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.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to cycle on the moon?
Hmm...I guess it would be easier to climb, given that I'd weigh much less but have the same musculature I have on Earth. Hydration might be a bit of a problem, though. And I wonder whether I'd need new lights.
This is probably as close as most people will ever come to pedaling across the lunar surface:
I didn't ride my bike to work today. In fact, I'm not riding at all.
Blasphemy, you say.
Well, I took one look out my window and saw ice everywhere. Not just patches; I think the sidewalk in front of my place was the beginning of the Great Queens Glacier. At least the light was interesting:
Snow is falling. At least, that's what the official weather reports say.
It's really more like white slush. But, I'll admit it looks pretty until it hits the ground.
Interestingly, it looks more snow-like when it clings to tree branches.
In The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot wrote, "Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow." It's not hard to see what he meant: For a moment, I can actually forget that leaves have died and fallen from that tree.
I also can forget, for a moment, that one day this tree, and the one in the first photo, will be green again. Or, at any rate, I have--however temporarily--no need to remember that.
It's Super Bowl Sunday. I'll admit I'm not the biggest football fan in the world, though I've been known to watch a game or two. I'll also admit that I've had a soft spot for the San Francisco 49ers for a long time, from years before they won their first Super Bowl. They came so close to making it to the Big Game this year!
Anyway, I found out that many of their players ride bicycles for fun and as part of their training regimens. I can't say I'm surprised. I tried to find some photos if for no other reason that I'm curious to know what kinds of bikes such big guys ride.
I didn't find any photos of 'Niners on bikes. However, I found this image of Green Bay Packers riding to training camp wo years ago:
For what it;s worth, I'm rooting for the Seahawks because hey beat the 'Niners in the conference championship team. When one of my favorite teams or athletes loses in a playoff, I root for the team or player that beat them. That way, if they win, I know that my favorites at least lost to the best.
