Winter biking: Bill Mollison bikes from his home in Fonthill to the GM plant on Glendale Avenue in St. Catharines every day
The Standard (St. Catharines - Niagara)                                                          Mon 02 Feb 2004
Page: D6 / Front                             Section: Spectrum                           Byline: Cheryl Clock
Source: The Standard

More than 20 years ago, Bill Mollison announced to his wife that he was going to ride his bike to work. Just like that. Out of the blue. Decision made.

Back then, the ride was a mere six kilometres from his home near Lakeshore Road and Vine Street to the General Motors plant on Glendale Avenue where he works as a designer. His wife, Diane, snickered. "You'll never make it," she laughed, her voice ripe with skepticism. He accepted her gentle teasing as a challenge and dug out his department-store 10-speed. He pumped up the tires, lit a cigarette and left for work a little earlier than normal. Good thing, too. The drive that usually took him a few minutes took him 45 that morning. Mollison didn't care. "I got to work and I couldn't hardly touch the ground I was so high," he recalls.

He felt good. Really good. Not only that, but he found a quarter along the way. Surely that was a sign that maybe he should leave the car in the garage more often. So he did. That year, he rode from June straight through to September. And each year after, he brought out his bike a little earlier in the season and stored it away just before the snow started to fly. These days, at 51 years old, he rides year-round. Reality is, though, he's among a select few who brave the winter elements on two wheels.

A national survey found in 1998 that only one in four Canadian adults cycle as a mode of transportation even though more than half own a bike. The National Survey on Active Transportation also found that distance, weather and time were the main barriers to cycling. Parking and shower facilities were also important in promoting cycling in the workplace. And more than 70 per cent of Canadians said they would cycle to work if there were dedicated bike lanes and they could make it to work in under 30 minutes.

But before you scoff at the notion, consider that keeping active through the winter will help people to maintain their level of fitness and mobility, says Sandy Rennie, president of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Winter exercise also helps to reduce the potential for muscle strains and lower back problems, she says.

Truth is, it doesn't take long to lose many of the benefits of fitness gained during the warmer months. In fact, it's simply not healthy to gain weight every winter and shed it in the spring, says Marian Landry, health promoter at the Niagara Public Health Department. Significant yo-yo weight gains and losses -- say 20 to 30 pounds -- puts people at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, she says. And the so-called weekend warriors who head to the gym on their days off and exercise to the extreme aren't doing their bodies any favours either, she says. "No pain, no gain is an old way of thinking," she comments.

A regular exercise regime also helps control blood pressure. High blood pressure is known as the silent killer since most times people don't realize they have it until the damage is done. Regular exercise also reduces blood sugar levels. High blood sugar predisposes us to cardiovascular disease. Of course, you don't need to go to the extreme of biking through blizzards to realize health benefits, she says.

For some fun winter activity suggestions, check out the website www.regional.niagara.on.ca, and click on winter active. But if biking is your thing, check out the committee's Regional Niagara Bicycling 2003/04 map. It's available at locations including: Niagara Regional headquarters, NETCOR, 2201 St. Davids Rd.; Bike Fit at 184 Scott St. in St. Catharines; and Liberty Bicycles at 40 St. Paul St. in downtown St. Catharines.

For Mollison, winter biking began a few years ago when someone at work jokingly suggested: why don't you ride right through the winter, Bill? Jokes aside, Mollison thought it was a good idea. Even a move out to Fonthill didn't discourage him. The way he saw it, all he had to do was leave the house a little earlier, say by about 5:30 a.m., to bike the 20-kilometre route, shower, change into his business-casual attire and be ready for work. "There's hardly a soul out then," he says. "Everything is white and clean. It's so quiet." Sure, he had to invest in some high-tech polypropylene clothing to keep his body warm and dry. His mountain bike is even outfitted with snow tires.

And he's seen just about everything Mother Nature has to offer in her repertoire of winter weather. Rain. Snow. Sleet. Ice. And gusting winds. One night, the headwind was so strong he had to shift into the lowest gear and peddle just to go downhill. His personal limit lies at about -15 degreesC. Any colder and he calls a cab or hitches a ride into work with his brother.

But all this is fairly insignificant when Mollison considers the benefits. Not long after he started riding to work back in 1980, he gave up the 30-cigarette-a-day habit he'd had for over a decade. "If I quit smoking, I can ride faster," he reasoned. So he did, cold turkey.

He lost about 60 pounds in the first year. Moreover, he simply feels good. "I get to work and I'm ready to go," he says. "Others, they come in dragging their butts." He sold his family's second car many seasons ago and figures he saves about $1,500 a year on gas. Each year, he clocks just over 11,000 kilometres combined on his four bicycles. Some of his longer trips include a ride to Montreal and up the Bruce Peninsula, across to Manitoulin Island. Traffic doesn't scare him. And while he's fallen a few times, he's never broken anything more serious than a part on his bike.

Across the region, in Grimsby, 46-year-old Valerie Copeland bikes the 30 kilometres to work on Hamilton mountain once a week. It takes her about two hours -- counting, of course, the obligatory stopover at the local coffee shop to warm up. Every year, she adds another 30,000 kilometres to the odometer. She rarely uses her vehicle, choosing instead to hop on her bike for errands. She sets per-month distance goals and tours the region to build up kilometres. Like Mollison, the physical and mental benefits surpass any minor inconveniences. "I've never tried spinning classes," she says. "I like the quietness of a bike ride outside."

In Niagara Falls, Dave Arnott has cycled to work for the past 30 years. Cycling helps him maintain a top-notch fitness level for his job as a firefighter. These days it's an eight-kilometre trip to the firehall. But he used to bike a 30-kilometre round trip when he was working part time in St. Catharines. There's not much that will keep him off the road. In fact, some mornings there is so much snow he waits for a car to drive by and break a trail for him. "It's very peaceful," he says. "The air is fresh and crisp. It's good for the soul. "It's very therapeutic."

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Every year, the Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee organizes the Bicycle Friendly Awards to recognize workplaces that support bicycle friendly environments, policies and events.

Awards are given out in the fall.

To nominate an educational institution, workplace, small business or government institution, download a nomination form at www.rnbc.info or call 905-688-8248 ext. 7422 for more information.

For Bill Mollison, above and left, winter biking began a few years ago when someone at work jokingly suggested -- why don't you ride right through the winter?

Illustration:
• Colour Photo: (Bill Mollison)

Edition: Final
Story Type: News
Length: 1268 words

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