Icy mornings

Posted by Trisha at 08:33 commute diary Add comments
Feb 162010

We have had more chilly, wet weather this past week or so. And while I know it’s nothing compared to the rest of the country, it makes for treacherous biking conditions! The other day I took a few snaps of my own Lake Michigan-style ice installation. And yes, I had to walk it through.

It’s snowing, again, today, and I’m trying to decide how I’m going to get to work. Like Dottie mentioned earlier, last year I probably would have ridden just to prove that I could. Now that I don’t feel that pressure, I may not subject myself and my bikes to the extreme (for Nashville, anyway!) weather conditions when neither of us are set up for them. It’s been cold so long that all my long underwear is in the wash! Confession: these past few weeks I have been cherry-picking the best weather days and riding on those days. And it’s working for me, keeping cycling fun through the slump and the chill of winter. Though, now that that’s said, driving is also stressful when it’s icy. Maybe my own two feet will have to do?

What’s your strategy for cycling through the winter?

Tagged with: , , , , ,
  • Brain

    I have no choice. If I want to get paid, I have to work. To get to work, I must bike regardless of the weather. I could take the bus or train, but my office is still 15-min walking distance away from the closest bus stop/train station. Confess: I love the cold, the winter. I have a more difficult time riding my bike in summer, in the heat!

  • http://letsgorideabike.com Trisha

    @Brain — As long as the roads aren’t slippery, I prefer winter to summer, too. But we tend to get a lot of ice here, and right now I don’t know if I have the will to deal with it. :) How long is your commute?

  • Brain

    @Trisha – By bike 30 minutes from home to office. By bus 10 minutes + 15 minutes walking from home to office. I can save about 5 minutes taking the bus but that is if I don’t wait for the bus and the bus is on-time. At least the cycle paths here are well maintained. It will suck when I return home to the States. I’m going to miss Holland’s amazing bike paths!

  • http://girlsandbicycles.blogspot.com Miss Sarah

    I think the best way to promote cycling is to do it when it’s fun and makes sense:) It was always those super hard core people who I never thought I identified with, who gave me the impression biking wasn’t for me. Not wanting to bike over a bunch of Nashville ice is a normal person’s reaction. In this case, normal is good! Plus, if you fall down and break your teeth… that’s no good!

    Enjoy the snowy weather. I’ll be riding tonight:)

    S*

  • http://www.fullhandsx3.blogspot.com sara

    I ride when I can. I give myself a break when I can’t. I am more tempted to ride than not to ride. I have to worry about my kids too on the bike. Right now it’s totally snowing & my husband drove me to work. We had amazing bike days yesterday & Sunday so there you go…

  • http://www.wheredorootsbelong.wordpress.com Lorenza

    it’s been this bad here too, but I don’t have any cycle lanes to my 4 miles to work, I find it too scary and not enjoyable at all riding like this, so yes I am waiting for warmer weather and better visibility… in the meantime I keep polishing Pash waiting for the sun to shine : ) xxx

  • http://www.mnbicyclecommuter.blogspot.com/ Doug

    Over the past 6 winters I’ve accumulated just about everything I need to ride everyday regardless of the weather. I have plenty of clothing options and bike options. I get up in the morning, look out the window, check the thermometer and windspeed, dress appropriately and go. I ride every single work day in some very extreme weather conditions and love every minute of it.

  • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

    That’s really bad. Makes for cool pictures of the Bat looking bad ass, though! :)

  • http://www.bike-bliss.com/ Cherilyn

    Keep it fun for you! I stayed away from exercise for years because I didn’t feel skilled or hardcore enough. Life’s too short, and there are enough obligations to deal with. Enjoy!

  • Steve

    Lots of wool. I bought a long men’s wool coat this winter (100% charcoal wool and in my size!), some really nice black leather gloves, several long, Scottish cashmere scarves, and two pairs of black Ecco dress boots (they are such good shoes). The best buy recently was five pure merino turtleneck jumpers (men’s closefitting pullover shirts) from Dillard’s on sale. $83 for all five, and none of them in garish colors! Add a real Irish pullover cap and some dark brown corduroys, and not only am I warm and dry, but stylishly urban. The secret is to block the wind, and keep the core and the extremities warm. Do that, and the natural heat generated by bicycling is sufficient for at least our winters along the northern Gulf Coast.

    Amazing how well drivers treat me when I dress up like this. The merino against my skin is like having a beautiful woman on my arm–it’s simply the best. (I’m 51 and happily married–so sue me…)

© 2010-2012 Let's Go Ride a Bike Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha