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| Feom: "A Short Introduction To Cycling" |
OK. So I didn't have as much of a sense of style as he does. But what do you expect? He's in France!
When I was a messenger, I did a fair amount of cycling in in snow and sleet. Once, I had to make a delivery on a street that was a solid sheet of ice. If I remember correctly, I was riding a three-speed bike with knobby tires. Somehow I managed to ride, without falling, to my destination. The man who signed for it gave me a tip and shook my hand. From the expression on his face, I couldn't tell whether he truly appreciated my efforts, admired my endurance or was covertly ridiculing my stupidity.
Then there was the morning I cycled to work and it was 8 degrees below zero (Farenheit, that is). At least it was dry and the sky was clear. Plus, the fact that I was keeping a pretty good pace (Or was it the, ahem, substances I used to, ahem, fortify myself?) kept me from feeling the cold even more than I might have otherwise. In fact, I felt colder while I was working: It may actually have been colder in the automotive radiator shop where I did, basically, whatever found me. I guess that was part of the responsibility that came with making 75 cents more, per hour, than the minimum wage at that time--and I was still in college!
Now, wouldn't you get up in the morning and ride half an hour in minus-8 for that? The guy in the photo does it for less!
