The upper Great Lakes are getting ready for the start of the shipping season and spring icebreaking, but around the Detroit River the winter icebreaking is almost over as warm temperatures and a relatively mild winter made for a light ice year. Still, there was more ice this winter than the non-winter last year. The waters of Lake St. Clair flow down into the Detroit River bringing the melting ice down with it.
We brought this tug and barge down across Lake St. Clair to her berth south of the Ambassador bridge before tying up in Windsor across from our American icebreaking partners.
During a recent weekend in Chicago, I got to see a fair number of cyclists braving the wintry weather along the shores of Lake Michigan.
Unfortunately, the scourge of honest cyclists, the dreaded sidewalk prowler can be found in the Windy City as it can in Montreal.
You have to give him credit, though, for bluster as he rides the sidewalk right beside a bike lane six feet away. I like the simple, effective signage the city uses to identify cycling lanes as well as upcoming intersecting lanes. They also stand out as an alert to motorists.
A trip out to the suburb of Oak Park was rewarded with some distinctive Frank Lloyd Wright homes as well as the imposing Unity Temple. The trend of winter cycling and helpful signage also continued.
The public transit system in Chicago was excellent but, next time, I will be checking out the sights of the city on two wheels.
The relatively dry roads and relatively mild weather was too enticing to ignore so I hauled my bike out of hibernation for a ride around the neighbourhood. Damn, it felt good! Though by the end, I realized one of the downsides of winter cycling not mentioned by all the boosters of the off-season activity is ingesting several grams of dust and salt thrown into the air by passing vehicles. Heading home along Laurier Avenue East, I noticed a new installation beside the Metro Station.
Charlie Sheen had it wrong; it's not winning! that counts, it's spinning! I bit the bullet and signed up at the local Y, which offers numerous spinning classes (or Cyclo-Cardio as it is known for the Francophones). As someone who never listens to music when I ride, I am not enamored with the speakers blaring throughout the class. Still, once the pedals starts turning and the sweat starts dripping, I can visualize a tree-lined road in my mind and ride on.
