Ahh, winter. Icy streets, rutted sidewalks, and sadistic plow drivers who pile snow high right where you want to go. And I have been waiting for this day for months!

6 am, 17 degrees. Ice on the streets, a few inches of days old snow laying around. Ride to work for the first time on wintry roads. Riding studded tires for the first time ever as well. I have seriously underestimated the workload of running on 40mm tires with studs on an old schwinn comfort bike. I am sweating in no time. Half way to work the roads are still icy, but traffic is building, and they are doing 60 mph in a 45, on icy roads, passing close. I move to the side walk. (you lane takers need not comment, it ain't going to happen on these roads).

A POX ON ALL WHO DON'T CLEAR THE SIDEWALK after a snow! Ruts, boulders thrown up by the plows, piles of snow built by homeowners with narrow gaps, and worst of all are the 1 to 2 foot high ramparts in in the crosswalks built by the snow plows a few days earlier. The smaller walls of snow and ice I begin to hop and climb over. I am successful five or six times, and my confidence in studded tires is soaring. And they don't let me down, there is a much more trecherous fate awaiting me.

I come to a 12 inch snow wall blocking the cross walk doing about 8 mph, and attempt to hop it like the rest. Front wheel goes over, I am unweighting the back wheel to complete the jump, and my front wheel sinks deep into soft snow and stops dead. I still have my forward momentum, so over the bars I go! At the zenith, I seem to pause for a moment in time, or maybe it just seems that way. I know there is no stopping the giant endo I am about to do, so I let out a yippee and just go with it. Then Spread eagle, face down in the snow... wait for it... wait for it... Ah, the bike catches up and lands right on top of me.

I jump up. Any witnesses? NO. A shame, I am sure my style and form was excellent. The Handlebars are askew, but there is no other damage, to the bike or me. My first endo, ever!

Can't wait for the ride home.