LOCAL
Fitness
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WWHEELS
So…what happens to avid cyclists when the winter winds begin to blow? Do they scurry to put
their bikes away, hit a spin class and pray for and early spring thaw?
Says Glen Clarkson of Clarkson Cycle
and Fitness in Thorold, unfortunately,
a lot of people let winter win.
“People tell me that spinning is
a whole lot more comfortable…
but luckily we do have riders who
stay on their bikes all winter.”
For the hardy among us who do
want to ride out the winter on two
wheels, Clarkson Cycle has all the
special equipment we could ever
need – from wide, heavy-tread tires
to specialty gloves designed to keep
your hands warm but your fingers
functioning in the coldest weather.
“We have lots of cold weather
riding customers who make
our shop their warm-up stop on
winter rides,” says Glenn.
Niagara cyclist Christopher Balogh
doesn’t let the cold slow him down.
“For those of us who live in the Niagara region, the beauty of cycling is
16 | whiteoaksclub.com | fall 2015
also the sense that we are cheating
Mother Nature.” The destinations he
has in mind when he and his friends
hop on their bikes for a winter’s ride
have everything to do with making
the most of Niagara’s bounty, no
matter how cold it may be. Waiting
for a warm sunny day is essential,
of course, but when the conditions
are right, it’s off to the local wineries
and breweries for Balogh and his
crew – a group that often includes a
realtor, a French restauranteur-sommelier, a teacher, and a nine-time
finisher at the Tour de France who
also happened to wear the yellow
jersey for 14 days - Steve Bauer.
Says Balogh of their decision to
begin one wintry ride last year at
Ravine Winery: “The employees
at Ravine all wear grey T-shirts
with the slogan; “ It’s always
sunny in St.Davids” across the
back. We had to go there.”
.