Biking in the Snow

The temperatures "plunged" to under 30 degrees every day this past week, and, as one might expect, snow replaced the usual rains. The cooler weather and the snow cleared the bike paths of most of their usual riders. Only half of the slots in the bike racks were used at work; usually they are completely full by 10:00am.

I was surprised last year at how the locals handle (slightly) cold weather. Instead of sharing these thoughts again, I will share what a (Dutch) Facebook friend posted on Facebook on Wednesday:

Once, once my dear friends, we were a great Nation. Dutch people feared nothing, we kicked the asses of the English, the Spanish ( sorry Sinterklaas) and the portuguese. We discovered and conquered new worlds, we invented multinationals and the stock market (ok ok, not our brightest moves)....and now today, the news I read is this my dear friends: In bold and bright typeface, our national weather

 service is forecasting: EXTREME WEATHER. 

What extreme weather is this you ask? Is Hurricane Sandy on her way? Is a Tsunami coming? No. It means an average of 5-10 cm of snow tonight.

It saddens me every time I read these things (sniff) and when I see people struggling forth tomorrow in those 5 cm's of snow, or whenever 5 drops of rain fall from the sky... It is at those moments in time (I wish I could say rare moments) when I realise more than ever, that we, the great Dutch people...the front runners....the conquerors....have turned into a nation of FUCKING PUSSIES...(sniff sniff)

Dear, former great and awesome, Dutch people, this extreme weather is what the rest of the world would call: A NORMAL WINTER! So get a life, stop whining about snow and stop being pussies, you are a disgrace to men like Tromp, De Ruyter and William of Orange. Now make us all proud and run those damn trains like snow does not exist! (I think by now NS means National Softies). Make me prouder and drive your cars on the left lane like those Germans. Let's try to "unpussy" ourselves before it is too late! Before you now it we will not have an Elfstedentocht anymore because the ice is found to be too slippery and dangerous...

I took my friend's advice and biked to work on Friday morning. I saw about ten other cyclists in the five kilometer ride. I do have one complaint, though: my hand became numb when I took the following biking video: