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12-10-09, 10:58 AM
I absolutely love winter riding. Here are some of the reasons why:
- The solitude of riding through a storm when everyone else is holed up in their house. It's just me, my bike and all the amazing things I'd never noticed before.
- The feeling of invincibility. Nothing is cooler than being in the middle of a storm with snow falling thick, the wind howling and me cutting through it all on my bike. I like believing my studded tires can conquer anything -- and then testing that belief (mostly with success).
- People, especially my family and close friends, thinking this 40-year-old is out-of-his-mind crazy for riding two wheels over snow and ice in extreme temperatures.
- The looks people out shoveling and snow-blowing their driveways give me as I ride by.
- Riding at night with my lights reflecting brightly off of the snow directly in front of me and the moonlight bouncing off the snow all around me to illuminate everything else.
- Riding up hills that I wasn't sure my tires could get me up.
- Going faster than the few cars I encounter on the streets.
- Getting great exercise and working off cabin fever, while most people are at home watching TV.
- Looking at Christmas lights from the seat of my bike and passing kids out sledding on the hills.
- Blasting through piles of snow at street crossings left by the snow plows.
- Looking in people's windows as I pass by their houses to see what the rest of America is up to.
- Experiencing things so remote and beautiful -- things most people don't know exist and certainly wouldn't understand.
- Fighting my frozen water bottle for that last bit of water sloshing around in there that hasn't completely turned to a solid yet.
- My front wheel momentarily washing out on a patch of deeper snow, only to catch at the last moment to keep me upright.
- Riding for fun and the joy of two wheels, as opposed to riding my road bike when I'm too focused on distance and keeping up my average speed
- The solitude of riding through a storm when everyone else is holed up in their house. It's just me, my bike and all the amazing things I'd never noticed before.
- The feeling of invincibility. Nothing is cooler than being in the middle of a storm with snow falling thick, the wind howling and me cutting through it all on my bike. I like believing my studded tires can conquer anything -- and then testing that belief (mostly with success).
- People, especially my family and close friends, thinking this 40-year-old is out-of-his-mind crazy for riding two wheels over snow and ice in extreme temperatures.
- The looks people out shoveling and snow-blowing their driveways give me as I ride by.
- Riding at night with my lights reflecting brightly off of the snow directly in front of me and the moonlight bouncing off the snow all around me to illuminate everything else.
- Riding up hills that I wasn't sure my tires could get me up.
- Going faster than the few cars I encounter on the streets.
- Getting great exercise and working off cabin fever, while most people are at home watching TV.
- Looking at Christmas lights from the seat of my bike and passing kids out sledding on the hills.
- Blasting through piles of snow at street crossings left by the snow plows.
- Looking in people's windows as I pass by their houses to see what the rest of America is up to.
- Experiencing things so remote and beautiful -- things most people don't know exist and certainly wouldn't understand.
- Fighting my frozen water bottle for that last bit of water sloshing around in there that hasn't completely turned to a solid yet.
- My front wheel momentarily washing out on a patch of deeper snow, only to catch at the last moment to keep me upright.
- Riding for fun and the joy of two wheels, as opposed to riding my road bike when I'm too focused on distance and keeping up my average speed