Fair Weather
It’s almost winter. The weather has been changing and there have been some pretty rainy days. While the weather’s gross and I have other transportation options, I still end up on my bike.
I’ve been told I’m weird, but it’s all relative. Everybody’s bad weather commute has an element of the ridiculous.
And while I don’t really like being out in the elements it still makes the most sense to me. After all, rain is just water and a bike is just the quickest way through the mess. All weather is fair weather if you have a good raincoat.
Wow – way to miss the point, Bob. There’s a pretty big difference between a rainy day and a hurricane. It must be awfully tough to be you.
Studded tires are popular in our city area, Alberta for those who cycle through ice and snow. You can hear those tires crunching along on pavement.
I cycle only on dry pavement during winter. I haven’t yet bough studded tires, but my partner uses his set.
Hee hee. All you need is the right gear. As miserable as it must look, with the right gear I’m usually cozy, and then happy to be cycling and get warmed up. Cycling is usually faster than driving or taking public transit. If I go into the city, I have to take transit. Once I get in from the boonie bus and go to get the next bus, I will keep walking until the bus finally comes. No way can I handle standing and waiting especially in the cold. I don’t know why more people don’t do that. In urban centres bus stops are every 1 to 2 blocks so just keep an eye out for buses and keep going. Normally buses come every so many minutes, but sometimes they get backed up or delayed. I recently covered 6+ blocks and a major bridge before the bus finally arrived. If everyone did that instead of standing for 30+ minutes, they’d be much healthier.
One thing for drivers to consider: I know it must be sooo boring to be in a car which is basically a house on wheels with heat, couch, music, even dvd players, but can you slow down a bit and give cyclists a break, let them go when they have the right of way? We’re out in the cold getting wet, it’s dark, and just want to keep riding to stay warm! It takes seconds for you to slow down for cyclists, and then you can speed up again. I try to follow the rules of the road etc but still get cut off time and time again. I’ve got the lights, I try to make eye contact, but still invisible or not important enough to slow down for.
Amazing the people who question me about biking to work in the rain, the cold, the snow, yet they’ll go out and play sports in the rain or (even more to the point) go skiing in any conditions possible. I guess it’s the idea of “going to work” that freaks them out more than being outdoors in the weather….