Bike season ended today... For me at least!!
First real snow of the season...
I am not a practitioner of winter biking. Given my skill level, equipment level and experience of winter urban traffic, I find it highly irresponsible to cycle in Montreal's conditions. People simple do not see you and expect you even less. And the amount of clothing and gear (regular winter gear, NOT cycling gear) makes it too unpleasant, hauling it around, for me.
Mind you, the *real* official closure of bike season was earlier this month (on the 1st or 15th?) and cars have already moved into bike lanes for parking. And the city does NOT clean out the lanes that matter, i.e. the protected ones. Ah yeah, we have a so called "white network" which is essentially bullshit: they kind of clean the main downtown path on de Maisonneuve Blvd. That's it.
All the on road "lanes" will host major snow banks in no time and if anyone needs a mud bath, you're very welcome to hang in the slushy side of the road where the snowplows accumulate all the shit.
Not for me. But, it reminds me that I need to get those skate blades sharpened and those skis farted... The Old Montreal rink opens on December 3rd!
Ughhhh... NOT looking forward to this happening here. Especially as I must ride to work. I don't even know how I'm going to do it. Take the sidewalk, I guess? This is why I fantasize about moving to the (American) south. Yes, it's full of conservatives and religious types, but NO SNOW. I think I'm going to cry the first time I have to ride in this crap.
ReplyDeleteWe got some today as well...looks like you got more though. Ours is almost all melted so I am back on the bike tomorrow. Montreal is so beautiful in every season.
ReplyDeletePeter
Looks like this one is here to stay!
ReplyDelete@ Erica, in here, you'd be better off on the road; at least it gets salted.
The miniplows that clean the sidewalk actually pack the snow down into something icy, and as the city is cheaply cutting all kinds of corners, they're salting the sidewalks something like once in a blue moon.
Nope, it has pretty much all melted around here (Petite-Italie, and down to Mile End and Outremont for errands). Quite a few cyclists. I wouldn't have time to catsit and run other errands any other way.
ReplyDeleteAble to get in a bit more exercise before the great hibernation! (beurrrkkk).
Yep, isn'it weird? We're almost in December now.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has been on his bike all along and still today. Very odd.