Unseen Ice Sends Cyclists Spinning Out Along Lakefront
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Along the lakefront on Tuesday, cyclist after cyclist after cyclist went down.
Huge waves from Lake Michigan left water on the path, which froze quickly and created a thin layer of nearly invisible ice.
The wipe outs forced the Chicago Park District to shut down part of the lakefront trail near Oak Street, CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports.
Video showed bikers hitting a patch of "black ice" and taking a tumble. It happened over and over again--sometimes in pairs.
At least twice, ambulances were called to assist injured cyclists.
In all, CBS 2 counted 16 cyclists who hit the pavement in about eight minutes.
After the warning signs went up, some took heed and turned around, but others didn't and knew they were breaking the rules.
"Don't arrest us," once cyclist said.
Linda Viga says she walks the lakefront almost every day, but the path is only closed about once or twice a year.
Some bikers, like Sima Okee, say they never knew the path was closed anyway.
"Well, it's better than sitting in an apartment and doing nothing," said Okee.
"We're doing some exercise, some activities, so it's all good for us. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
