Russian bike enthusiasts race through Moscow despite biting cold

Record ID: 163491

  • Title: Russian bike enthusiasts race through Moscow despite biting cold
  • Date: 8th January 2017
  • Summary: PARADE PARTICIPANTS STANDING IN FRONT POSTER ANNOUNCING MOSCOW BIKE PARADE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) BIKE PARADE PARTICIPANT LEONID, SAYING: "I don't feel the cold, first of all because it is sport and secondly because of the feeling of moving together with other people, of this unity, one can get warm just from this." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) BIKE PARADE PARTICIPANT ALEXANDER, SAYING: "It is (weather) great. There is no bad weather, there are bad clothes. Warm gloves, warm hat and warm socks - and everything will be great." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) BIKE PARADE PARTICIPANT GRIGORY, SAYING: "There should be some kind of movement, a man should overcome something. So we will overcome (difficulties), especially as there are so many people, I am not the only one here, there are many of us." TRAFFIC POLICE CARS MOVING ALONG STREET FOLLOWED BY PARADE PARTICIPANTS GIRLS WATCHING PARADE PARADE PARTICIPANTS RIDING ALONG STREET PEOPLE WATCHING PARADE PARTICIPANTS RIDING ALONG STREET WITH KREMLIN IN BACKGROUND
  • Embargoed: 23rd January 2017 10:38
  • Keywords: Russia Moscow bike parade freezing cold
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Living/Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA0035Y7YEE1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of bike enthusiasts gathered in central Moscow despite freezing cold on Sunday (January 8) to take part in a winter bike parade. It is the second time when Russian bicycle fans organised mass winter ride, but this year's temperatures were more extreme than last year - minus 29 Celsius. This didn't seem to scare off the parade participants.
    "I don't feel the cold, first of all because it is sport and secondly because of the feeling of moving together with other people, of this unity, one can get warm just from this," said Leonid, dressed as Father Frost - the Russian version of Santa Claus.
    "It is (weather) great. There is no bad weather, there are bad clothes. Warm gloves, warm hat and warm socks - and everything will be great," said Alexander, another fan of winter biking.
    To keep warm before the start some bikers danced, others drank hot tea from traditional Russian samovar.
    The parade participants had to cover a distance of 14 kilometres riding towards the Kremlin and back along the Moskva river. It took them an hour and a half.
    The organisers of the Moscow Second Winter Bike Parade's said their goal was to prove that winter is not an obstacle to bike riding and to promote the development of cycling infrastructure and road safety in Moscow.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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