Sunday, February 1, 2009

Winter Cycling Vancouver Style

I went for an hour ride last Monday, out to Port Moody along Hastings and the Barnet Highway. It was -7 C when I left and -4 C when I got back. I used to commute all winter in Ottawa, but I was wearing big winter boots in really loose toe straps, not clip-on racing shoes, and I had a coat the covered down to my crotch. Going out dressed like a racer at those temperatures, I need to put on some wind protection for my crotch, and wear booties even if it's dry.

To top it off, I had a flat. There's so much crud on the road, and I took one of those big staples in at the edge of the tread. At least I was in the sun, so I didn't freeze while changing the tire. Had it happened a few hundred metres later, I would have been in the shadow of Burnaby Mountain. As it was, I was warmer standing in the sun than riding. Obviously that's the effect of the wind when I'm riding.

Whinging aside, it was really nice to go out and just ride.

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