Darin wrote: > Speaking of heart attacks, see Sunday's edition of the cartoon 'Frazz' > for a discussion of 'off-season motivators': > http://www.comics.com/comics/frazz/archive/frazz-20031116.html
Yes, I saw this cartoon in the paper; I'm glad someone remembered to point it out to the list because I forgot. > (yeah, I know, there is no 'off-season'). Well, there is and there isn't and it varies by the individual and personal tolerance for risk and other factors. It's great that there are people who manage to bicycle year-around. But let's not forget that winter bicycling is NOT for everyone. Indeed, even the winter bicyclists complain (properly so) about plowing of bikeways and on-street lanes. If they were truly the hardy souls they say they are, they wouldn't need no steeenkin' plowing (tongue firmly in cheek here). Seriously, not everyone lives/works someplace where there is a long, uninterrupted well-plowed bikeway and some people would have to contend with streets that aren't even well plowed for cars (and worse), much less for bicycles. When I see references in bikies list messages to "fair-weather bicyclists," I see that as having the same negative connotation as "fair-weather fan." I consider myself a dry-weather, or dry-pavement bicycle commuter, with some tolerance for a little bit of rain. Others may balk at the cold. (I'll keep bicycling into December as appopriate if there's no snow, but once we hit the snow/ice/salt season, the bike stays in the garage.) I simply do not wish to expose myself to the additional risks of injury associated with icy pavement, snow narrowed lanes, et cetera (all that combined with the fact that at least half the commuting trips in those conditions will be in the dark). I believe the majority of bicyclists would be closer to that view than to the bike-no-matter-what-the-weather approach. I have no problem with the latter as someone's personal choice, but please don't snub the rest of us with comments about being mere "fair-weather bicyclists." (And I'm not saying that Darin was saying that, although others definitely have.) If we could get more people willing to take that step even to become "fair-weather bicyclists" we'd be a lot farther ahead than we are now. Let's not turn those people off by suggesting that you're not a real bicycle commuter if you don't bike through winter. Just my 37 cents' worth. Now go have a lunch. Now go have a beer, Bob Paolino >From the Department of Military Intelligence and Jumbo Shrimp: Sign seen on a recently poisoned lawn: TruGreen/ChemLawn ( ) ASCII ribbon campaign X against HTML e-mail: / \ Friends don't send friends HTML-bloated messages! A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation. Q: Why is top posting frowned upon? _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
