Despite my hard, hard efforts, I had to turn back again due to ice.
More after the break…
Outbound
After waiting for sunrise anyway last time, I started a little after 06:00 this time, heading south through Seattle. I thought that would also be late enough to avoid New Year's drunks, but apparently not.
Drunk people are speaking very loudly on the street outside.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
One of the worst times to be out is when there are a bunch of drunken idiots out on the road. #NewYearsEve
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Going to leave at 06:00 so I won't have to deal with the cold for as long.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Lots of people driving like idiots at this hour. I wasn't involved in any alterations, but I saw a few a short distance away.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
A drunk pedestrian told me that he appreciated how I followed the law by stopping for a red light, but told me to go anyway.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Even though there was nobody around, I still waited since the light lines there were pretty bad.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Some of the clubs in SoDo seemed to still be partying, too.
Seems like the condensation from car exhaust contributes to bridge icing.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Once I'd gotten far enough away from downtown Seattle, it got really cold again, and I had to stop at Randy's beside Boeing Field to warm up with coffee and hot food.
Randy's here isn't kidding about being always open! Now I have a go-to place when heading south.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
I'm excited to meet @kentsbike again this month.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
While there, some of the wait staff told me about cycling in snow they've done before, and how sometimes the frost is thick enough to look like snow in places.
Once past Boeing Field, I got onto the Green River Trail and followed it to the Interurban Trail.
I then followed the Interurban Trail, being very careful when crossing the frosty railroad crossings on it.
The urban heat island effect is real, guys.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
The Saga really needed a 100mm stem. All is good, now.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Probably won't do a long ride next weekend. Need a break from suffering from this cold.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Hands are now staying warm enough to remain usable now. #cycling
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
@kentsbike@librarianbikes Yeah, that's pretty much it.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
@librarianbikes Already have the tickets.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
The trail was uneventful at the beginning, but then I saw a place where the trail had flooded and frozen in Auburn.
I later learned that the trail's been flooding a lot lately, and how people usually ignored the official trail closure during such times. Apparently, King County and Puget Sound Energy never renewed the easement through the southern reaches, so the county can't maintain the trail.
While I was able to get past the first icy bit, the second one pretty much kept me from continuing.
While you can't see it here, the grass on both sides had ice under it, so going around was a pretty bad idea, too.
Interurban Trail has flooded and frozen over in multiple places. The one here is bad enough to force me to turn back. #seabikes
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Inbound
I decided to turn back, but head via the Green River Trail and Frager Road instead to get more distance. Aside from frost, this leg was pretty uneventful.
I think the pawls in my freehub aren't engaging properly all the time. #cycling
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Once I'd gotten to Tukwila, I decided to get some tea at Starbucks as my stomach was very unhappy from all the coffee I'd been drinking.
Getting tea because my stomach isn't happy.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
@seabikeblog That doesn't look like Seattle now. Not enough frost and ice.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
@seabikeblog I've been out for the past six hours. Frost and ice all over for much of that.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
To leave Tukwila, I continued along the Green River Trail all the way to South Park. While along it, I found something that was a good representation of how I'd been feeling that morning (WARNING: dead animal).
In a bit of a funk due to the hand-numbing, bottle-freezing, and puddle-freezing weather. #cycling
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
I also talked to a guy from the mountains in Pennsylvania who said that the wind chill was why I was so cold while riding. While I didn't disagree, I've been warm in similar conditions before.
2 Merino layers, 3 wool sweaters, an SP jacket, and Winter half-mittens should be enough to keep my fingers working!
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
Saw a guy cycling along the shoulder of SR-99 here. #seabikes
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
I crossed the South Park Bridge, then followed East Marginal Way and 4th Avenue S north. I followed bike route signs eventually, and ended up at a place that wouldn't have allowed me to get across the huge railyard in SoDo.
I had to turn back, then head up 1st Ave S, next cutting over to East Marginal Way again. Once there, I took my typical route all the way home. I stopped at my now-closed for good local bike shop one last time to get a photo.
I really liked the light car traffic around downtown. Too bad it can't be like that all the time. #seabikes
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
And then I headed straight home.
Now that I'm home, I can now order a saddle that hasn't been somehow flattened by its previous owner and made unusable for my normal posture
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 1, 2016
After getting home, I ended up with deathly shivers after a while due to a lack of common sense.
I wasn't smart enough to remove my sweat-soaked Merino inner layers when I got home and managed to induce hypothermia.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 2, 2016
I took a scalding hot shower to ameliorate it.
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) January 2, 2016
When I later brought up my findings with all these layers, I learned that having too many layers underneath a compacting outer layer is bad news since it results in less air and more fabric underneath said outer layer. Apparently, the whole point of insulation is to keep a layer of air warm around one's body. I really should've known that, but was't thinking.
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