Monday, February 06, 2006 (repost)

Screw You!

Did all of my Anchorage friends make it to work in one piece today? Holy shit was it bad this morning on the commute. Raining out on top of smooth wet ice. White knuckle driving all the way. Lunch was much better. Sandy slush on the main roads, but no change on the side roads from 7am.

And for footwear? I've got a tip for you. I read about this on ADN a couple of years ago. A tip by Anchorage runners who run outdoors all year-round. They had the idea of screwing, well screws into the bottoms of their running shoes. They experimented with different sizes and types until they found the perfect screw. It's a 3/8"x6 Tapping Screw. Usually sold out around town due to the runners and general public that read that article. Best bet is AIH on Old Seward near Tudor. These screws are short so won't reach your foot. The pointy side goes up into the shoe - slotted side is what grips the ice. And the slotted head of this screw has a wicked little edge that really does the trick. I've found that it's easiest to put them in with a cordless drill with a screwdriver bit. Using a hand screwdriver against the mushy rubber takes forever. I probably shoot a couple dozen under each shoe. This works so well on wet ice that you could play basketball. The screws do wear down after a couple of seasons so replace as needed. A box of 100 is like three bucks. Only things you have to be careful about is that these shoes will ruin linoleum and hardwood floors! Also, be careful walking on ceramic tile or concrete, because (ironically) the shoes are slippery on these surfaces.

So if I saved one of you from breaking your butt on the ice - great!