“When you feel discouraged, the day seems dull, and the work becomes monotonous, take a bike and ride it,” said Arthur Conan Doyle. Our heroes would add: ride it in winter.
“When you feel discouraged, the day seems dull, and the work becomes monotonous, take a bike and ride it,” said Arthur Conan Doyle. Our heroes would add: ride it in winter.
Despite the fact that many Belarusians do not associate a bicycle with winter in any way, this does not prevent cyclists from continuing to ride their favorite two-wheeled vehicles in the cold season.
Marina Ambrazheichik (hypermarket security service, 28 years old) has been cycling in winter for the third year.
It all started with the fact that the girl bought a bicycle in the summer and really did not want to stop riding just because first the rains began, and then winter came. For the first season, Marina rode a woman's bike in general, with narrow wheels and bald tires. “And it's okay! You can ride any bike in winter. The main thing is not to make sudden movements, ”she concludes.
In winter, Marina mainly rides her bike to work. At first, the colleagues were shocked, but then they got used to it.
- Everyone thinks that the cyclist is cold in winter. He's actually hot! It can be cold if it's -25 outside and you are lightly dressed. It is much warmer than standing at a bus stop or traveling in vehicles that are not always heated. And on the bike you get warm all the time, - she laughs.
However, for Marina, the main reason for cycling in winter is her mood: “You go and don't care about a blizzard! Sometimes I understand that I am not in the mood or tired, and I am not going. And the weather is a relative condition. You just need to dress appropriately. You put on a mask, gloves, shoe covers on your feet - and it doesn't matter what the weather is like ”.
Among other things, Marina recommends protecting the face: “For this, they use“ buffs ”- seamless scarves or special masks with a hole for the nose. When the frost is stronger (below minus 7-8 degrees), I smear my face with a cream on beeswax or petroleum jelly, the main thing is that the cream is greasy and without water. This protects the skin on the cheeks and nose from hypothermia. "
Here is how the girl additionally explains her motivation: “A bicycle gives me personal freedom, there is no parking problem, no traffic jams, I don’t depend on the transport schedule. A bicycle is a transport, not an expensive toy; it requires much less investment than a car and does not harm the environment. And also for me the bicycle in winter has become an excellent hardening: I have never caught a cold during the winter, I have not even had a cold ”.
Alexander Radko (Researcher at the Institute of Applied Physical Problems, 38 years old) also rides a bicycle to work. His winter driving experience is since 2003.
He says that special preparation is not needed - he sat down and went. He does not have any special requirements for clothes: “I go in jeans all year round and I’m happy.” He believes that any bike is suitable for winter riding, "if you are not on the race, do not squeeze the maximum speed and do not ride on bare ice." He says that with studded tires it's just safer and more confident. It reminds of the basic rule that applies to drivers as well: “choose a speed limit based on the traffic situation, weather conditions. That is, you shouldn't try to set a speed record on a skating rink on Oktyabrskaya Square on the very first trip ”.
According to Alexander, the main problem of winter cyclists in Minsk is that they do not clean the bike paths from snow: “If Nezalezhnosti and Pobediteley avenues are cleaned regularly, then, for example, in Loshitsa, in some places you can find only a narrow path along which people walk in single file. And the roadway is especially unsafe in winter ”.
Pavel Sadovsky (BSU graduate student, 26 years old) has been skating in the winter since 2011, mainly for pleasure - to breathe in the air and have an active rest: “I don't really like to ride around the city in winter because of mud-salt porridge or snow. I prefer to go to Tsnyanka or to the former tank training ground, where the main roads are perfectly rolled by the cars of summer residents. I make trips for 2-3 hours to nature in dry sunny weather. "
Speaking about the clothes of a winter cyclist, Pavel advises to wear thermal underwear that wicks moisture away from the skin during active riding. The second layer is warmer clothing that keeps you warm when you stop. Windproof gloves or mittens. It is necessary to additionally insulate the knees. First of all, hands and feet are at risk of freezing, so loose shoes and warm socks are needed. If your feet are cold, it is enough to walk for 5-10 minutes - and they will warm up.
For Pavel, a bicycle is “like a light drug” (it is known that physical activity is associated with the release of endorphins). Of the minuses, he notes the greater wear and tear of bicycle parts in winter, the same chain rusts much faster. I came to the conclusion that summer rides on one bike, and in winter - on another, simpler.
Pavel agrees that if the cycle path was cleaned, “only because of this there would be more cyclists. And so either the sidewalk is not cleaned, or ice. "
John Rosman (programmer, 58 years old) has been cycling every day, around the city and to work, for many years, and in winter he also does not leave his eco-friendly transport.
Having visited many countries of the world, John calls Finland the capital of the world winter bicycle. The Finns view the bicycle more as a means of transport and do not stop using it even in winter. According to John, 10% cyclists ride to Helsinki in winter, about 20% to Jyväskylä, 25 % to Oulu and 27% to Rovaniemi of the total number of cyclists. For comparison: in Minsk - less than 2%.
It is in Oulu this February that the first ever conference on cycling in winter will take place. Judging by the number of announced participants, Finland, Sweden and Canada are the three leading countries for cycling in winter.
Oulu is perhaps one of the world leaders in the number of winter cyclists. There are a number of reasons for this. Historical and cultural factors played a role (cycling in winter for local residents is an absolutely normal, familiar phenomenon). The cycling infrastructure is well developed here, and it is maintained in good condition in winter. For example, in Oulu, bicycle and footpaths are classified into two categories. The routes of the first category are cleaned until 7 o'clock in the morning, and the second category - gradually during the day.
Chairman of the Minsk Cycling Society Evgeny Horuzhy estimates the number of winter cyclists in the capital at a hundred or two. This is less than 2% out of the total number of 5 thousand active cyclists, as written in the concept for the development of cycling in Minsk.
Our bicycle mainly performs recreational and sports, rather than transport functions, and this is one of the reasons why there are few cyclists in winter, Yevgeny Khoruzhy believes. In his opinion, there are prospects for increasing the number of cyclists in Minsk in winter. The question is in the maintenance of the infrastructure.
- When the sidewalks are covered with snow or covered with ice, and the bike paths are not cleaned even once during the winter, cycling is uncomfortable. On the one hand, our mentality is a hindrance to the promotion of cycling in winter. But to change it, the city should "invite" to use a bicycle, and not turn a utilitarian ride into an adventure one, - said the chairman of the Moscow Military District.
