The Rules

Jan 6, 2012 · 2 minute read

I’ve been cycling in and out of town almost every day since July. A half-hour in, against the wind. A half hour back, uphill almost the whole way. My entire attitude towards cycling has changed. It’s not just simple transport any more. It’s war. War against myself. War against taxi drivers. War against Dublin weather.

Which is why I love Velominati’s Rules of cycling etiquette. Okay, some are a little fetishistic about the bike itself, which is a little creepy. But this one in particular caught my eye.

Rule #9 / If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.

Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.

I cycled through ‘monster rain’, down a road where a previously-underground river suddenly became an overground river. Cycling in rain doesn’t bother me any more. With a change of clothes and a radiator, you can cycle through anything.

I also love Rule 12 - “The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.”

While the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned. This equation may also be re-written as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner.

Although, in my case, you could replace the word “bikes” in the previous paragraph with “board games”.