone knew that Claire was from Seattle?
While I give little locational details in a story like this, I hope that it
works without having to know exactly where Northup runs or what the Montlake
Bridge looks like.
Thanks, Tom Sherman and Frank Drackman, for providing Ears with the
information sought. I must have killfiled Ears at some point or another
because Ears's post didn't appear for me. At one time I was on a rampage,
where I killfiled everyone who responded to a posts made by a certain
person. The only exception was Tom Keats, who I like so much I had to
forgive him.
Another picture of the Montlake bridge,
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/myseattlepix/photos/1005488_450.jpg,
which gives you a better sense of what it is like for a bike.
--
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky
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Date: 18 Oct 2007 10:24:59
From: SlowRider
Subject: Re: A wet night
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Ah, memories. My commute's too short these days for me to endure long
rainy trips home, but I had my share, some years ago -- cold, rainy
nights when I'd get home, stand by the washer/dryer and peel off
layers of wet clothes. Does a hot shower ever feel any better than
that? I don't think so.
Nice post, as always, Claire.
- JR
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Date: 18 Oct 2007 09:27:18
From: Bill Sornson
Subject: Re: A wet night
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Claire wrote:
> Last night, after some volunteer work, I was riding from Fremont to
> Montlake, with the goal of loading my bike on to 545 bus to get home.
> It was late, dark, and pouring pouring down rain.
>
> I was on the Montlake Bridge. The regular bridge deck is terrifyingly
> slippery with any vehicle in the rain, so I was on the adjacent
> pavement. There was a pedestrian. I slowed way down and said, "passing
> you on your left". He turned to look back at me, and I moved to the
> left to avoid him. My tires were then on where they have painted the
> pavement red and white stripes to warn you of something, I'm not a
> 100% sure of what. It was very slick on that red and white paint, and
> I wiped out. I muttered "I'm OK" at the pedestrian, got back on the
> bike, and rode to the Montlake Freeway stop.
>
> Another cyclist at the Montlake stop said he had been waiting 20
> minutes for the 545. If the bus was that late, it was raining hard,
> and there was already someone there waiting for the bus ahead of me,
> it did not bode well for rack room. When the 255 pulled up with an
> empty rack, even though it meant an additional three miles of riding,
> the decision was easy.
>
> I pulled the bike off at the South Kirkland P/R. It's about another 5
> or 6 miles home from there. It was late enough that I decided that
> Northup, usually a high-speed busy suburban arterial, had light enough
> motor vehicle traffic, that I'd just take Northup all the way home and
> avoid the 520 trail. The trail is OK, but when it's that dark and
> deserted, I begin to worry about my personal safety. Northup at least
> had some cars on it, and it is very well lit.
>
> I got home, absolutely soaked through, and peeled off my bike stuff. I
> was shocked to see a big hole ripped into my tights and my knee
> bleeding. I had no idea. After my hot shower, I put some disinfectant
> on it and a big gauze pad.
>
> With the injury, and dire predictions of a big wind storm coming in
> this afternoon, I decided to just take the bus to work this morning,
> instead of the bike.
>
> Warm Regards,
>
> Claire
> http:///www.bicyclemeditations.org
Given the subject line, slightly disappointing...but a nice read
nonetheless!
Bill "they thought it, too" S.
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