Icebike
Posted on Tuesday 26th May 2009
I know the internet caters for virtually every eventuality and there is a site to suit all, but I didn’t think it would go this far! No pop culture reference this time as I couldn’t think of one. Perhaps one of the more resourceful amongst you could come to my rescue.
As the summer ends the temperature inevitably drops. Now you may be wondering why I am stating the obvious, but it is very relevant to the cyclist. Especially those who have to get up at sparrow and brave the briskness of the pre-dawn chill. Now, being full of English blood you might expect greater tolerance to the cold, but there is something unique about the Adelaide winter. The cold just seems to go through you in a way I don’t remember back in Blighty, perhaps due to never being in it long enough to notice.
But rather than admit defeat, as one of my colleagues has, I have taken steps to make sure I can still brave the elements. Admittedly this colleague hails from Singapore, so can be forgiven for not wanting to go out when the air temperature is in single digits, but I’m not willing to give up that easily. This must be a commonly contested problem for cyclists as the local bike shops are out-doing themselves with protection. Despite the preponderance of lycra I have opted for some simple yet effective solutions. Gloves are a given, but the important aspect is to ensure they are windproof as windchill-induced frostbite makes applying brakes difficult.
My other new purchase is a balaklava. With only eye-holes my face and ears stay cold. The downside is that I resemble a member of the IRA – if they took up cycling – and moved to Australia. Oh well.
Er…surely the obvious pop culture reference ‘I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike.’
: )
…or was that the problem, that it was just too obvious?!