Many obstacles have been encountered whilst trying to commute on a daily basis. These obstacles can be summarized under the heading 'Canadian Winter Weather'. Both black ice and hard packed snow, i.e. white ice, have come up and bit me in the ass on more then one occasion. The first effort to confront this demon has been to employ my daughters mountain bike, a Gary Fisher. That helped somewhat with it's thick tread pattern, however serious ice was still treacherous. I recently installed some Nokian studded winter tires; they are the cat's pajamas! They do not eliminate completely the element of surprise, but I can live with a little excitement in my life. I also have elected to wear a helmet for now as the cars on the road are dealing with the same element of surprise, so I wear it for now so that car drivers can drive like idiots. The helmet I am using is a snowboarders/skiers helmet hence it is better suited for winter, i.e. it keeps my ears warm. That and a belaclava keeps me toasty warm in -10C weather.
The bike restoration has been bogged down awaiting many parts on back order but once they arrive, with a flurry, this project will be completed.
This is a photo of my great grandmother, Kate Maud Thornborrow (nee Fosten), taken approximately 100 years ago. It was possibly taken by her husband Thomas who was very interested in photography. At the time they were living in West London (Ealing). I have many family pictures taken at the turn of the last century but only one with a bicycle.
