Freak Snow Can’t Stop Cycling in Portland

It’s not often that the Portland region sees snow. But yesterday, like a handful of other odd places, including Texas, America’s bike capital got walloped (by northwest standards anyway).

As it happens, a little snow can’t change Portland, reports Jonathan Maus at Bike Portland, who captured a series of photos showing cyclists who weren’t easily discouraged.

Here’s what Maus had to say about the conditions yesterday:

What happens to all of Portland’s bike riders when the worst snow storm in years hits the area? I was curious too so I spent a few hours out there with my camera tonight.

Turns out many people took the riding as a personal challenge. Bundled up like they were climbing a mountain, most [of] the riders I saw pedaled through the storm with equal parts concentration, determination, and smiles. I did see quite a few people that had thrown in the towel and decided to walk their bikes as the snow continued to fall.

And I couldn’t blame them. The conditions were some of the toughest I’ve experienced in my 10 years as a Portland resident. As the evening commute picked up steam, so did the snow. And the wind howled too, driving the flakes horizontal and making it difficult to see and keep the bike upright.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Streets.mn takes a critical look at the media coverage of the death of a “safe cyclist” in Minneapolis. Boston Streets catalogs car companies’ overtures to young people, who are increasingly wary of driving. And Urbanophile reports that the city of Long Grove, Illinois, is privatizing streets in suburban subdivisions and turning them over to property owners.