This May, Winnipeg has been experiencing a heat wave. Temperatures in the high twenties every day. It’s like summer with out the mosquitoes. I remember snow falling on many May Long weekend camping trips growing up. But not this year. It’s been great bike riding weather since early April and the cycling peoples of Winnipeg are definitely taking advantage of it.
There’s nothing like the cool breeze on your back in sweltering hot weather, the kind you don’t get wearing a back pack or messenger bag. For the commuters out there, I cannot more highly recommend the use of panniers on really hot days. No constriction on your upper body, or sweaty back, just the cool breeze… and a weighty reminder to take it easy.
The UV Index was also very high today at a 6.0, so I wore an ultra thin full sleeve jersey. The long sleeves may be the slightest bit warmer, but far less so than the constant burning of a glowing sunburn while typing away in your cubicle. I can still feel the sun beating down on my neck as I write this. I need to get more full collared jerseys.
There’s a crazy amount of bikes zipping around this year compared to last. Cyclists on the street, some on the sidewalks, lot’s of kids on dirt jumpers. This must be the latest fad. Dirt jumpers are like a BMX’s on steroids with a totally slammed seat, fat tires and fat shocks. I don’t know how they pedal around a flat prairie city like that? No less with a Slurpee in one hand!
I’m just happy to see people discovering what cycling means to them, and how the bicycle plays into the way they live. Whether it’s for practical reasons, entertainment, transportation, fitness or competition, you’re spinning those cranks with purpose. You might be a cyclist or just a guy who rides a bike to the beer vendor, but there’s certainly a reason for everyone to love riding a bicycle. What’s yours?