Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Enjoy the Road with Bicycles

The other morning as I came to work, someone said to be, "Mornings getting cold?"

Probably it was the "layered look" of my biking garb: pants, sweater, jacket--topped by raingear functioning as windbreakers--and a bicycling helmet capped with a rainproof yellow wind barrier.

"Yes, it is cool out." What could I say, that I'd biked in much more severe weather, that once coming home, I'd shattered the frozen sleet from my jacket prior to entering the house, that I'd pushed my bike because the driving snow had gotten too deep? That would sound like bragging--when actually it would just be part of the short, mile-and-a-half ride home as a bike commuter.

I'd rather spend ten minutes riding my bike in snow and ice than spending ten minutes scraping my windshield. It's just much more satisfying.

My commuting is on pavement or a lime-chipped rails-to-trails path near my home, so I miss severe road tests like the one in the video below.


I have ridden through a flooded street that reached my petals, and I have learned to avoid the bike trails after a thaw because of the mud. I have worn my goggles because the sensation of freezing eyeballs is not pleasant. However, "extreme" is a relative term, and after commuting for years, I've grown used to putting up with occasional "adventure."

Knowing home is a short distance away makes it all an adventure, and an adventure that ends with a shower and a chance to watch the weather from inside is fun. It's something I'm glad I can choose to do. And so I hear that the first winter storm is coming tomorrow--I'd better oil up my winter boots!

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

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