Although large parts of the country have now thawed, the recent snow made everyone rush out and ride, or at least write about riding. Obviously we couldn’t resist either with a tale of Blackdown on a fabulous sunny and snowy Christmas morning, and the internet was hot on our heels.
The Guardian’s Comment is Free section pointed out that we’re a “bunch of lightweights” when compared to cyclists of the past and made the very good point that it’s part-thawed roads that are the real test. Although I would like to add in that several inches of powder is also not that easy to ride through. There is a balance to be found where the snow simply smoothes out the harsh edges and lets you ride fast and smooth.
If you are struggling for grip without studded snow-tyres then I was actually really impressed by this suggestion for a way to grab more grip with a nice temporary snowchain. Admittedly I’m a fan of zip-ties anyway but this seems like an eminently sensible use for them.
If you’re missing the snow then maybe you should consider a similar journey to this guy from China who is off on a massive bike ride to promote a low-carbon lifestyle, and will surely come across absolutely loads of the stuff.
Happy New Year from all of us at FMFT. Hope you have a good one tonight, whatever you are up to. We'll be back on the 4th January 2011.
A
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