Winter riding by Caroline F
A family with their light-adorned bikes
When I upgraded my bike and returned to cycle commuting a few years ago, I made a conscious decision that I would ride all year, like I had done as child going to school all those decades ago. If I look out of the window in the dark at 6.30am, and my eyes are drawn to the car, I remind myself that I would drive past teens in their wet school blazers, and that is not the person I want to be! I also saw Dan Brothwell’s handy pie chart, and realised that actually, it doesn’t rain that often in real life!
Cycling is part of simplifying my life so I didn’t automatically head out to shop for ‘kit’, but I did replace my boots with Goretex waterproof ones - it is amazing how quickly normal shoes get sodden in rain. Waterproof over trousers that I bought for hiking now live in my pannier bag, and a second pair of gloves is sometimes needed under my walking gloves to keep my hands warm.
In the ice of last year I discovered the joy of a neck buff under my helmet to protect ears and chin. I might look a fright, but 3 minutes after arriving at the office all the layers are stripped off and I am once more a respectable professional with a glow to my cheeks!
As I also drive a car, I am aware of how hard it can be to see other road users in the dark, so an ultra reflective gillet was my other purchase, and now I almost glow in car headlights. My e bike has integrated lights, so the batteries never run out, which is a joy for a person who grew up in 70s and 80s when huge DD batteries powered everything an ran tehsleves down in no time. I do need to have a look at options for light that illuminate the road and path directly, rather than just make me visible, as the west riverside path is deeply dark! Even in town, pot holes are harder to spot at night.
So having made up my mind, I went for it, and there have been almost no days when I have considered the weather and changed my plan to ride. And what a joy it is. The city and riverside are beautiful in the dark, and I remain proud that I am not adding to the extra rainy day traffic.
Caroline Fitzmaurice
