52telecaster

I was putting my groceries in my bike bags outside an aldi today. It was in the 30s with significant wind. While I was arrainging egg cartons an old lady offered me her gloves. I explained that I had gloves and would put them on shortly. Its amazing how some folks can't imagine riding in the cold to the store. She was as sweet as could be but I think she thought I was living a marginal exsistance.

Roody

That was sweet of her. I always try to carry a pair of gloves with me in case I run across anybody who needs them. It's a self-perpetuating thing, because friends often give me their old gloves so I can pass them on to somebody who needs them.

It is kinda funny that some people who see you riding or walking in cold weather assume that it's because you "have to", not because you want to!

lasauge 

I got a fun reaction last night, it was about 20° and there was half an inch of fresh snow covering everything when I left work - as I was standing next to my bike, unlocking it and prepping for the short ride home, a guy walks out of the door of the building I work in and stopped in his tracks. He stared at me entranced, in the same way I would expect a 5 year old child to stare if I had been loading a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer. After a few seconds, "you ride... a bike?!?" Me: "yes."

52telecaster

I love doing something other folks think is herculean. If they only knew I feel like I am getting away with something every time I ride.

52telecaster

Its wonderful what you do with the gloves. I'm an atheist but if I make it to heaven I'll save you a spot.

Boy that doesn't sound right at all.

jon c. 

If I'm doing anything outside when it's in the 30s, it's because I absolutely have to.

Of course, I live in a place where that rarely happens.

Roody

I just think how much easier it is to ride a bike four or five miles than it is to scrape ice off the car windows.

jack pot 

no matter how hard one tries to it's hard not to feel a certain "smugness" in riding the uncomfortable days

52telecaster

Sounds like we could be in a south park episode. It is fun riding in bad weather.

1989Pre 

It's people like her that re-affirm my faith in mankind. It's a special experience when someone you never met before has your back.

noisebeam

when i was riding home one summer in 118F a driver pulled up next to me and the passenger offered me an icy cold unopened sports drink. unfortunately i had to decline with generous 'thank yous' as i had no where to quickly put it.

Roody

At 118 degrees, I would have quickly put it down my shorts!

The kindest thing a driver did for me was during a horrible thunderstorm. He pulled alongside me and offered me a ride. Unfortunately, I thought he was trying to run me off the road and I just yelled AARGGGHHH!!!! As he pulled off I finally figured out what he was doing. He was willing to stop in that storm and let me drench his passenger seat. That was extremely kind. I noticed he had a pizza delivery sign on his truck roof. The next day I stopped by the pizza place and told the manager how nice he was and how ungracious I was. The manager said he would tell the guy next time he worked. I hope he did.

52telecaster

Roody you are a great guy.

Roody

I could tell you a story that would make you think otherwise, again about a motorist who was just trying to be nice.

During rush hour, I was making a left turn from a 2-way onto another 2-way. I was making a legal "VC" left turn. A car pulled alongside me right in the middle of the intersection, which is rather disconcerting to a cyclist. The driver was also yelling and gesturing, but I couldn't tell what he was trying to communicate. Assuming that he was trying to give me a hard time about riding in the street, I made a more unambiguous gesture with one finger of one hand. The next day at work, a co-worker told me that he saw me riding and he waved at me, but I just gave him the finger. Worse yet, he had his little son with him and he had to explain what my gesture was all about. I apologized profusely but he just laughed and said he figured it was something like that.

Walter S

The kid obviously needed an education.

In recent years my policy with everybody is the same. Wave enthusiastically. If they know you, you've acknowledged them. If they're angry and yelling and you know it then embrace the freak idiot in you and wave harder and smile.

To get angry is to follow the program they laid out for you with their aggression. Continuing to enjoy your ride gives them no satisfaction.

John_1961

I love those types of looks and or the comments that you get from pepole that do drive here and there lol I just lagh

2manybikes

I love the people who, when seeing you on your bike, in the cold, or riding in the snow, ask how you do it, and aren't you cold. Then they get into the SUV that gets 6 mpg and drive four hours to go skiing in the same or colder weather. Then they need to buy lift tickets, and some will pay to rent equipment.
A few ski trips cost more than my ten or fifteen year old snow bikes. I get a few years out of one set of studded tires.

bikemig 

I get the same reaction from people from time to time when I ride home at night in cold weather. My favorite though was when I ran into a fellow bike commuter and he said that he liked the cold weather because it kept the riff raff down since there were fewer bike commuters out there.

Roody

But sometimes it's enjoyable to get angry! The trick I'm trying to develop is to get angry without intimidating or shutting down the person I'm angry at. Sometimes I can pull this off.

Once a carful of teenagers passed me on a side street, then stopped short right in front of me. I was mad, and I told them I was mad and explained why. They were mad at me because they had to go around me on a narrow street. Somehow we managed to engage in a conversation about the frustrations of sharing the road with others who have different needs than you do. We had a pretty productive conversation there in the middle of the street, with me standing with my bike and them rolling down the windows of their car. Eventually a couple cars being blocked started honking at us to get out of the way. We all laughed about that and went on our way. Nothing was solved or accomplished, but at least we could all feel good about expressing our anger in a non-destructive manner.

pBFa1

lol, sorry to had that awkward experience.
I live in the very wintery Winnipeg, Canada, and when people say "you cycled today? it's cold! you're crazy," -- i usually say "aren't we all? we gotta be to staying living here in Winnipeg in this weather."

mr geeker