first snow

We did have a little snow in September, but this past weekend we got the first real snow -- the 6 cm of snow that stayed on the ground and probably will remain for another 4-6 months. 

I rode around town on Saturday and Sunday, trying out my two winter bikes. Yes, this year I decided to try studded tires, so I had them installed on Silver, my Trek 7.2 step-through hybrid. I am not really sold on them. They're fantastic for riding on relatively smooth ice, but if the surface is bumpy or if there is a layer of snow, it's a different story. I felt quite insecure bumping along  the trails, where the packed snow is full of footprints. It was a little better on the roads and on untrodden snow, but still not entirely comfy.

My trusty old GT Tempest, on the other hand, with its fat Table Top tires, is nothing short of superb. It rides well on all but the very smoothest ice, on bumpy snow, through a few centimeters of fresh snow -- pretty much anywhere. 

So when getting ready for Monday morning's commute, it was Miranda the GT Tempest I put in the back of the minivan. I parked in Crestwood, thinking that if the trail conditions were too prohibitive, I would walk to work, but that wasn't necessary. I hopped on the bike and rode -- albeit carefully -- down into the ravine, along the river and my tour de force: up the hill into Ezio Faraone park. When contemplating my route, I opted for this hill, telling myself that if it was too hard to ride all the way up, I would simply get off and walk -- no shame in that, after all. But I didn't have any trouble riding all the way up, and I felt so good when I reached the top that I had to stop and take a photo.

victory at the top of the hill

Unfortunately, unless you know this spot, you can't really tell that I just rode up a very steep hill. 

As I rode down into the valley, I saw a coyote run across my path and then stand in the bush to watch me pass. 

And I'm afraid I was totally guilty of this:

Twice in one day, in fact. Once when I first arrived at work and then again in the afternoon when I rode an extra 5 km each way to attend a special meeting. In my defense, they did ask, "How was your ride?"

I plan to use the studded-tire bike for errands around town this winter, and if the studs haven't grown on me by the time spring rolls around, I'll offer them for sale to someone who has a different riding style. For me, the fat tires and old mountain bike are a winning combination.

What I wore: camisole top, fine merino wool sweater, cashmere turtleneck, Icebreaker wool longjohns, J. Crew wool skinny pants, MEC Adanac tights, wool pea coat, Icebreaker merino wool scarf, bulky wool scarf, wool gloves inside warm Joe Fresh mittens, thin wool socks, thick wool socks, Merrell insulated boots, Bern winter-lined helmet. Perfect! For the ride to the meeting and back to the car, which was mostly against the wind, I added another wool pullover.  

Temperature - AM -14, windchill -21; PM -16, windchill -24.

In spite of the cold wind, when I reached my car, I was wishing I'd parked at my usual spot, 2 km farther away. Next time!