Stuff-mo-tron

Fri, 19 Dec 2008

So, Seattle was hit with a couple inches of snow in the last week, and totally contrary to tradition, it actually stayed cold enough to stick around. Then it snowed some more. The roads now most closely resemble very poorly maintained skating rinks.

Of course, I was ready for this one! Last year, after a week of being stuck in the house or wherever I could very slowly hoof it, I had had enough. I ordered up a set of Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 tires (scroll down on that page to see them). Of course, they arrived after all snow was done for the season, but I gave them a try anyway. Pretty heavy, pretty slow, and I suddenly seemed to be in worse shape -- oh yeah, rolling resistance.

But when the snow came this year, hoo boy, was I ready! I levered a studded tire on the front rim (a story all in itself -- I had to remount it 6 times, somehow pinching holes in the tube every time), on the theory that there was snow predicted, and this would get me half the rolling resistance hit, but still allow good steering and stopping.

Then the snow hit in earnest, and I put on the rear tire (another story in itself -- I had to take the bus down to the theater and install the tire on the stage after leaving my bike there in favor of a ride a few days before). Now I was fully prepared when the Real Snow hit a few days ago.

So yesterday, the director and I took a census of the actors, and decided that, damn the snow and ice, we would put on the show! (I'm stage managing for the Judy Garland Christmas Special.) The roads were covered in packed snow and ice, but people were raring to go. It's closing weekend, after all.

I hopped on my Hakkapeliitta-equipped bike, and made the journey. It was slow going (I didn't want to ride too fast, or I'd have too much momentum to stop in an emergency), and the now-frozen slush next to tire tracks made for the odd butt-clenching moment, but I didn't really have any trouble.

It was a trifle nerve-wracking to ride next to the big FedEx trucks down Phinney Ave, but all the motorized traffic seemed to have the same "slow and steady" approach to not crashing that I did, and I didn't even have any close calls. I took the Fremont Ave hill very slowly.

The real surprise, though, was riding home. It was late (of course) and colder, and most importantly, a lot more uphill than the way in. My preferred route takes me up a hill that must be a 10% grade, but it's pretty short. Of course, this time, it was also covered in packed ice. And I just rode up it, as if it were lumpy pavement. The tires didn't slip at all! I was terribly impressed. The ride home, in fact, was almost entirely uneventful, and I saw only a handful of cars.

As I was riding past the Q13 building (a local TV station), I noticed another hardy soul biking slowly along. After dithering for a moment, I turned around to say hi, and recommend the sidewalk (which didn't have any of the obnoxious tire-track ruts). We ended up riding together for about 10 minutes, and it turned out she was riding on normal, underinflated mountain bike tires. It seemed to work pretty well for her, until we got to an incline that I didn't even think about. She had to dismount and walk very slowly up the hill, though, since her rear tire wouldn't grip on the slick surface.

That was one of maybe three other bikes I saw on the trip. Also, the one absolutely insane guy on a 50cc scooter with street slicks on. Not a choice I would have made. Riding two-wheeled on ice is insane to start with, there's no call for riding something really heavy with gasoline power behind it (unless you've got those buzz-saw tires they use for ice racing, of course, which is its own special variety of insane).

The whole experience definitely left me pleased with my purchase of studded tires. They'll last me many years, in this kind of service, and they work really well!

Written by Ian Johnston. Software is Blosxom. Questions? Please mail me at reaper at obairlann dot net.