Winter Bike to Work Day is getting a lot of press. Even here in the Great White North a bike shop is giving breakfast to attendants: the mayor will ride a fat bike as part of Ride 365 (started in 2013 to welcome Budnitz Bicycles to Burlington); and later on Friday, another business is offering pizza and a winter biking workshop.
You'd think with all the hullabaloo I'd jump on the bandwagon. Think again. Between plummeting temperatures and a high of 2 F on Friday—not to mention 90% snow-covered bike paths—the farthest thing from my mind is getting on a bicycle.
I've got my eye on errandonneering in March. Now that I can handle. (I think I can. I think I can...)
Enough of my bike weenie woes. Who's riding to work on Friday?
I'm riding to work tomorrow, but then again, it's going to be 60F here in Portland. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOf the singular things I loved about our time living in Portland was I learned to cycle in rain and rode to work year round. It set the bar high for commuting in adverse conditions, though i can't come to grips with riding through a VT winter.
DeleteI'm on maternity leave now, so no need to venture to the office. I cycled Thurs (twice) and am doing so on Saturday, so taking Friday off! I am full-term after all... just waiting.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you are getting around well with a big bump!
DeleteThose plummeting temperatures would make it to cold for me Annie :-)
ReplyDeleteI could blame my hesitancy on age, but I've never tolerated extreme heat and cold. The more we understand about ourselves the more we can concentrate on the things we love and disregard current trends. As they say, we only live one life.
DeleteLike Urban I am in the great PNW (Seattle) and weather lately hasn't been an obstacle but the 40 mile round trip is, although if I was motivated I could go multimodal and make it more workable. Based on the videos I have seen of what New England is going through I don't blame anyone for not wanting to ride, 32 degrees is bad enough but 2 degrees and multiple feet of snow gets a pass in my book. If I had a fat bike with studded tires and a heated jumpsuit I might tool around my neighborhood but I'd keep the commuting to the digital kind.
ReplyDeleteIt has been freakishly cold here in the Chilled Sunshine State and I am embarrassed to admit that sub-50 F keeps me off the bike. At the Winn Dixie yesterday I saw all these REALLY white people in shorts and sandals while I was going about wearing every layer of fleece I own. Yankee tourists, no doubt, or Canadians.
ReplyDeleteIs that politically incorrect? Whatever. By really white I wasn't referring to their customs or mores or racial identity. I mean they just had REALLY white skin, and showing it. Me, after a life in the Florida sun, can no longer get a tan. I don't know why. I just stay the same almost- tan color year round. Weird.
Where was I? For that matter, where am I? AnnieBikes? Hey! Hello, Miss Annie! BTW, I'm with you, except I blame EVERYTHING on age.
tj
Weather tolerances and bike riding are personal and relative to the individual. With a shorter commute these days - 5 miles - I can't make the leap to cycling in February. My personal thermostat requires at least consistent days above 20F and dry roads and paths. I find it very difficult to jumpstart rides to work in late winter whereas riding well into fall as temperatures plummet is acceptable and easy.
DeleteIn the meantime I'm milking cross-country skiing for all it's worth.
TJ - please tell me the orange crop will make it through frigid temps. I do love my citrus.
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