Originally Posted by bpcyclist

Some good stuff above. The only thing I would add is, even if I think I know what it is, I always sit down and review the weather forecast before I go out. It is part of my pre-ride ritual. Prevents surprises. Things can change in a matter of a few hours. So always check the weather. The other thing is ice. You live in Denver and so are an expert in snow by default. But I don't know how much ice you get. We get little snow in most parts of Portland, but we can get quite a bit of ice. The problem with it is that it is not always visible. I went down on a gentle left-hand turn in 2012 after hitting some black ice that was completely hidden from view. It looked like dampness from rain. I was on the pavement, sliding like as hockey puck before I knew what had happened. No serious injuries, fortunately. But I learned my lesson. I often now cancel a ride when the temperature is hovering around freezing and when there is precipitation falling, as that is where we most often see ice accumulate. Just too dangerous.

So, those are my tips. Be aware of the most current weather data. And worry about ice when that is appropriate.