For those who’re a bike owner, the very first thing you verify if you get up* is the climate. This morning I did simply that and noticed it was eight levels and partly cloudy:
*[The first thing you check that’s not a part of your body, anyway.]
For those who stay in a kind of commonist international locations that makes use of the metrical system this may point out superb biking circumstances certainly, however right here in West Greenland we measure temperature in American Freedom Levels™ the way in which God supposed, which implies it’s what meteorologists name “chilly as fuck”–although this explicit rider would little question beg to vary:
[“I don’t ride when it’s above five degrees because I don’t want to risk heatstroke.”]
Moreover, we obtained snow earlier this week, and whereas it’s no New Orleans there’s nonetheless a good quantity of it left:
By the way, when this newest little bit of snow arrived in fact we went sledding, and I formally deployed The Rivendell Of Snowboards:
Or is it the Fixie of Snowboards? I do know nothing about snowboarding or every other alpine sport so I don’t know which facile analogy is extra apt on this case.
Both method, I acquired this factor “for the children” however in fact I hogged it the entire time, and I fell off of it repeatedly till I kind-of-sort-of obtained the cling of it. And lest you assume there’s no place to correctly make the most of a snowboard round these components, I’ll have you recognize that the Bronx is the Switzerland of New York Metropolis, and in just like the Sixties Van Cortlandt Park even had an precise ski space with synthetic snow and a tow rope and the whole lot:
[Image via here.]
I don’t know precisely the place within the park the ski space was, however I believe it will need to have been within the spot the place we now go sledding–and if you wish to know the place that’s nicely I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t inform you.
Anyway, regardless of the chilly I did head out for a brief path journey on the All Bets Are Off Bike:
I briefly thought of bringing the Rivendell of Snowboards with me and sneaking in a number of runs whereas I used to be at it, however I used to be nonetheless sore from all these falls earlier within the week, and I figured I most likely shouldn’t tempt destiny. The journey turned out to be slightly nice, because the hikers had tamped down all of the snow, the timber stored me secure from the wind, and the Jones was sure-footed as at all times. Right now of the yr an hour within the woods is all you want, and I really feel lucky to stay right here within the Alps of New York Metropolis the place such a factor is feasible with out venturing quite a lot of minutes from dwelling.
In the meantime, within the Netherlands, researchers are working onerous to make biking safer:
Positive, “Dutch researcher” might sound like an oxymoron–like “three-speed singlespeed” or “Bronx snowboarding”–however whereas the Dutch might not have invented something since their eponymous oven**, they’re fairly helpful with bikes:
Wow, that’s the most naive and idealistic description of driver habits I’ve ever heard:
Solely somebody from the Netherlands may presumably assume that drivers are predictable:
Or that each one the know-how on the earth may presumably assist them “plan a route round” cyclists:
Yeah, proper:
Nonetheless, it’s higher than what we’ve give you:
Sure, there’s no downside that may’t be solved with extra helmets:
“Small dent,” actually? Is that the metaphor you’re going with?
Happily although there’s additionally an training element, although it largely consists of…telling individuals to put on helmets:
If security have been helmets, Individuals would journey.
**In response to the Web, the Dutch have invented the next, although I’m calling BS on capitalism and the carrot:
