The Bike of Doom

More downs than ups this week, I’m afraid, for the Bike of Doom. Or, to be more precise, more downs for Steve than ups.

Highlights (or low downs) of the week:

A two inch snowfall last Sunday left the roads powdery and slick. Car tires then quickly turned the snow into a slippery brown powder. It’s too cold to turn slushy, but the really cold equivalent is a kind of molecular lubricant that makes bike tires slide back and forth even on what appears to be solid, hard-packed snow. This made cycling on the road a bit treacherous and for the first time in close to a month of Winter cycling I was forced to take the sidewalk.

The same snowfall covered a patch of black ice I’m usually careful to avoid. Picture Steve riding along on a Monday morning, happy and carefree, enjoying the ride, then suddenly flying through the air and landing on his bike. This was on a trail, so no cars to avoid. I got a bruised knee out of the deal and a pedal in the groin. I don’t bruise easy, but the bang on the knee really hurt. I haven’t missed any days of cycling because of it, but I’ve been more alert since it happened, especially if snow covers the trail or road.

I’ve been riding for four days on a back wheel with at least one broken spoke, too lazy to replace the spoke and true the wheel. I’ll get to it this weekend. In the meantime, I loosened a couple of spokes on the wobbly side, tightened one on the other side, and have a relatively straight wheel that should be okay until I get to the repair. First broken spoke in almost 1,800 Km. Not bad. Recent snowfalls, not cleared by the city, have made my commuting route pretty rough. It’s taken a toll. I feel sorry for the bike, suffering with my weight in its saddle on those bumpy rides. I am the Weight of Doom. I wonder if me landing on the bike had something to do with the broken spoke. Now I feel even worse.

Add to that a sudden cold snap and it’s been an interesting week. Environment Canada issued a wind chill warning Thursday morning, with temps below -41 degrees. I don’t mind the cold, though. After half an hour of riding, a layer of frost builds up on your face, and it acts as a kind of insulation. Scares people, too. That’s always a benefit.

I noticed that the handful of cyclists I saw on the road last week were notably absent this week, except for one woman, bundled up with a tiny hole in her fur-lined hood to peek out of, who seems to cycle no matter what the weather and always gives me a wave. Hello, whoever you are.

I experienced one troubling incident with a driver who apparently felt he needed to intimidate me with his vehicle as we crossed a busy intersection. He came from behind me, moved ahead of me by a few yards, then cut over so that he was only inches from cars parked at the curb, even though he had the whole lane open on his other side. He slowed, checked in his mirror to make sure he was inconveniencing me, then moved on as other cars came up behind him. Not much I could do except give him the finger. Unfortunately, wearing my new, bulky blue mittens, he may have thought I was waving. I just don’t understand people in two-ton vehicles who think it’s acceptable to use their vehicle to intimidate a person on a 46 lb bicycle (admittedly, a tank of a bike, but really…). Clearly some physical and intellectual inadequacies being compensated for, I’d say.

The bike rolls on, no wear or tear that I didn’t expect.

Related posts:

How do you keep your passion for cycling over the winter?

End of the road for the Bike of Doom?

I survive my first week of winter bicycle commuting