MORE WINTER RIDING IN VANCOUVER

Composite photo inspired by the 2010 Olympics

These past few weeks have seen an incredible variety of weather in the Lower Mainland. We have ran the gammut from 10-12 C "pineapple winds" to -15C windchills. We have had snow on the ground for over a week, which is almost unheard of and cycling is proving to be tricky.

Not only is there lots of snow, but students and staff at SFU were stranded on the Burnaby Mtn campus for several hours on Weds Jan 10th due to a freak snow storm, not that there was no warning....

The local velo related lists are abundant with tips on how to ride through the crappy weather. Anything from lowering tire pressure to driving screws through tires seems to add a bit of stability in ones two wheeled ventures. Me, I'm far more stable on two wheels than I am on one good and one prosthetic leg, so even if I don't actually ride far, I try and take the bike to work still.

So far I've only had one wipe out, lots of odd looks from drivers and pedestrians though. I can see them saying "why" ? Of course you probably know why. Riding in treacherous conditions is fun, it makes for a bit of a chemical rush at the end of an other wise blah work day.

The end of this month see's the Velo Fusion folks hosting my good friend Betty Krawzwyk for a fundraising event on January 26th at the ANZA. This event is made even more special because my band "Mr M and The All Nighters" are playing at the event. Betty keeps on fighting and with inspiration like hers Mr M keeps on playing.

Rumours are flying of a soon to be federal election, yet again. The provincial NDP are positioning themselves as the environmental do-gooders once again. It's so predictable they start hosting events that make me cringe. Good lord I bet Shane Simpson [NDP enviro critic] has never ridden a bike since, well my guess is never. How can you preach it if you don't live it ?

There is also some jockeying around Vancouver municipal politics. Former coucillor and Green Party guy Fred Bass looks to be positioning himself as a mayoralty candidate. According to Tim Louis COPE have put some distance themselves and the provincial NDP, leaving VISION Vancouver to be the NDP farm team. Aligning themselves with the Vancouver Green Party give COPE far more street cred than with the NDP. Now only if they can rid themselves of their gun toting school board trustees :-)

The next twelve months looks like a meteorologically inspired political topography map inspired by the farmers almanac.


Photo by Ray Henderson