General Cycling Discussion - I am not happy

It snowed last night. Not a lot -- not enough for enjoyable cross country skiing -- but enough to put the kibosh on cycling. The temperature is going to stay below freezing all weekend, so there'll be no melt, and Environment Canada is calling for more snow all next week. The roads will be icy, of course and, this being Montreal, it is unlikely that the city will clear the streets much before Christmas.

[In case you're wondering, Montreal is -- as you doubtless know -- an extremely snowy city. Unfortunately, snow clearing has beconme spotty at best. Last winter, an extremely snow season, my street was cleared every two or three weeks, in spit6e of the fact that 100 cm of snow or more might have fallen in that period. Only major streets were passable by bike, and most sidewalks were so badly blocked that you had to walk or run in the middle of the street.]

Looks like the season is over for me. I might put the knobbies on the MTB and see if I can venture out tomorrow, after some of the snow has sublimated, though we have 63% humidity, so sublimation will be slow. But it does look like I will be putting the road bike away for the next couple of months.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO depressed.

Hy velo . . I'm pretty down too.

My forks haven't arrived so I'll have to put the old ones back on for monday's ride to work. The kids are giving us no sleep and the house is a mess. The weather outlook is bleak. England failed to win the cricket game against India. My achilles tendons don't seem to be getting any better. My new 3 month contract seems to have redifined slavery (OK that's a bit rich from a computer contracter, bit my last contract really was happy valley compared to this one.)
My new slim sexy french mudguards are rubiing a bit on the tyres and need a bit of tweaking.

On the other hand, the sun is shining (tho its 2degC outside) and I've just boutght 4 martini glasses, a bottle of Stollies vodka, vermouth & gin & olives, & I'm gonna get real rat arsed tonite.

Tomorrow I'm going for a 40 mile ride that will take in my running club's cross country fixture. I'll cycle over to cheer them on. Tonite's booze, and tommorow's hangover and cycle should cheer me up/take my mind off things

Remember McCawber: "something will turn up"

:beer: Stew

Think I'll go for a run today. It's not much, but it's something. !0 km should take me about an hour. I'll survive.

But doesn't it make you feel warm and fuzzy to know that the money that used to wasted on frivolous things like snow removal are now being used on higher priority feel-good social programs with ambiguous objectives and murky results?

Actually... the city seems to have spent most of its budget on tourism advertising, cosmetic improvements to the area around around City Hall and -- my personal favourite -- a park in Shanghai [I'll explain that someday].

Take off, eh. ;)

Whereabouts in Montreal? I spent quite a few days there during hockey seasons for a period of nine years. [Remember Ryan Walter?]

Gibby's, Johnny Wong's, and Mon Village in Hudson bring back many memories.

Cheers...Gary

I'm in NDG, in the West End. Nice neighbourhood, though, thanks to the city's brilliant public works policies, the streets are an awful lot like the Koppenburg...

I thought you were a computer-type, what was your connection with les Habs?

Ryan and Jennifer are two of our four best friends. I met him during training camp for his first year with the Caps (he was injured that summer, and didn't get onto skates again until a few games into the season), and we have been friends ever since.

We never get to see each other any more, considering where we live. But We used to run across one another in Boston when he was in to do a game (he does radio for the Canucks now).

He lived on the West Island, and we would come up on many weekends during the season.

BTW - he is the finest human being I ever met.

Cheers...Gary

I am depressed in the exact opposite way, I am tired of riding this bike and want to sell it, and am not going to ride anymore this year. I WANT SNOW SO BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SKI!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by KleinMp99
I am depressed in the exact opposite way, I am tired of riding this bike and want to sell it, and am not going to ride anymore this year. I WANT SNOW SO BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SKI!!!!!!!!!

What the heck kinda sport is skiing klein?? Especially when you can bike!! I want to go up to Sugar mountain NC and try some DH riding.

As a fomer Michiganian, thank god for Southern California. Never leave this blessed land. Could not give up cycling for snow. And we get gloomy here, over our 15 gloomy days a year. Live in a land where we can get over 340 days of sunshine a year,- you can think it possible to log over 8,000 miles a year.
I had to spend the first day on my trainer because it was drizzly and the temp's under 50. Velo- I found the 30 minutes I spent on the trainer productive. Got up a good sweat and my muscles ached.. Can't imagine how awful it is to be out in snow, cross country skiing and have various liquids freeze to your nose.
I'd be consoled to my trainer. It is not so awful.Do not get to listen to Mark Knoefler on the CD, out in the great outdoors. That is ok. Sorry, I know I sort of rubbed it in. I apoligize. But did enjoy sweating to Mark Knoefler.

i wouldent care about the snow if I had my new bike, But since I dont have my new bike I WANNA SKI!!!

Gary:

I do indeed remember Ryan Walter. He was on the great team of 1986 and, for that, he will always ahve my respect and admiration. We had a lot of hockey players in the town where I gew up [on the West Island]: Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden. It was a great thrill to see these guys at the supermarket when I was six or seven.

V -

We were in Montreal for part of that final. We went to see game seven, but they beat Calgary in six, so we went to the victory banquet at the QE hotel instead. Quite a feast, but le Canadien were always a class outfit.

I have a piccie of us at the banquet with Ryan, Jen, and "the Cup" hanging on my wall.

Cheers...Gary

I know what you mean Velocipedio, about just enough snow to screw up biking, but not enough for decent XC skiing.

I went out right after our first snowfall, but once it settled there wasn't much left, and a bit more snow but we still need more for the trails to be any good.

Had my first session on the trainer yesterday though, so at least I'm doing something!