La Nina forecast doesn’t preclude bike commuting

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center issued a “La Nina Advisory” recently. This means that the Pacific Northwest will likely see another cold, wet, and white winter, while Southern states will see continuing drought conditions. NOAA anticipates that people will begin to notice the impacts on temperature and precipitation in late fall, and that this season’s phenomenon will be “weak to moderate” in strength. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the snowiest periods for Spokane will occur in early November, mid-December, mid-January, and early and late March. April and May could be “cooler and snowier than normal.” Many bicycle commuters will begin hanging up helmets and transitioning from a two-wheel commute to something with four. Not Spokane’s Sally Phillips, who says the forecast only means to put on studded bike tires and layer up. The 63-year-old IT supervisor has been bicycling year-round from the South Hill to the downtown federal courthouse (6 miles one way) nearly daily since 1989. She also rides with the Spokane Bicycle Club almost every weekend. Here’s how she started and stays motivated. What prompted you to start commuting by bike? My husband and I started after we returned from vacation one year. We were having fun on new bikes, and when we got home we decided to see if we couldn’t make a commute work. He’s retired now, but he did it for a number of years. Do you ride daily? I definitely don’t think of it as a religious obligation. I ride most of the winter - which people generally find amazing – but when you start doing something like this you notice that it’s not uniformly bad weather all year. Sometimes it’s just a matter of bundling up and making sure you have good lights. For the first few years, I didn’t ride in winter. Then got addicted and by the time fall rolled around, I thought, I could keep going. Pretty soon spring came. What is the secret to riding in bad weather? About 10 years ago, I found a studded tire that really works (the Nokian Blizzard). I went from having 8-10 times I’d fall over to 0 or 1. My tires have about 300 studs per tire. It has made a dramatic difference in stability. In Spokane we have black ice even before snow gets serious, and if you’re commuting, you can’t wait for it to melt. Studs were ideal for that kind of condition – I don’t slide. Same thing for hard-pack snow. What gear do you need? Think about how you dress toddlers for snow – that’s what you feel like. The most important thing is a hood under your helmet. I wear lots of layers - a couple pairs of pants, boots, wool socks, one or two pair of gloves, a neck gaitor and usually a lightweight shirt (maybe what I’ll wear at work), probably a wool sweater, and a jacket over the top. When I get to work, I can change into a skirt and nylons. What was your worst commuting experience? A long time ago, before I became sensitive to when it was time to give up, I remember the snow falling but it wasn’t really accumulating. But it kept falling all day. I work downtown so it’s not exactly obvious how it’s going to be further out. I remember pushing my bike up the hill. What will keep you off your bike? Fresh snow isn’t so bad, and you can ride in a couple of inches. Snow muffles noise and you can see your tracks. But after it gets pushed around by cars, melts and re-freezes, that’s when it gets challenging. If it looks nasty, I’ll leave the bike at work and take the bus home. If I’m not comfortable with conditions in the morning, I walk and take the bus home. What do you think about while you’re cycling? It’s the perfect pace to enjoy neighborhoods. Depending on the time of year, there are different smells and a different landscape, like leaves changing color. I look at houses, and sometimes you can smell what people are fixing for dinner. What motivates you to continue riding? It’s fun, but also good exercise. It’s hard to convince yourself to exercise after a full day, so it’s nice to incorporate it into your day – it doesn’t require any extra motivation. Any advice for people considering bike commuting, even in warmer weather? If people put bikes away in the winter, but bring them out in spring, they’re already doing more than others, so that’s commendable. If they want to try riding during winter, the most important things are good illumination/lights, studded tires and warm clothes. Are drivers respectful? It’s been about 2 years since I’ve been yelled at, and I ride a lot, so that’s pretty good.