Nick's Hardcores

In Friday's paper, Nick Lees wrote a fine article about the hardcore winter cyclists that inhabit our city.  According to the article, 25,000 bike trips are made each day in our fair city - and increase of 10,000 in just 10 years.  That is a lot of cyclists on the streets.

The article goes on to describe the bone-chilling temperatures that cyclists endure in their commutes around the city.  Karly, who has been commuting for ten years describes how all the bicycle commuters back in the day all knew each other and would say hello to one another as they passed on the street.  Stephanie talked about riding last winter when the temperature at the international airport dropped to -46 Celcius - the second coldest place on the planet.  I remember when I moved here how my family described this place as "Siberia but with jobs".

Derek doesn't use his car except to visit his parents in a distant suburb and Stephanie doesn't own a car at all.  I've joked with Chris that if a motorhome was a bike, it would be his bike.  As a year-round rider, he has a ton of bling on his bike.  Out of fairness to Chris, most of the bling involves batteries and numerous forms of lighting so he can be seen during our dark winter days.

Looking at the photo, I only recognize these riders because I know 5 out of the 6.  They all are so bundled up in helmets, multi-coloured scarves, reflective vests, ski jackets and every type of mitten known to man that they are nearly unrecognizable.  Except to their mothers who worry about them riding their bikes everywhere.