A rusty steed is a friend indeed - even in winter

This from Marcus Gee to say winter cycling don't hurt none. I like it that he just got sick of waiting for the streetcar or not finding car parking and just failed to put his bike away for the winter. It's that easy folks!

'You're brave," people exclaim when I arrive at work in my winter-cycling getup. By which they really mean, "You're off your nut." One cyclist who runs seminars about winter biking begins his talks with a cheery "Welcome, everybody. You have now joined the ranks of the criminally insane."

Most cyclists hang up their wheels when the first snow flies. A recent survey showed that just 10 per cent of Toronto cyclists ride through the winter. Even among "utilitarian" cyclists - dedicated types who use their bikes for practical stuff like getting to work and going shopping - the figure rises to only 15 per cent.

Opponents of spending money on Toronto's cycling network seize on these figures as proof that bike lanes are for the birds. Why annoy motorists by building a bike lane down Jarvis Street, say, if it's going to be all but empty for half the year? The way most people see it, winter biking is simply too cold, too dangerous and too much hassle.

I'm here to say it's just not so. In two winters biking Toronto's streets year-round, I've discovered that it's far safer and more comfortable than you might imagine and a lot more fun.