Folks
I cycle 160-200 miles/wk and certainly shun the car when humanly possible. However, the weather up here, north of Inverness this week has been impossible. I cycled on Sunday, for fun, 25 miles in up to 6" snow, but since then it has honestly been impossible. Just now I went out to move some stuff on our deck and got blown off my feet...honestly. Our garden had 16" snow this morning until gale force winds brought some warm air.
I applaud your sentiments, but absolutes rarely work up here.
On the bike ASAP
Even down here in the relatively mild west coast, we have the same problems. All very well for people from certain localitys to brand us as wimps because we recognise that in some conditions, cycling is not practical.
For instance, last winter. A mate of mine commutes 15 miles each way by a single track road. The alternative is a suicidal trunk road. When the snow and ice arrived, the single track road was covered in snow and ice for several weeks, as only main roads were being gritted. I tried to cycle the single track road a few days ago when it was iced up and had a coating of last weekends snow. It was only just do-able. Slipping and sliding (it is a 5 mile climb from this end) and being pulled all over the place by the ruts made by car tyres.
That was without factoring in the strong winds that often blow up and down the Brisbane Glen. For my money, far too easy to come off and give yourself an injury. I did that last winter and had 3 weeks off, unpaid, with bruised ribs.
So please; just because it might be ok to commute all year round on your 5 mile London route, don't tell us to MTFU when we say that it is not safe/practical to do it elsewhere in the country!
PS. I have done 4500 miles this year so I am NOT exactly a fair weather weekend cyclist
. I would also love to get rid of the expense of owning a car but it will mean getting a local job (no chance) or giving up work (better chance!).
