On Ice

For the past two weeks, there has been ice and snow on sidewalks and streets all over the city.  Last week, I managed to sneak in a couple of commutes on my bike, but encountered glacial patches even in the car lanes, let alone those designated for bikes.  I'm starting to feel a bit sluggish, but I figure that, at my age, I have a greater chance of doing damage to myself as well as my bike if I slip and fall.

I've always resisted the idea of getting tires with metal studs because during most winters I've experienced here in NYC, they would have been useful for no more than a couple of days every year.  However, this winter and last, we've had fairly extended periods of snow and ice.  They are also the only two consecutive winters I can recall in which the Hudson River iced up along the Manhattan piers.

Hmm....Maybe I should ride what this guy's riding:

From Funny Games

Where Are The Bikes In Sochi?

This year's Winter Olympics are scheduled to begin tomorrow in Sochi.

While I love both speed and figure skating and some of the other sports, I have never understood why there isn't a cycling event in the Winter Games.

After all, countless cyclists ride in snow and over ice, down mountains and across ponds.  Some even do those things on purpose.

I admit that, at various times in my life, I was one of them--especially when I had a mountain bike.  I suppose I could put some knobby tires on an old bike and make myself a faux cyclo-cross machine, which could work well in wintry conditions.

If I were to do something like that now, it would take me a long time to be as accomplished a rider on snow and ice as these folks in Poland seem to be:

Both photos are from Icebike.