Hurricane mods for your commuter?

[thecyclingeconomist]

Anyone have any good hurricane adaptation devices? I think Tuesday will be a pretty wild ride with 36mph winds and 50mph gusts… Anyone ever ridden a bike with a sail?
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/sail-your-bike-with-whike.html

Topic

[Dirt]

@Bilsko 34560 wrote:

Spoken like someone with experience.

I can neither confirm, nor deny that comment.

@jabberwocky 34561 wrote:

I’m highly amused that Dirt can do a long, informative post on the best routes to bike commute during a hurricane.

Did I ever tell you about riding through a tornado when I lived in Colorado? IT WAS AWESOME!!!! Definitely a top 5 near death experience for me.

[thecyclingeconomist]

I’m staying home with my family on Mon. and Tues., but planning to be without power for a week or more starting on Monday night or Tuesday. We’ll see how it all plays out. I was new to D.C. this summer when the Derecho hit and we were stuck without power in 100+ degrees for 3 days. That was miserable.

At least I have time for this. It’s just like earthquake preparedness in CA, except I can see it coming…

Thanks Dirt for the tips… I have often been called “stupid” for the weather I choose to brave. I often consider it a personal challenge to bike through anything mother-nature can throw at me. The stories you get to tell are great! However, when trees are the things being thrown at me by mother-nature (along with power lines etc) and many spots of my route will inevitably be severely flooded… I consider that a time to swallow my pride and wait it out. I have to think of making sure to be there for my daughter and the upcoming addition to the family (wife is preggers), which will be here in mid dec. :p

[eminva]

@thecyclingeconomist 34582 wrote:

the upcoming addition to the family (wife is preggers), which will be here in mid dec. :p

Awww. Congratulations!

[Certifried]

@Dirt 34580 wrote:

Definitely a top 5 near death experience for me.

David Letterman could make a hilarious top 10 out of Dirt’s near death experiences

[Dirt]

@Certifried 34588 wrote:

David Letterman could make a hilarious top 10 out of Dirt’s near death experiences

Relatively few of them have been ones that I could get through and come out the back side saying “Okay… That was scary, but kinda cool.”

[creadinger]

@Dirt 34555 wrote:

If you choose to brave it, then I’ll see you at Hains Point for intervals. Those 50mph winds with driving rain are gonna be ugly!

Another thing to add is that since this will be such a major event, both long lived and spanning several states, if you are at all concerned about making it to your destination safely then DON’T RIDE!! Emergency services throughout the region will have enough to deal with without having to rescue idiot cyclists who thought they’d be cool and ride in a hurricane. There’s absolutely no reason to put yourself in a bad situation.

As the CWG has reported, if Sandy’s landfall and transition to extra-tropical happens as predicted then we’ll experience tropical storm force winds with gusts to 60 for 24+ hours. We’ll also get up to 8 inches of rain and we all know that drainage around here isn’t the best. Sandy may not be a powerful hurricane, but it’s central pressure is that of your typical category 3 major hurricane and it’s wind field is enormous – In fact it’s the largest Atlantic hurricane in history by the diameter of gale force winds.

[5555624]

@Dirt 34555 wrote:

Be safe! If riding in this stuff scares you, then find a way NOT to ride. It shouldn’t be that hard to do.

This. While it needs to be repeated for Sandy, if there are ever conditions that scare you, find a way not to ride (or to eliminate the scary part).

While I’ll probably ride, I’m not going to meet Dirt for intervals at Hains Point, although with those winds at my back, it might be the only time I could keep up.

[5555624]

@thecyclingeconomist 34504 wrote:

Anyone have any good hurricane adaptation devices? [/url]

Wool socks. With all the rain, I expect to get wet. With temperatures in the 40s, I want wool socks.

[jabberwocky]

The touring bike is all prepared for the beginning of this week. I figure 35 pounds of steel outta keep me on the ground alright. The only real question is whether I’m going to actually be able to get into Great Falls (all the main routes go over low bridges that flood in heavy rains).

[baiskeli]

[old man on the porch voice]: Listen up, whippersnappers. Way back in ’05, I rode the Seagull Century. Weren’t just any ride – a hurricane came through. We had wind like you never seen, sonny. And rain? Heck, we rode all hundred miles through five inches of rain! T’ain’t seen nothing like it afore or since. You young’uns with your storms! You ain’t seen nothin’.

[Certifried]

totally read that in an old man’s voice

[Author]

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