Friday, December 02, 2005

The Driveway Test

Today's bike ride to work was called on account of weather.
It snowed a little last night, not much around me, just a sprinkle (although 10cm has fallen north of the city towards the Malahat). But the real concern was the temperature, which was hovering around the zero mark. What we had been getting was mixed snow and rain.
So before deciding if I should ride or not, I looked out my front window and perform The Scott Hooper Driveway Test (tm).
What's the condition of the driveway? If there's sparkling shiny stuff, that indicates a heavy frost or ice. No riding. If it's white, that indicates snow. No riding. If it's plaid with pink and purple polka dots, that indicates that I'm delirious with a fever. No riding.
Today there was ice. All together now -- no riding.
Turns out to be a good choice, the side roads in my area were slick with ice. I live on hill, and I would have gotten nowhere. Or I would have gotten somewhere but way too quickly and with no way to stop.
Driving was tricky. (In fact, my bus driver had trouble and slid right through a bus stop, much to the chagrin of the waiting riders who had to jump for their lives. But I digress.)
Closer to downtown, the roads were fine. No snow, no ice.
But still, I think I made the right choice. I hate putting dents in my helmet.