What’s it like to ride a bike at -40?
15 Jan
Riding at -40 requires a special wardrobe. Anything designed to be aerodynamic or light is useless. Instead you’ve got to find the things that through science or nature will keep you warm. There’s a reason that the first people of the arctic wore furs – and it wasn’t for fashion. Equipped with my Christmas polar bear mittens, and Northwest Territories’ beaver hat – I’m either a traitor or patriot. If the ride ends in frostbite, and I have to take advantage of our health-care system, I’ll be the trifecta of Canadian awesomeness.
At -40 the world is both incredibly quiet, and strikingly loud. Because most people are hiding inside, away from the harsh cold, the regular sounds of civilization are noticeably absent. There are not a lot of cars on the street, and scarves have all but eliminated any chance of chatter. But where regular sounds are silenced, others are amplified to the point of becoming unrecognizable. Planes that normally escape the runway without detection, suddenly sound like chainsaws being started mere meters away; and cracking ice has you dodging imaginative bullets.
While your sense of hearing reaches superhero levels, your sight is slowly eradicated. A scarf or facemask takes away your ability to look down. A big hat or hood removes the peripheral. Lashes slowly accumulate frost, weighing them down until they drape over your eyeballs. What’s left is a pinhole world, covered in crystal fur.
There is no speed at -40. Within meters of leaving the heated house, Jack Frost takes hold of your bike. First it’s the tires, that become rigid and no longer roll with ease. Then it’s the cranks that start to slow as lubricant transforms into maple syrup. The pedals stop spinning – frozen in place and a once speedy machine now crunches over the snow like a half-ton Caterpillar.
The body slows just as quickly as the bike. Air at -40 is empty – humidity and oxygen have flown to warmer climates, like most of your friends. The only thing even remotely comparable, is the first bike ride after landing in Aspen, CO – 8000 feet above sea level. Every breath in feels like it’s not enough. Further complicating things are they scarf or facemask – a necessity if you want to avoid frozen skin. The already diluted air has to be sucked through a layer of fabric. With only a small fraction of the oxygen necessary to power movement – each leg rotation takes the effort of a sprint. The normal 20 minute ride to work is suddenly 40 minutes, and the flat river trail morphs into a hilly challenge. Thank God no-one else is stupid enough to be riding, or walking up those pathetically small hills would be embarrassing.
So why wander out when the rest of the world is content inside? Partly it’s the ADHD, but it’s also the adventure of entering a world that looks a little bit familiar, but is somehow completely different. It’s also the hardest you’ll ever ride to cover such a short distance.
pshh it was only -36 maybe -37 today!
True – it was -37 when I rode. But saying -40 is a lot easier, because it doesn’t require an F or C. It’s a universal measurement of cold.
That top photo is uber-cool – how did you manage that? I assume you had a shooter along, because setting up a shot like that at these temps would be quite a challenge!
The Mr. does most of the photo taking: http://blog.delorenzo.ca/
I’m not willing to freeze my fingers like that
Riding a bike, even very slowly, would produce a windchill factor that would bring you below -40, I’m sure!
Love the photos!
The photos are really awesome!