The Charm of Winter Cycling

What a fine morning it turned out to be! Although it was -12 Celcius (-18 with the wind) , I took my bike to do my errands this morning, and now I know what everyone is raving about. With the right clothes (an ear band under your helmet and a scarf are de rigueur), winter cycling is exhilarating! And as we all know, there is nothing better to break the winter monotony than a blast of fresh air.

However, there are few points to remember. First there is the mechanical side. You should take along some oil for your chain and use a de-icer for your brakes. Then there is the human side. Motorists are not expecting cyclists, nor do they warm to the idea of sharing the road in winter.

For instance, just this morning while waiting for the light at Park Avenue and St. Viateur, I had every intention of going straight, but the SUV beside me wanted to turn right. As I looked up to see if either the passenger or the driver had noticed me, I saw the driver lean over to get a better look at me, while his passenger stared at me in utter disbelief. I couldn't make out whether the passenger was a man or a woman, as the being was zipped into a parka of some sort, with a furry trim obscuring most of the face.

I returned the stare probably with an arched eyebrow; after all, what were they looking at? Then I was dumbfounded to see the passenger mouth the words Elle est folle (She's nuts), to which the driver slapped his thigh and laughed, just before he cut me off to make his right-hand turn.

Was I miffed you ask? Not in the least. After all, you can't expect much from the fur-trimmed parka wearers or SUV drivers of the world, they have to get back to much more important and stimulating pursuits, such as navel gazing.