Okay, it's not officially winter for awhile yet, but riding in the snow and wind to work yesterday sure seemed like it. I don't mind winter riding too much because with the right bike, tires and clothing, you can still enjoy it and know that almost everybody else is stuck inside spinning in one place bored out of their minds. Granted, I'll do a fair amount of that myself soon, but would like to continue to commute whenever the schedule allows.
Yesterday when I got up, I was very much on the fence as to whether I would ride or not. Temps were hovering around 30 which is no big deal and it was still fairly wet from the previous night's snow. We got just enough snow to cover things up and give the impression of winter, but I didn't have to scoop the drive which is always a blessing. Again, the right gear and even the wet conditions wouldn't be unthinkable to ride in.
The thing that gave me pause was the wind. Every once in awhile it would gust, howl and whistle in any window or door that gave the slightest hint at not being completely sealed in a way that was reminiscent of storms from the depths of winters past. The prospect of riding directly into such an adversary was not a pleasant one.
I spent most of the morning in a state of limbo where the ride was concerned. I did have a little work to do on the bike installing a new stem and I decided to spend a little time working on a presentation I'll do for a few kids at Xander's school next week about the bike being a solution to many life issues like obesity, pollution, access to clean water in third world countries and access to markets for poor farmers in remote areas of the world.
As I revisited so many of the thoughts that others have had on the topic and looked at studies of obesity rates and automobile pollution, the idea of riding to work took on fresh meaning and sticking my nose into the wind became an act of rebellion against my own culture of comfort and against a society that thinks that just because gas prices have dropped a bit means that giving thought to bike commuting is no longer a necessity.
So, resolve renewed, I got dressed, packed up the back pack and headed out. I opened the garage door and big flakes of snow were just beginning to fall again. In the wind protected cul de sac where we live it was an idyllic scene that carried a romantic association from some of my winter rides from last year.
The one advantage of the wind is that many of the streets and areas of the bike path that I ride were fairly dry with only minor drifting. I had opted to keep the standard knobby tires on my Gary Fisher Rig (single speed mountain bike with 29" tires instead of the more standard 26" tires that you usually see). I do have a set of studded tires that are a little thinner that I will break out once drifts harden and ice becomes more of an issue.
Things were plugging along well as I rode the bike path along the southeast part of town. The trees took the brunt of the wind and I actually found myself a bit too warm. Once I got off the path, the wind had a clean shot at me and I began to pay for my efforts. To add insult to injury, the beautiful falling snow transformed into sleet that was driven into my face as I methodically pushed on. By the time I got to the store I was greeted by the incredulous nature of my coworkers as they greeted me with what could only be described as varying degrees of pity and admiration.
I seriously had to towel down when I hit the rest room to change. This was one of those occasions where if we had a shower at the store, I would have used it. I had purposely dressed a little warmer than I originally thought I should believing that I needed a little more time to allow my body's conditioning to the cold to develop. After all, I did ride 30 miles in my summer kit (short sleeve jersey and shorts) less than two weeks ago. What I didn't factor in was how much harder I was going to have to work against the wind and how much heat I would personally generate. I was a sweaty, gooey mess. It didn't take me too long to get myself presentable again and I set about the day's tasks.
I was quite pleased to see that when I left the store at 9:30, the wind was still out of the northwest, still blowing hard and knew I'd have an easier time of it on the trip home. I had forgotten how different it is riding at night with snow on the ground. Areas where my little 12 lumen commuter lamp barely outline the path and obstacles during the summer were quite well defined due to the luminescence of the city reflected off of clouds above and snow below. It was really an enjoyable ride home only lacking the soft snowfall which would have put me in winter commuter bliss.
So, the first test passed, my goal will continue to be to ride to work whenever the schedule and my personal safety will permit it. The payoff is always better than the cost on days like yesterday and I hope to see a lot more winter riding this year.
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