By Chris Chatelain
Why do we ride in the winter? I'm frequently asked as I walk into a pub
or movie theater, “aren't you cold?”. I just smile warmly and say “nope”.
Nearly every day coworkers used to ask if I had taken my bike, thinking
“its worse weather than yesterday, there's no way he rode his bike”
and every day they would be amazed. The amazement has worn off now.
Everyone has gotten used to the fact that I'm not going to die any time
soon from commuting by bike in the winter time.
I was approached by a co-worker today and asked WHY I did it. I
couldn't answer him. I didn't know. All I could say was “it's a welcome
challenge” but that just barely scratches the surface of the WHY
question. So that started me thinking. Why? Why do I put up with -30C
temperatures and -40C wind chill? Why do I put up with the lack of good
traction?
That same day we got about a eight inches of fluffy snow, the light
kind with huge flakes that obscure your entire eye when you get hit by
one. As I was dragging my bike out of the lunch room (where the vice
president graciously sticks up for me when people complain about the
puddle my bike leaves) someone said in amusement “boy, you'll sure have
fun riding home today”. I just said “thanks I will!”. I just got a
strange look like I was insane.
I decided to take the snowed in sidewalk to the side of the high speed
highway this time until I came to the turn off to a slower road as a
courtesy to the other drivers, seeing as the traffic reports were scaring
people. I left work, jumped on the bike, rode for a block with this white
stuff flying up around me completely obscuring my view of my hubs. I hit
something solid, made me loose what little control I had and plummeted
into a snow drift soft as a pillow. *WHUMP!* it was like falling on a
cloud. It was so much fun I just laid there and laughed for a bit. I
wasn't commuting any more, I was playing. I ended up riding 11 km that day
in that stuff, and I was completely exhausted, but I wouldn't have missed
it for the world. The little voice in side my head kept screaming “YES!
This is so much fun!”. I was riding through stuff that was too hard to
walk through. I even got off for a spot and walked, but immediately jumped
back on the bike because it was easier than pushing the bike!
Sometimes winter riding sucks. Sometimes it's soggy and you get soaked
right through, and the freewheel is frozen, and nothing shifts, and the
brakes just skid on the rims, and the driver behind you is leaning on the
horn, but it's the good days like the above that make up for it. From what
I've seen, the traffic is better in the winter than in good weather.
Everyone pulls together. Everyone realizes no one can stop fast. Even on
the bad days, when I arrive at my destination intact and possibly
exhausted, I accomplished something. I did something most people are
scared of. I rode in weather that people have frozen to death in, beat the
traffic, got home safe, and got healthier because of it.
I love riding bikes, for all reasons, including reasons that have
nothing to do with biking. Every time I'm driving a car, I hate how
visibility is reduced by all that steel surrounding you. I feel far safer
on my bike, because if I don't see a car coming, there is no car coming.
The bus is no better either. I'm much warmer on a bike because I tend to
prepare myself better for an hour out in the cold than if I was expecting
to jump on a bus after ten minutes of waiting. I'd much rather be warm on
a bike, than cold standing still at a bus stop. And then there's the time
thing. It takes me almost 20 minutes longer to take the bus to work than
bike. I don't see any benefit to taking the bus over a bike whatsoever.
I think the reason I take a bike changes day to day:
- Fun!
- Warm!
- Don't have to drive!
- Don't have to take a bus!
- Faster than taking a bus!
- Fun!
- Fun!
- Fun!
- Did I mention fun?
Partly its my defiance to the weather. No one, not even old man winter
is going to tell me I cant have fun in the snow on a bike. How is it any
different than skiing? People enjoy being out in the cold skiing right?
Partly its defying those people that tell me I shouldn't be out on a bike
in that weather. But mostly, ITS JUST WAAAAYY TOO MUCH FUN! C'mon, you
know you WAAANAA.
Home of the Winter Cyclist
