Raise the Hammer

We're on the same page friend! However if, in addition to that, plows reach any bike lanes I will use them. If not, I will ride in the right lane, up to 1M from the edge of the snowbank edge, per lane sharing best practices. Please pass safely - there is also a mounted dash-cam. If racks are cleared, I will use them. If not, whatever! I'll lock the bike to something else, or skip the business (I've skipped my weekly trips to the farmer's market which is struggling to attract customers)

Twenty cars piled up on the QEW on Thursday. Twenty cars piled up on the Gardiner on Friday. That is in addition to hundreds of other accidents.

I rode my bike both days without a single slip or fall, nor a horn honk from anyone. Properly dressed, winter/ice tires on the bike, and reduced speed. Did I have other choices? Yes. Did I evaluate conditions to make sure they were navigable for that particular bike at the speeds I wanted to ride? Yes. Am I an outlier? Absolutely. Am I nuts? Certainly! But for me, no stranding due to GO cancellations, with transit taking three hours to get us home. No sitting at a standstill on highways because Herp Derp wanted to weave through traffic and ten of you are now spun out all over the highway. I got there faster than some driving co-workers!

I arrived at work wide awake from fresh air, cheeks rosy, energy level high, smile on my face. Then sat down to my extremely sedentary programming job, which is the reason cycling to work means so much to me. I don't recommend it for everyone, only those who want to do it, are sufficiently prepared and skilled/experienced, should attempt a 30km ride in -20C. It's also an exercise in personal fitness and endurance.

Not trying to overdo the comparison, but, it was not normal for Rosa Parks to sit at the front of the bus. Eventually, it became an issue that what was "normal" was neither right nor best for society. And eventually, what was "normal" changed. It was normal for a doctor to smoke in his office while seeing patients. It was normal to put Radium into perfume in the 1940's when radioactivity went through a fad.

I spend periods of winter in Calgary and, while certainly few, was surprised that there were that many cyclists, on decent winterized bikes, making their way down streets and sidewalks that were not even salted! Just plowed and sanded. I never saw any of them struggle or fall. I'm sure every one of them weighed their alternatives and chose to cycle despite an option to take the bus or something.