Winter Cycling - Winter Smells!

(not to be confused with winter sucks!)

I always thought aromas are more noticable with warmer temperatures, but on my recent rides commuting, I have noticed that the few aromas wafting through the winter air seem to be a lot more intense. Some of the smells I've noticed while riding lately:

The good ones:
smoke from wood stoves,
the aroma of the fish and chip shop,
dryers at the laundramat

The bad ones:
any car with an automatic choke (none of them seem to run properly when it's cold - thank God for fuel injection!)

the funny (strange) ones:
The wafting marijuana fumes from people smoking ganja in their cars as they drive by. - Brings back fond memories of college days!! :D

Originally posted by pinerider
(not to be confused with winter sucks!)

I always thought aromas are more noticable with warmer temperatures, but on my recent rides commuting, I have noticed that the few aromas wafting through the winter air seem to be a lot more intense.

I love the crisp fresh smell of a frosty winter day--especially in a piney woods.




The good ones:
smoke from wood stoves,
the aroma of the fish and chip shop,
dryers at the laundramat



Wood stoves and dryers :thumbup: But the smell of dead fish in boiling vats of fat just turns my stomach. Fortunately, there aren't a lot of Fish and Chips shops in my corner of the world. I do pedal past a McDonald's pretty regularly and hate the smell.



The bad ones:
any car with an automatic choke (none of them seem to run properly when it's cold - thank God for fuel injection!)



Diesel fumes from busses...ack!



the funny ones:
The wafting marijuana fumes from people smoking ganja in their cars as they drive by. - Brings back fond memories of college days!! :D

And here I have to disagree. I catch a whiff of burning hydro from a passing car every once in a while and it scares the bejabbers out of me. I don't object to people smoking weed, but I find nothing funny about cagers with impaired judgment and coordination.

Speaking of bad smells; have you noticed that the older Chysler mini-vans send out a real stink?
At this time of year when the lanes are narrow because of the snow banks, I miss not being able to go on our bike paths. In Toronto dedicated bike paths are not plowed and streets with bike lanes usually have the snow piled into them, forcing us to bike into the arterial lanes.

I'm not sure I'd smoke the weed while I'm biking, but I do smell it all the time in Toronto, especially late and downtown.

I've only missed 5 days so far this winter (last year 3). How about you?

Allan.

The only negative smell for me is the busses and trucks. Otherwise its mostly burning wood, and pine. I did get the most amazing smell from someone's house durning my evening commute the other day. I soooo wanted to knock on their door and invite myself over for dinner it smelled so good.

For me the smells aren't the bad part of winter, its the muck that gets all over your bike, legs and feet.

I noticed that if I have my kitchen window open, I can smell the Mexican neighbors' dinner cooking. OOOOhh my!!! yum

Originally posted by RegularGuy
I do pedal past a McDonald's pretty regularly and hate the smell.

I agree. The smell of a McDonald's on a still winter day is simply repulsive.

--J

The worst smell for me is the stench of my own sweaty ski mask.

The smell of a McDonald's on a still winter day is simply repulsive.

Your should ride by the places where they grow those Big Macs!:D

The cows and chickens seem to smell stronger in the winter. I think it is due to the dense air and wet conditions. PU:D

Originally posted by RegularGuy


Diesel fumes from busses...ack!



Hamilton Ontario (according to the Hamilton Street Railway website) was the first city in North America to use Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) diesel engined buses. I think most of the fleet is now powered by LNG. While they do not produce an attractive aroma, they certainly don't stink like a regular diesel engine. I hadn't really thought about smelly bus exhaust because we don't have smelly buses!

Catching the wiff of burning wood in fireplaces is a cool smell in my neighborhood.
Another really interesting one is the arouma of the local Coffee house roasting coffee beans.
I enjoy catching the wiff of Italian restaurants, and the thick garlic in the air.

Originally posted by stokell
I've only missed 5 days so far this winter (last year 3). How about you?



I elected to drive home on Friday due to fresh snow and ice, but that was the only weather related bike commute I've missed this winter. I've had to drive on 2 other occasions due to seminars and bringing stuff home from work that won't fit on the panniers. It's been a good winter for riding, so far!!!

"I love the smell of Napalm in the morning... smells like victory."

Favorite line from Apocolypse Now.
Say it when you arrive at work, in church, or at any other function where people show up at an early hour.
Good test to see if they're really awake.