the good news ... the bad news

The good news -- today was an absolutely gorgeous day, 
 perfect for a long ride on the country roads north of town. 

I rode about 53 km.

I forgot my camera, so I had to use the wholly inadequate camera on my BlackBerry to record what I saw. Most of the photos are even worse than this one, so they will not make an appearance. 

This partially thawed pond, with the sun shining on the open water and on the varied colours of bare trees, was a breath-taking sight. 

It looked like an oil painting.

 

 A little later, as I was riding along the Muir Lake Park road, I heard a noise in the woods beside the road. A dog, I thought, and turned to look. 

But no, there were four deer!

Before running for cover into the denser wood, 

they stood for a while and watched me, 

no doubt impressed with my bright pink cycling jacket.

My phone camera didn't come close to taking a decent pic, 

but they were spectacular, as deer always are. 

And then, as I was riding back to town, 

I saw a thawing slough covered in geese, 

with more and more geese landing every minute.

Looks like spring, right?

Ah yes, that brings me to the bad news:

More snow is in the forecast!

A snowfall warning, in fact -- about 15 cm expected tonight and tomorrow.

Sigh...

does size matter?

You bet it does -- at least when it comes to puddles. 

I rode across numerous puddles, frozen and wet, today on my way to and from work. 

Which do you think I would rather ride across...

this slender, efficient, gently flowing one, in a parking lot:

 ... or this lifeless but swollen one, on a shared sidewalk?

(i.e., a path specifically made for pedestrians and cyclists to use)

Call me crazy, but I did try to ride across the big one. The top was frozen, and I made it almost to the end before the ice cracked under my back wheel, my front wheel spun out and I almost toppled over. I just managed to keep my balance and stay dry...

It was ironic, really, as on the weekend I'd been telling Hubby, who so graciously maintains my bicycles for me, that the big knobby winter tires he chose are amazing -- 

Even though I've ridden across all shapes and sizes of ice patches this winter, 

I've had only a couple of close calls. 

Today I nearly wiped out not once, not twice, but three times!           

But I lived to tell the story, and as always, I'm glad I cycled to work.

When I arrived, some of my students told me the temp was -14 C with a wind chill of -17. They were quite impressed that I had ridden my bike on such a frigid day.

Three minutes, thirty-five seconds

That's how long it took me to ride my bike home from Superstore yesterday. I figure it would have taken me that long by car just to get through the parking lot!

I had 3 bags of groceries stuffed into my panniers -- a bag of oranges, a box of strawberries, 4 500-gm containers of yogurt, 2 litres of milk, a box of cereal, and a few other things.

No-cost travel, plus an extra bit of exercise. No time wasted. How can you go wrong?

Girls on bikes

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”
― Susan B. Anthony

I'd like to see her on a bike!!

More than 100 years later, women still cycle less than men. Does this surprise you? It did me. I’d never really thought about it, but if asked I would have said that cycling is an equal-opportunity activity. After all, I’ve always ridden a bike – both for transportation and for recreation.

I had a rough start to cycling, truth be told. The bike my parents had purchased for me was a bit too big, so I learned to ride on my younger brother’s bike. For some reason, neither of our bikes had training wheels. Maybe back then people didn’t use them. I started out with my dad holding the back and running alongside. When he thought I had the hang of it, he let me go on my own. I had the hang of riding, all right, but apparently I didn’t have a clue about braking, and ran smack-dab into a school bus parked down the street. You can use your imagination to finish the story. It was not pleasant. I cried, but I got right back on the bike, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

All through high school and university I rode my ten-speed almost everywhere. I had a car (a $400 1965 Dodge Polara) and I used it, too, but during the spring, summer and fall, I mostly rode my bike.

When my children were small, I continued to ride. I always had a child seat on the back of my bike, and often I carried a baby in a front carrier as well. I rode for fun and I rode to the grocery store, to the library, to church and to aerobics classes. Cycling just seemed to me the most practical and natural way to travel.

When my youngest son was in kindergarten we bought a Trail-a-Bike and until ice covered the ground, this is how we got to school. (We walked in winter.)
 
But through all these years of riding, it never occurred to me that I was almost always the only one. The only girl my age who rode a bike all the time.

Looking back, however, I realize that’s how it was.

So, I guess the results of the City of Edmonton cycling survey should not have come as a surprise: 

The largest demographic group who responded to the survey was male cyclists between the ages of 31 and 50 years old. The largest group of female cyclists consisted of the age group between 21 and 30 years old. It is noted that while the number of male cyclists who completed this survey grows or remains steady after age 30, the number of female cyclists steadily declines. (http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/2005-2006_BicycleUserSurveyResults.pdf)

After reading this, I did some googling about women and cycling. Maybe it’s just Edmonton, I thought. But no. It seems that throughout North America, from Vancouver to Toronto, from Seattle to New York City, men on bikes outnumber women by as much as three to one.

Various explanations are posited, with fashion and safety concerns seeming to dominate. Women don’t like to wear cycling clothing and get all sweaty, and women want to feel safe. I get it on both counts.

Girls just want to look good. I do, too. Although I am fit and athletic and place a high priority on an active lifestyle, I am at heart a girly girl. I have long hair, I paint my toenails, I like fashionable clothing, and I feel a deep sense of disappointment whenever I can’t find a pink version of my favourite toothbrush.

For years I cycled without a bicycle helmet because of what it did to my hair. Then I realized the harsh truth – my hair isn’t that great, no matter what. It’s long and baby-fine and wavy, and if I wear it in a braid under my helmet, after I brush it out, it looks about the same as it would look if I carefully curled it in the morning and then drove to work. So, I decided to suck it up and accept my hair for what it is.

As for clothing, I like the idea of cycling in regular clothes. But for me, it generally doesn’t work. My ride is 7 or 8 km on dusty, often rain-slick, city streets and if I wear my work clothes, I can arrive at work looking like I was out playing in the sandbox or in the rain puddles. Sometimes I’ve looked down to see big grease marks on my pant leg. I’ve decided it’s worth it to dress for the task.

In winter I wear my regular work clothes – typically three layers: a silky cami top, a merino wool or cashmere pullover sweater, and either a blazer or a merino or cashmere cardigan. Then, depending on the temperature, I might put on my pink Sugoi “RS Zero” jacket for warmth, along with my MEC supermicroft wind-and-water proof jacket on top of everything. If it’s a little warmer, I wear just the MEC jacket.

On my legs I wear thin long underwear, either cotton or lined woolen pants, and over these a pair of reflective water-resistant running pants. When I arrive at work, I simply peel off the outer layers and I’m ready to go.

In warm dry weather, I sometimes live dangerously and cycle in my work pants. Slim-legged crops are fine as they are; wider-legged pants are secured with elasticized straps to prevent their getting caught in the chain. If I want to wear a skirt for work (as I frequently do in the summer) or on rainy days, I wear cycling shorts or tights and change at work. 

A hot summer day, hair in a bun

If it’s a cool morning, I often wear my work shirt or blouse under a lightweight cycling jacket. On my way home and on warmer mornings, I typically wear a cycling jersey and put my work top in my pannier. The cycling jersey is worth the bother for several reasons. On warm days, I sometimes get a little sweaty. Also, my normal work tops, which are fine for work activities, tend to gape at the neckline when I lean over the handlebars of a bike. I hear there are men out there who enjoy looking down women’s tops, and I try not to cater to them. And, finally, because I ride on city streets, often in heavy traffic, I strive for maximum visibility. My cycling jerseys, in colours not found in nature, ensure that drivers can’t miss seeing me.

All this might sound like a lot of bother. But, really, if you live in Edmonton and go anywhere in the winter, you have to bundle up. My co-worker wears snow pants for her 15-minute commute by car. When I take the bus, I notice people wearing as many layers as I wear for cycling – after all, they have to walk to and from the bus and often wait 15 minutes at the bus stop.

In warmer weather, it’s just a matter of changing from my cycling jersey into my work top – maybe a 30 second operation. I use the handicapped stall of the washrooms as a change room; there’s plenty of space and a large, almost full-length mirror. Sometimes I have to wash my face and reapply make-up; since I don’t wear a lot, this is not a problem. I gave up on mascara and simply curl my lashes. I’ve considered having them dyed… maybe someday. Once you become a committed bicycle commuter, I think priorities shift slightly.

Surprise!

I’ve always tried to avoid being photographed, but since I started teaching ESL, I’ve been in front of students’ cameras more than I’d like. Ironically, even though my look these days could be summarized as “bicycle commuter,” I’ve been pleasantly surprised, on viewing the photos, to find that I don’t look nearly as bad as I expect. 

I'm on the left

Spring has sprung -- central Alberta style

This is what greeted us this morning! 

About 10 cm of snow. Gotta love spring in central Alberta! Fortunately, our city does a superb job of removing snow from the multi-use trails, and fortunately I can ride on the trails all the way from my house to the library. I cycled over to return some books and then rode around a bit, just for fun. It was beautiful, but a bit windy and cold. 

The temp was about -4 C, but with the wind chill it was -13 C.

 And here is Clyde, my trusty winter bike. Complete with MEC pannier (I have two, but needed only one today) and frame bag and heavy-duty knobby tires that can sail over the ice -- most of the time. 
We got this bike from the used bike section at United Cycle, for $99.00. 

Other than adding some accessories, we've done nothing to it, and it has served me faithfully for two winters.

 

 And, how do you know you've been spending too much time on your bike?

When you get home after a bike ride, put your bike away, grab a snow shovel and start shoveling snow -- and then twenty minutes later when you look up to say hello to a neighbour, you realize you're still wearing your bike helmet! 

Yes, I really did that today! 

I was just a tad embarrassed! Oh well, we can't all be perfect.

a death wish?

One of the pitfalls of bicycle commuting only partway to work -- if I forget to bring something I need for my bicycle trip, I can't just turn around and go back in the house to get it.

I drive about twenty minutes into the west end of Edmonton, park my car and ride my bike downtown. Today I got out of the car, went to grab my helmet from the backseat and got nothing but air. I'd left my helmet at home, on its hook by the door. 

So I rode to work sans head protection. Of course the fact that I had never worn a helmet till I started bicycle commuting about three years ago didn't prevent me from wondering if everyone who passed me was commenting on my stupidity. Or from having those recurrent thoughts about what it would be like to spend the rest of my life drinking from a straw and attending weekly meetings of the local brain injury group.

I made it to work without cracking my skull, but on the way home I stopped in at MEC and handed over $26 for a new helmet. It is kind of ugly, but will stay in the car all the time. Just in case.

Icefields Parkway

Just how fit can cycling and walking make you? 

Last September I asked myself this question.

My regular exercise routine is simple:

• I ride my bike to and from work (15-17 km) most days. This is on city streets, with frequent stops at red lights.
• Hubby and I walk the dog most nights. Our shortest route is about 5K; sometimes we go 8 or even 10K, at a speed of about 6.4 km/hour. Not exactly a strenuous workout.
• Sometimes I go for a fast (7.5-8 km/hour) half-hour walk during my lunch break.
• In the evenings, I do push-ups, abdominal exercises and weight-lifting (2.2 kg dumbbells.) A few yoga stretches. That kind of thing.
• When I can’t exercise outdoors, I use the treadmill or stationary bike inside.

I knew this fitness regimen had helped me maintain my ideal weight and clothing size for the last few years. That was good. It made me smile. But last fall when my oldest son, my youngest son and I decided we wanted to cycle the Icefields Parkway – 230 km of highway between Jasper and Banff -- I asked myself: Just how fit am I? Would I still be smiling as I rode about 100 kilometres per day, two days in a row, up and down some rather decent-sized hills? 

My bicycle ride to and from work is fairly flat. Sometimes I ride through the River Valley, which is a little hillier, but nothing compared to the climbs I’d face on Highway 93. I was also apprehensive about the downhill stretches. What if I wiped out while attempting to control my speed going down those slopes?

A few days before we left, I decided to test my mettle on the hilly range roads and secondary highways north of town. These are not exactly mountains, but I figured they’d give me a taste of what I’d encounter on the coming weekend.

Well, guess what? Those hills were easy! The first day I rode 26 kilometres, uphill and down, no sweat. The following day I increased the distance to 32 kilometres, adding another hill or two. Still no problem.

The next day we left for Jasper. And folks, we did it! I rode the entire way over two days. I won’t say it was exactly easy, but it wasn’t horribly difficult either. There was one point halfway up one of the hills (not even the biggest climb) when I sort of felt like giving up, but after a few minutes’ rest, I was ready to go again. The wind was vicious; it rained one entire morning, and it was cold and hot by turns; but I did it! And best of all, I wasn’t even sore afterwards.

Check out those clouds!

Not only that, but I even managed to sleep on the hard beds at the hostels. And survived three days and two nights without running water! 

Beauty Creek Hostel

My love for road cycling stems from this trip in Jasper. When I got home, I decided that riding hills was too much fun to limit it to once a year in the mountains, and I started my weekend routine of riding on the hills north of town. Thirty-two kilometres was no longer enough, so I set myself a few different 45-50 kilometer routes and rode three times each weekend until late November, when the snow hit the highways.

A surprising side effect? I had to buy a bunch of smaller pants, becausemy “ideal size” pants became too big, even with a belt. And as the smaller pants also became loose, I had to start eating more so that I wouldn’t disappear altogether. This was a problem I had never encountered before, one that was taken care of by the advent of winter and by the dozen or so boxes of chocolates I received as Christmas gifts from my students.

Today I rode 48.9 km. It was a bit windy and cooler than yesterday, but still great. The sky was the most perfect blue, a striking backdrop for the flocks of returning Canada geese. Even the obnoxious crows and raucous seagulls were beautiful to my eyes -- their presence means that spring has truly begun.

Temperature: +1 Celsius; Wind: SE at 22 km/hour