Incredible Journey

My biking readers will enjoy this tongue-in-cheek story by a relative about his 1.5-mile-long commute to work last week.

"I don't know what possessed me to take on the challenge, cycling 1/2 mile after 1/2 mile on compacted snow and glazed ice, through the frigid temperatures and howling winds.

I was on Surly Sue, my winter bike, loaded down with graded papers and lecture notes, carrying my only source of sustenance: an insulated mug containing once-hot coffee.
I set out early, the sun peeking over the horizon. I hopped on my bike but quickly jumped back off when I realized I would have to walk the first few feet, down my unplowed driveway.

The glide down my street was treacherous--and lonely. Not a soul to be seen at first, although later I encountered one human walking what appeared to be a wolf on a leash. My only company consisted of sounds, the wind battering like iced razorblades into small areas of flesh I had inexplicably left uncovered, the snow crunching underneath my Ritchey Speedmax 700x32c winter tires, the tree branches keeping the seeming endless time of my suffering.

My attention was anchored on every passing centimeter of dangerous path. Despite that, security was only momentary, and more than once I slid unexpectedly and uncontrollably.

I endured, rotation after rotation of those sneering pedals, and eventually arrived at work exhausted, blind, ravenous, and delirious. But when the morning custodial staff saw me and exclaimed, "You didn't bike in today, did you?"--an odd question given the fact that I looked like the Abominable Snowman and was holding a bike--I felt a tinge of pride. I had faced the elements, and for one small moment, I had triumphed over winter. And I learned something, that I can endure almost any amount of adversity if I need to...for about ten minutes."