Tuesday, January 17, 2006
The Tuque
The tuque is a wonderful invention. Everyone who lives somewhere where it drops below 2 degrees Celsius should own one.
On Sunday, I think it was -9 C with a north wind. I had been riding around the city for a couple hours when I stopped at City Hall for some refueling in the form of poutine. I had heard the blue poutine truck has the best in the city. Although I haven't tried poutine anywhere else in Toronto, I thought I'd see if the claim was true. Anyways, it was good poutine, but that's not my point. This guy buying hot dogs for himself and his kids tells me that he can't believe that I'm out on my bike in this kind of cold. He wasn't preachy or anything (like I'm being now!). He just stood there shivering and commented on my choice to be outside on my bike. The thing was (as you've already guessed) he wasn't wearing any kind of hat!
Admittedly, the guy did have much more well coiffed hair then I ever try for. A tuque would have ruined that. I'm just amazed at all the people who think cycling in the winter is silly, but letting the surface of their head cool down to -9 C is a good idea. (he wasn't the only one I saw out there without a hat. Some other guy in a car yelled at me, calling me an idiot for no apparent reason).
I'm starting to sound like an old man and probably annoying at least one of my readers. I better move on.
On Sunday, I think it was -9 C with a north wind. I had been riding around the city for a couple hours when I stopped at City Hall for some refueling in the form of poutine. I had heard the blue poutine truck has the best in the city. Although I haven't tried poutine anywhere else in Toronto, I thought I'd see if the claim was true. Anyways, it was good poutine, but that's not my point. This guy buying hot dogs for himself and his kids tells me that he can't believe that I'm out on my bike in this kind of cold. He wasn't preachy or anything (like I'm being now!). He just stood there shivering and commented on my choice to be outside on my bike. The thing was (as you've already guessed) he wasn't wearing any kind of hat!
Admittedly, the guy did have much more well coiffed hair then I ever try for. A tuque would have ruined that. I'm just amazed at all the people who think cycling in the winter is silly, but letting the surface of their head cool down to -9 C is a good idea. (he wasn't the only one I saw out there without a hat. Some other guy in a car yelled at me, calling me an idiot for no apparent reason).
I'm starting to sound like an old man and probably annoying at least one of my readers. I better move on.
Darren J 1/17/2006 03:45:00 p.m.
3 Comments:
Yup some people have no clue how to dress for the elements and just assume it can't be pleasant to be out period. Although I must admit that I was not feeling pleasant out on my bike Sunday :)
I hate it when people in cars yell for no apparent reason. There seems to be a lot of bike rage out there for some unknown reason. And if you really think about how calm and polite Canadians usually are, you've got to figure for the one guy that yells there's 10 people silently cursing you.
This is one nice thing about winter time, its usually too cold for anyone to want to roll down their window to yell anything! :)
I hate it when people in cars yell for no apparent reason. There seems to be a lot of bike rage out there for some unknown reason. And if you really think about how calm and polite Canadians usually are, you've got to figure for the one guy that yells there's 10 people silently cursing you.
This is one nice thing about winter time, its usually too cold for anyone to want to roll down their window to yell anything! :)
I would have to agree. I get the honk or a finger pretty much at least once a week. For that though theres always a car or ped who gives me a right of way or a wave or smile, which is really cool. I guess I tend to be a bit agressive riding, but I find this approach safer (I read about this effect in Urban Bikers’ Tricks & Tips by Dave Glowacz) this is a great book and I use a lot of the info in it everyday. I find myself doing something for "sly bikers only" and smile and laugh out loud when I do it! Unlike most cagers I love my commute! Thanks for the reads on your blogs I'm a Etobicoke to Mississauga daily commuter, Tanya If you read these comments, I cant comment on your website, cant seem to find a link where I can leave one. I find that my goretex overmitts with fleece mitts inside keep my hands so warm they sweat! I usually only wear fleece gloves till -3 or so and am still comfortable. Ride safe everyone & be sly! Check out the sly biker icon, I gota get a sticker of that for my bike! :)
Franz
Franz
Yup.... annoying to one of your readers who has to listen often to the hat rant.....