If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass (See Rule #9). Whether it’s raining, snowing, blistering hot, or freezing cold, this type of rider doesn’t let Mother Nature stop him. Upon seeing a daily high of 26 below, this rider will just add another thermal layer. There is no reason to feel cold. When he wears five layers of clothing with no skin exposed except the eyes, like a ninja, there’s a feeling of invincibility. When the wind blows, no air seeps in as every seal is tightly fastened. His body is a self-regulating furnace. He rides harder when he feels cold, slower when he feels warm. This badass can be you. It just takes a little motivation.
There is this unique feeling when riding on fresh snow. It’s somewhere between being in full control and on the edge of failure. Testing the limits of your tires, allowing the gyroscopic rhythm of your wheels to determine the lines, approaching the limit of how far your bike can lean over before gravity kicks in, gives you an experience that is forbidden at any other time of the year. Riding in the unshoveled bike lane on the morning commute among dense traffic only to quickly swerve to save yourself really wakes you up. After that, cars give a lot of space when passing.
You are at a slower pace when you’re riding in the negatives. I don’t know if it’s the increased viscosity of the grease in the bearings, the extra layers deceasing mobility in the legs, the harsh piercing wind, or a synergetic combination of all these factors, but riding in cold weather is much slower. It allows for a new perspective of your surroundings. I notice a lot of things that I haven’t noticed before. The forested area on the east side of University Avenue between Seagram and Westmount seems like a nice place to film a zombie movie.
There is an abundance of bike parking on campus during the winter. Last summer, I was struggling to find a decent bike rack to park my bike. This was especially true if you wanted to park anywhere near the entrance of a building. Sometimes I would find that perfect spot but fought to get my bike out of the parking space when more bikes piled beside mine. This is of no concern during bad weather. Covered bike racks are easy to come by. Although I take the exact same precautions as anytime of the year, I have a feeling that there is a significantly reduced chance of my bike being stolen in bad weather. Even though there are less bikes on the roads and in the bike racks, I don’t think bike thieves operate during this time of year for the same reasons most people don’t ride their bikes during this time of year.
There is this sense of camaraderie when I see another biker on the streets. I often give a neighbourly nod. We both know full and well what each of us has to go through to be on the roads in these conditions. The first being badass.
Leave a Reply