Scenic Route

Earlier in the week they started warning of a major snowstorm this weekend. As forecasters whipped themselves into a frenzy, estimated accumulations climbed to 20 inches. (That’s a half-meter in sensible units.)

As with any froth and foam, most of it is air. This morning after several hours of the snow equivalent of drizzle, there’s a whopping three or four inches on the ground. Maybe the storm snowed itself out elsewhere. Maybe we’re only on the fringe of the storm.

More likely it’s just plain old forecast hyperbole. “Eeek! A snowflake! We’re all gonna die!”

The hyperbole drove shoppers into a panic yesterday. By all reports grocery stores were completely filled with panic-stricken shoppers. The fishwrapper reports today that the malls did tremendous business. Interestingly, the panic seemed to rub off on our patrons at the library.

Doorcount was way up. Many more video hounds than usual took out the alloted maximum of six DVDs. Bookworms carried armloads out the door. Even out perpetual book sale table of weeded-out books and videos took a beating. By the end of my four hour shift, I was exhausted and the shelves seemed stripped bare.

Truth be told, even I brought home an extra book. As for groceries, I rummaged around in the freezer and dug out a pork roast for today.

Meanwhile, the city is following its fiscally prudent snow-removal policy. Basically it means declare a snow emergency so huge numbers of cars can be towed to impound to generate revenue, then do nothing else until the storm ends to save money on plowing and salt. I never heard a single salt truck or plow all night. There’s only a few inches on the ground, but none of it has been touched in the streets. One pass would clear it right up.

Thursday was another story. We did get the inch-an-hour that had been forecast, but we got it for only four of the eight to ten hours forecast. As soon as it stopped snowing, a warm front started the melting. I rode to work with four to six inches in the streets, and four hours later, rode home on clear, although wet, streets.

Even so, there were few viewers at the opening of the photo exhibition at Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport. Mostly it was store staff and a few people I knew from either the TNUA or Monday Night Small Ring rides. It was good to be able to sit (or stand) and have an extended conversation with people where you’re usually limited to things like “Car back!”

Anyway, the photo they chose from the three I entered was right in front as you enter the store. Several people asked where it had been taken and I gave them directions.

On Friday I felt silly for still having the snow tires on the bike. I took them off for Saturday morning’s ride. What sweet relief it is ride the road tires. The snows are nicer than you’d expect, but they’re still heavy. That heaviness infests all aspects of the ride and handling of the bike, well beyond its effect on pedaling.

I’ve had to find a different route for my Saturday morning long loop to work. They don’t plow the MUPs around here. Bicycle traffic gives way to cross-country skiers. It’s difficult enough to pick a route in the winter, even more so when you’re looking for a loop. Traffic, road surface conditions, lane width, driveways, intersections, grade and shoulders versus curbs are all factors I consider.

I found one route I’m happy with and that is about a mile longer than my normal Saturday loop. Between the extra mile, a couple of grades and generally being slower in the cold, it takes me an extra ten minutes. I still have to get used to building that into my Saturday morning schedule. I need to be out the door by 7:50 now.

Last week I encountered an entire jogging club. Two or three dozen runners all slightly surprised to see a guy on a bike. This week only one runner.

Finally on Saturday, I wheeled my bike out of the back, as usual, a few minutes before closing. I learn it against the end of the Circulation Desk near the door. A patron remarked, “I guess I’m going to have to change my opinion of bicyclists in Rochester.”

“How’s that?” I asked.

“You look perfectly normal.”

“You don’t know me that well.”

Much later in the day…

The wind shifted for a while and we got some decent lake-effect snow. But for the most part, it’s been that snow drizzle all day. Accumulation seems to be around eight inches—a foot short of the predictions. Put another way, only 40%.

Hyperbole.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2007 at 9:48 pm UTC and is filed under Bike. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.