After what seems like forever, but was probably only two months and a bit, I'm back on the Tank. This week was absolutely lovely for biking, especially yesterday and today with the 10 degree temperatures! Today was gorgeous; the sun was shining and I wound up not having to deal with much traffic. So nice to be back at it.
I'm not used to going this long without biking, and I usually keep riding during the winter. The temperature isn't much of an issue for me, cycling-wise, as long as the roads are fairly clear. This winter has been a bit hard, because the Tank doesn't do snow well. Or at all. It also sometimes doesn't like the cold, refusing to gear back up after a stop, but that hasn't been much of an issue this week. Which might change when the temperature drops back down below zero in the next few days.
They're calling for more snow Sunday night and the that might put another kibosh on the commute. I really missed biking and actually getting places on time, and I'm a bit unhappy that it might be taken from me next week.
I don't really trust the snow-clearing in this city -- bike lanes are not a high priority, regardless what they say. I'm even more convinced of this after Tuesday morning, when I had a not-so-much fun time on Harbord, following a convoy of trucks driving in the bike lane, smushing down snow industriously pushed into the lane by a Bobcat further down the road. I'm not entirely clear on what the point was, if not to further a certain rotund mayor's "bikes shouldn't be on the roads with cars" agenda.
However, one thing has become clear after this week. I think I need to break up with the Tank. It's been a fun run, but not a very sweet ride, and I'm just not getting that much out of the relationship anymore. It'll be sad after so many years, but I think this will be our last summer together. I have plenty of time to decide whether to go retro or hybrid before I buy a new bike in the fall.
At which point I'll probably change my mind and say "meh, it's good enough."
Sigh.
I'm not used to going this long without biking, and I usually keep riding during the winter. The temperature isn't much of an issue for me, cycling-wise, as long as the roads are fairly clear. This winter has been a bit hard, because the Tank doesn't do snow well. Or at all. It also sometimes doesn't like the cold, refusing to gear back up after a stop, but that hasn't been much of an issue this week. Which might change when the temperature drops back down below zero in the next few days.
They're calling for more snow Sunday night and the that might put another kibosh on the commute. I really missed biking and actually getting places on time, and I'm a bit unhappy that it might be taken from me next week.
I don't really trust the snow-clearing in this city -- bike lanes are not a high priority, regardless what they say. I'm even more convinced of this after Tuesday morning, when I had a not-so-much fun time on Harbord, following a convoy of trucks driving in the bike lane, smushing down snow industriously pushed into the lane by a Bobcat further down the road. I'm not entirely clear on what the point was, if not to further a certain rotund mayor's "bikes shouldn't be on the roads with cars" agenda.
However, one thing has become clear after this week. I think I need to break up with the Tank. It's been a fun run, but not a very sweet ride, and I'm just not getting that much out of the relationship anymore. It'll be sad after so many years, but I think this will be our last summer together. I have plenty of time to decide whether to go retro or hybrid before I buy a new bike in the fall.
At which point I'll probably change my mind and say "meh, it's good enough."
Sigh.
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