Some of it is bully pulpit material for warmer weather. If I'm able to bike when it's dim or dark, in sub-freezing temps, what's keeping you from trying it when it's 60+ and light from 6am to 8pm?
3/4 of it is state of mind, about 1/4 is equipment and clothing.
That said, I think the biggest thing for me is the sense of accomplishment in traveling 10 miles in sub-freezing cold.
It seems to me that there have been disparaging remarks made about riding in snowy or cold weather, so I thought we needed to highlight some positives. I have thought of quite few but will start with just one to give everyone a chance.
- the bikepath is less crowded with people weaving or clotheslining which allows for a less stressful and faster commute
-Less sweating on the way to work.
-Accusations of craziness by coworkers have undertones of "you're such a badass!" rather than "you're such a dork."
-Better visibility when riding rural roads, due to fewer leaves and sleepy plants.
A colleague of mine thinks that drivers give him more space in the winter. Also, less drivers in general when it's snowing.
It feels like I am faster.
@reddan Accusations of craziness by coworkers have undertones of "you're such a badass!"
My experience is rather the opposite. When the temp goes into the 20's and there is a little ice on the road, the "Crazy!" comments show concern about the possibility of mental illness.
@ ChemDave. Neither drivers nor criminals tend to mess with people they think might be crazier than them.
Crime tends to correlate with temperature, up to temps of about 105 F. Above that temperature, crime drops off rapidly. And no one is lurking in the nightime Junction Hollow bushes at -5 F, drinking Old English and waiting for a victim.
In the summer my co-workers tell me how much they hate cyclist. In the winter they say how much of a bad ass I am. They go from hatred to respect according to Micks temperature scale.
I get to wear all my sweet long sleeved wool clothing, tights, and my yellow helmet cover.
fewer peds and the ones that are out are much more sedentary.
The acoustics of the city change - especially when the snow is fresh.
Best of all situations:
Your water is always cold.
If you get hot, just open a layer.
and, as stated above, I think cars give you more room because they think you're nuts.
It sets a good example for people who are not sure about riding in the winter.
you actually get some exercise during those months
..and you're a bad ass
don't have to worry about sunscreen running down your face
-Have a legitimate reason to dress like a ninja
-The ground hurts less with 6 inches of snow on it
Vannevar posted my absolute favorite thing about winter: when you get to work (or wherever) and you're tired from riding, your water is always cold and refreshing for you.
@floggingdavy -The ground hurts less with 6 inches of snow on it
For me, the ground hurts less when I'm dressed like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.
I always make it into work or anywhere I need to go when people in cars can't because of road conditions.
(edit) actually don't know if thats a good thing that I make it into work while drivers call and say they are staying home baby its cold out side
yes i had the mountour trail almost to myself this morning i rode 10 miles at dawn i wore a sauna suit under my other clothes i was drenched in sweat after the 10 mile ride but i brought dry clothes to change into i wish i could ride to work but id never make it trying to ride on route 65
i agree, not getting sweaty is the best part. riding through a layer of freshly fallen snow can also be kind of magical, especially when the snow is still falling... until it gets too deep, then it's something different which is a ton of work - which is not necessarily bad but cancels out the "no sweat" part.
i disagree about cars giving more room though, at least when there's a strip of snow/slush down the centerline, cars are reluctant to cross it but have no qualms about passing you at speed with inches to spare 
I find it quiet and peaceful riding through the snow at night.
The crunch of fresh snow under your tires is awesome.
@erok - don't have to worry about sunscreen running down your face
I reconsider this sometimes in the winter. There is still a lot of sunlight during the day. I shave my head, and I learned to respect the winter sun after getting the top of my head, face, and ears sunburned while snowboarding on a warm snowy day after taking off my hat. At least my head was nice and warm after that. Luckily, I do tend to wear a helmet, so it's not as big of a concern, but sometimes I'll toss a little sunscreen on my face when I'm going on longer daytime rides in the winter.
all the gnats and bugs are gone
Punk bike.
something about the lack of leaves and the cold and everything gives the world a vast emptiness which makes you feel like you have a lot more room, and all of the world is there just for you. it really opens up. i don't quite have the words to do justice to that feeling, but it is magical, and it almost makes up for my extreme hatred of the cold and lack of sunlight.
During the summer the bike racks I use are always full, in the winter I have the whole rack to myself.
Gotta love just chilling OUTSIDE after a ride to cool down versus running INSIDE to camp in front of an air conditioner.
Get your kicks...
Your water is always cold.
If, as I sometimes did, you ride around in sub-freezing temperatures with a CamelBak backpack, your water reservoir may be wonderfully cold (heated by your back) but the drinking tube gets to be too cold, and frozen over...
Because your bike is all set to go on a day like today! Thermometer in the back yard stands at 60 at the moment. Wheee!
@ salty Get your kicks...
Some of us really know how to have fun!
Cold water? I've had my water bottle freeze.
I'm pretty sure I'm more visible in the winter dark than in the summer light. And perhaps I grab drivers' attention a bit more since they aren't expecting to see a bicyclist.
Tip (This advice applies to hiking more than cycling): when it gets *really* cold, put your water bottle upside-down. The water might freeze on top but not the bottom, leaving the mouthpiece drinkable. Also, add a dash of salt to your water. It lowers the freezing temperature and helps with your hydration.
@joeframbach or just keep the water in your sleeping bag
Dec 14, Fort Collins: Winter Bike to Work Day
Jan 18, Boulder Winter Bike to Work Day
I wonder if the time is ripe for a Pittsburgh Winter Bike to Work Day?
@DM - I find it hard to pedal in my sleeping bag. Do you thing a snugglie would work?
@Vannevar - Yes, I think the time is ripe!
@vannevar - I love this idea!
If they can do it in Colorado, we can do it in Pittsburgh.
It's all in preparation. Well, 95% prep. About 5% is overcoming "Am I really going to go out on a bicycle in this weather?"
Conquer the issues of fingers, ears, toes on self; fenders, lights, mudflaps on bike; and securement of luggage; and you're ready. It's ours to show everyone else how.
I like being in touch with the weather.
Even on a Fugly day like today, there is something good about knowing how the sleet feels against your face.
there is something good about knowing how the sleet feels against your face.
Or feeling the formation of ice in your facial hair.
They are NOT snotsicles, dammit. It's condensed moisture from my breath, I swear.
@reddan have you had any beardsicles yet this year? I haven't, but I worked from home today.
@dm: Not yet. Thought I'd have some on the way home today, but not quite.
I srsly need to do some winter riding. Riding around to/from the Penndot meeting last night was enormously pleasant.
I don't know about riding to work. I would think the people who are prone to riding to work are already doing it. Avg people would just look at you like a bunch of loons, like the Polar Bear club, and not actually do it.
Well, it's finally winter. I think today was the first day my feet have been really cold at the end of my ride. Also, saw a guy riding down liberty wearing shorts this morning. Apparently I'm just a big wuss.
@WillB hah, I saw a guy in shorts and t-shirt waiting for the 28X at the airport last night around 10:30. That whole arriving from Florida thing must be a difficult transition.
That whole thinking-more-than-15-minutes-ahead thing is tricky for some people too!! Ha ha!
This morning I thought of some other nice things about riding in the winter:
1) The crisp crackle of ice as I ride over it.
2) It is far less likely I'm going to get yelled at or have something thrown at me from a passing car -- since who wants to roll down the window just to do that?
I love the spirit of solidarity I feel when I see other cold-weather cyclists! I also love the idea of the winter bike to work day.
i was in indiana county this morning 10 degrees outside i wimped out and ran 2 miles instead of my usual 10 mile bike ride it was just to cold
"Wimped out" and "ran two miles in 10 degree weather" are mutually exclusive terms, IMO.
its supposed to be around 20 degrees tommorow morning that should be warm enough to ride the bike
Ooooops.
- While riding home the other night with a light layer of snow, I realized I was moving much faster than the traffic on 376.
- I was pleasantly surprised to see Panther Hollow and the Jail trail clear of snow the morning after it fell. Don't get that sort of surprise in nice weather.
- After picking up a big piece of green glass new years day, I wonder if that would have happened if my tires were lifted off the pavement by snow?
2 words: Hot Chocolate
That was my stage name
@ Joeframbach add a dash of salt to your water. It lowers the freezing temperature and helps with your hydration.
I had a bottle on my bike yesterday with about 1/2 gram of salt in half a liter - roughly the salt concentration of gatorade.
It froze on top while I was in an hour-long meeting. I'll have to try the "bottle up-side-down" trick.
Wait, is your current stage name Grease Foot?
Hot Chocolate, hmm? Every 1s a winner, you sexy thing.
The bike racks in front of the library are not overflowing. Nice for me!
After this week, it felt warm riding home in 37F temps tonight... wearing shorts.
Today is gonna be soooo warm. 51 degrees!
Today will be perfect conditions for melting snow water to run onto still-freezing roads and form those black ice patches, ride extremely carefully! Also take into account the effect of bright sun on poorly cleaned windshields, make mental not of when you are riding into the sun. Traffic is heavy today for some inexplicable reason, and assume people will be driving like loons because it is "nice". Just some thoughts from someone who has survived a while.
I came in a little late, and found conditions to be really good for cycling. My only complaint was the glare off the river as I passed the stadia on the Chateau Trail.
@erok, Greasefoot is a name some broad gave me a few years ago after I left some footprints on the carpeting in her house. I guess my Timberlands had some transmission fluid on the soles. I don’t recall the details but the conversation went something like…WTF I just paid $2000 for this new carpet…blah blah blah…bunch of dumb words…blah blah blah…Greasfoot blah blah…Anyway I remember she called me Greasfoot and I though hum, that might be a cool band name. Then I finished my drink and got the hell out.
My ride in today at 40+ degrees and sunshine was so sweet that I'm grinning at my desk.
Thought I'd revive this thread for a moment with two new things I've discovered:
1. Just, uh, theoretically... I mean, "my friend" might have done this last week...:
When you are an idiot and decide to go way too fast down the hill through Frick Park on Forbes when it's just rained, and then you throw yourself at the asphalt at like 25mph or something just past the intersection at Forbes and Braddock, you don't get hurt nearly as badly in winter clothes as you would have if you'd been wearing shorts. You may still have some pretty interesting scrapes and some positively enormous technicolor bruises, but they'd be a lot worse had you not been wearing two pairs of tights. You know, theoretically.
2. Studded tires are heavy and make me even slower than I already am, but that means that when I put my normal tires back on this week, I was suddenly significantly stronger and faster than I had been previously, since I had been compensating for the big increase in rolling resistance from my studded tires for the past few weeks. This was fun to discover.
ouch. I hope "your friend" heals quickly, that sucks.
one more benefit to riding in the winter - when it's 50 degrees out and beautiful, you don't have an hour of maintenance and cleaning to do to get on your bike, since you've got your act together already. Otherwise, by the time you've unearthed your ride and made sure it's safe to ride, it's dark and time for bed
yeah, this thread doesn't seem very relevant this year, does it?
I am starting to get used to this "winterless but dark" season. Please don't tempt the fates HV......
In a normal year, my snowdrops and early crocus would be blooming by the end of February. This year they will either not bloom for lack of cold enough temps, or bloom really early. In either case, once I see snowdrops on the front lawn, the trigger flips and I am ready for spring.
(And for the record, I grew up in Wisconsin and LIKE the winter.)
When it snowed last (was that just two weeks ago?) I remembered a few more for this thread-
- You don't need a light going up through Panther Hollow because of ambient light reflection off the snow and cloud cover.
- You get a sense of how many other cyclists recently passed the same way by tire tracks, giving a higher sense of the community of cyclists.
- Snowflakes coming down are pretty and they block lots of sound, making the ride even more pleasant.
helen - YES - love the light pollution reflecting off the snow. it's one of my favorite things about winter. Normally light pollution irks me, but for some reason when the world before me glows at 10PM, it makes me smile. also with you on the sound-deadening effect, when the loudest thing is your breath and heart beating in your ears. that's so neat.
hands down my favorite sound ever is the squeak of fresh snow under a shoe though. Wish I got similar under a bike tire, but I haven't heard it yet if it happens.
Depends on the snow. When I rode the length of my driveway for that Wheelset of Fortune pic a week or so ago, the snow definitely squeaked. I think it has to be fresh, light, deep, and un-ridden-in.
There's something about a long ride on a cold, cold day - when it ends, and you go inside to wherever, and it's warm. As you warm up from the cold, and reach a sort of temperature equilibrium, you just kind of feel refreshed, but like, ultra-refreshed. Especially when you start drinking that wind-chilled water.
I'm pretty sure that winter is hyper-romanticized in my mind. Haha. Or maybe I just need more instances that I just described above.
I am starting to get used to this "winterless but dark" season. Please don't tempt the fates HV......
the thing is, i'm from buffalo, and snow and i get along just fine. it's actually the darkness that bugs me. it really messes with my mood (and apparently my ability to sleep regular hours).
still, though, i'm not really going to complain about winter not being wintry enough. at least until the coasts start to flood from the raised ocean level...
you can always put more clothes on, you can only take so much off.
Last night I was at my buddy’s house to play some cards and was listening to a friend of his complain about how bad traffic was because of the snow, and how intense his elliptical workout was that day. Seriously? He’s trying to stay in shape for softball season. I guess he picked up on my quizzical look when my friend said, “he biked here tonight.” There was no more talk of the weather or workouts the rest of the night.
Last night my friend asked, you still bike, when it is this cold? I kicked my helmet, and reminded him that that was how I'd gotten there.
I will admit to having trouble on the trails sometimes when they are so covered in snow. I don't mind it on the roads as much, the car tire tracks are predictabler, the snow/ice is all pocked from runners, and I feel rather unstable. I also just haven't done much of it, due to the light snow load we've had this year... I was prepared to grow accustomed to the snow this year. Mostly I've just gotten wet.
This weekend, I had a lot on my agenda, so I had scoot around town a bit.
Winter is hard.
I found myself using extreme measures and techniques. I was overdressed and underdressed within minutes of one another.
I should avoid going down Bates to 2nd when conditions are as they were Saturday morning.
That is all.
winter?
Hopefully the weather we had over the weekend is the most winter we'll have this season--I would be fine with no more below-freezing temps.
An oft-overlooked nugget of info about Groundhog Day is that it is the mid-winter point. We are now closer to the equinox than solstice. Our chances of sub-zero weather dwindle with each passing day. Of course, we can see snow into April (we had snow on April 30 one recent year), but we have gotten amazingly far without really serious cold or snow.
i'd rather have sub zero weather and frozen trails in the woods than warm rides on the street and mud pits...
Annual excuse to grow an unkempt beard. Hasn't been gathering much ice this season tho.
who needs an excuse?
Studded tires are heavy and make me even slower than I already am, but that means that when I put my normal tires back on this week, I was suddenly significantly stronger and faster than I had been previously, since I had been compensating for the big increase in rolling resistance from my studded tires for the past few weeks. This was fun to discover.
I may not be stronger or faster, but with less rolling resistance, it certainly feels a lot faster. I've been alternating knobby tires and slicks for the past weeks and the difference is notable!
I'm surprised that someone would take their studded tires off now, with more than a third of winter still to come. Does that mean you didn't like them?
Mick sez...
I'm surprised that someone would take their studded tires off now, with more than a third of winter still to come. Does that mean you didn't like them?
Not directed at me, but I'm answering anyway...
I have a separate wheelset for my studded tires, which makes switching to and from pretty easy. When it's not winter, the studded wheelset gets cross tires in case I feel like taking the commuter on some dirt rides.
I think I've used my studded tires two days so far this year.
studded tires stay on the mountain bike for me, which doubles as the winter bike.
all the days where studded tires were a must for me so far this year were on the weekend. I've ridden it to work a dozen times but more as a preventative measure based on the forecast or just for a change.
I take my studded tires off the first chance I get. Hate 'em. So the 15-30 minutes it takes to switch them out is totally worth it. And this winter, this has been a safe bet.
Last winter I kept my studded tires on all winter. When it snowed it was great but when the temps would go up for a few days it was frustrating how slow my commute was. This year I am doing the same thing as jonawebb only using them as needed.
hmmm, my perspective is to enjoy the ride and appreciate the marginally more strenuous workout the studded tires provide. 
@Mick: I did take my studs off a couple of weeks ago, but not because I was unhappy with them. I have been very pleased with my studded tires when there has been frozen stuff on the ground, but I don't love the loud crunchy sounds, and I'm already slow enough without the extra weight + rolling resistance. I don't mind changing tires, so when I saw that we'd have at least a week of sunny weather reaching into the 40s, I went ahead and put the normal tires back on for a while.
The wreck I got in last week will unfortunately keep me off my bike until it gets warm again anyway, so I guess the few minutes to put the normal tires back on wasn't a waste, since I won't be needing to put the studs back on this year 
(Along those lines: anybody know any magic tricks to heal a collarbone, like, by tomorrow? Non-bike forms of transportation are no fun. I'm already bored of this bus riding thing.)
Why not two sets of wheels? 30 second swap before leaving the house if it's below freezing.
In my case, my graduate-student-sized budget is what stands between between me and a spare set of wheels, but eventually my plan is to do that - or better yet, to have a second bike set up for winter. But yeah, that makes perfect sense.
Clavicle fractures take as long as other fractures to heal. Sorry. At least most clavicles don't need surgical intervention, I know that. I think cburch continued to ride to work after he fractured his clavicle or hand or maybe both. I don't recommend it though.
broken collar bone ahhhch! i broke mine last may and had to wear a sling til july. really sucked ass. i think i was back on the bike by mid-august though. but on a positive note, since it's been healed up it really hasn't bothered me much at all, i haven't even thought about it since last summer.
how long did yours take to heal? may-july: like 8 weeks i guess? they could not have been more vague with me about the recovery time. i had a nice, clean, simple fracture, so that should help, but i still have no real sense of how long i'm stuck with this stupid sling. it does indeed suck ass, but i'm glad to hear that it probably won't bother me long-term.
also, @stefb, if he did indeed ride to work with a broken collarbone, that is just badass.
my favorite thing is biking uphill in the driving snow, and not feeling as slow as I usually do. getting regular errands done feels like more of an accomplishment (sub-zero comic book store visit. so fun) also i really like wearing the bike ninja outfit. i wish i could get away with wearing a balaclava year-round (i feel like it kinda filters car exhaust) without looking like a crazy person.
@pearmask:
my situation was very similar to yours, nice(?), clean fracture and very vague diagnosis. if your recovery time is anything like mine (i'm a 40 yr. old man in reasonably good health) i'd say 8 weeks or so sounds about right. as soon as you are comfortable enough to do so, take the sling off a few times a day to force the muscles in your shoulder to support some of your arm's weight, otherwise they will atrophy and will require physical therapy in order to heal properly. i am not a doctor, nor do i play one on t.v. but that's what i did and i never had to have any p.t.. good luck with the healing proccess, it is long and boring, especially if you're used to being active.
and back on topic, the best thing about riding in the winter is this year there is no winter!
i agree with that. i was riding without gloves for a good part of my ride this morning and i felt like i was overdressed with the choice of coat.
Lycra shorts, tee-shirt, gloveless, towing the trail-a-bike at North Park today. In February.
The time-temp nubmer (412-391-9500) said it was 28 degree this morning, so I dressed fairly haeavily. Weather.com says 1 degree warmer.
I must be use dto the winter because I felt way overdressed (Same temperature in november would have left me shivering, methinks)
I love how fast I get used to the temperatures, first time it gets down to 40 it feels terrible (and below freezing, too), but when it gets back up to even the mid 30s feel fantastic, thin long sleeve shirt is plenty, and often gets sleeves rolled up. The scatteredness of this winter has made this less profound, but still neat. (I remember a couple years ago napping in the sun in a skirt on a 40 degree afternoon with piles of snow still all over the place)
ok, I know this is the opposite of the point of this thread, but does anybody else feel like in the summer, a head-cold or other non-threatening illness you can roll through, but with the cold wind, biking through sickness in winter just feels like suicide?
Maybe my memories of summer breezes and sweating and snotting in a mercilessly cleansing way are tinged with rosy glasses. Or I'm just a wuss. I miss being healthy
This "winter" has been the exact temperature I hate to bike in the most. I prefer <30 or >50. The middle there... I spend it like a previous poster said, overdressed and underdressed at the same time. Even 30 and 50 are too warm and cold respectively. I've missed biking during transitional seasons too much to be used to it.
I have ridden with a fractured hand and/or wrist more than once. Commuting, and in the woods. When I shattered the outside half of my left clavicle I stayed off the bike for four days and then Stef pushed me out the door because I was so miserable to be around. I waited about a month before I was back in the woods. Today was one of the nicest days on a bike in a long time. Even with the sciatica.
holy crap, cburch, how did you do that? i would love to have been on my bike today - i'm similarly miserable to be around right now since i'm so used to being active - but i cannot imagine how i would possibly ride it right now. did you ride one-handed, or do you just have epic pain tolerance that allowed you to ignore whatever lovely sensations occurred if you used the fractured side, or what?
(sorry for the off-topic-ness)
he has epic pain tolerance.. and i believe he rode with one hand. he has had too many injuries for me to remember how he dealt with each one. i will let him answer that.
yeah, I'm just being a wuss.
best. tailwind. ever.
pretty sure I was coasting up Liberty ave on the commute home this evening.
worst. headwind. ever.
sidewind was so-so.
Dodging rush hour traffic on Grant St this evening, there was strong push from lots of different directions, very unpredictable, changing every couple of seconds. I think if I'd tried biking all the way home, I would have had some serious trouble, either from being blown off the road or from a car being blown into me. The driver of the 40-foot bus I was on said that at times he was blown three feet off course.
Winter biking in Los Angeles is just terrible!
.
How many fire extinguishers does that place need?
Food looks great though!
Mmm. Need. Tamales. Now.
$1 each.
Did you rent a bike out there? That looks like a nice ride!
Yes - the bike got lots of compliments but really it was just an okay ride with mediocre components (especially the saddle - eh). But, a great way to get around the downtown area. Navigating traffic was interesting....the downtown intersections are hairy...with double turn lanes. Sometimes it seemed best to "take the lane" to go straight through an intersection, even if it was toward the middle of 4 lanes! Most cyclists seemed to either do that or take the wide sidewalks. I was staying near this gem of an intersection: http://g.co/maps/yc2m9
[edit to add] bike was a virtue slope 6
I realize it's nothing like winter outside, but with the leaves down I saw this pastoral appalachian view on the way in this morning. Except this view is by Noblestown Road, 3 miles from the Point, amazing;
Saw 2 other commuters on Noblestown Road this morning, anybody here?
Me! But I think I was probably earlier than you since the sun is just barely up when I leave. That means there were at least 4 bike commuters on Noblestown today. Not bad at all!
dammit, i decided i was going to pretend it wasn't cold today so i consciously refused to put on my gloves. i "won" but it was not pleasant, so i'm not sure that's really a "win".
it is definitely chilly out there. it was gustily flurrying downtown earlier
I have a rain gauge in the yard. To empty yesterday's rain, I first had to thaw all the ice in it, so I knew it was chilly. But it wasn't two-layers-of-gloves chilly.
Best thing about winter... having hot radiators to dry all my cycling gear on after getting caught in a downpour.
@benzo it has been so warm this winter our radiators are rarely hot, generally only in the morning when the thermostat kicks it up 5 degrees.
dammit, i decided i was going to pretend it wasn't cold today so i consciously refused to put on my gloves. i "won" but it was not pleasant, so i'm not sure that's really a "win".
I did this today two, but with my pant legs. shouldn't have rolled both of them up.
My general rule is that if it's under 50 degrees, I wear gloves, even if I take them off after I'm done going downhill.
I keep glove-liners in my pack even in the summer. On a bike, if it's 50 and raining I want gloves.
@edmonds, you may have seen me commuting on noblestown a couple of days ago. it's my daily route to work.
Cool.
Oh my god I am so not responding well to this time change. I feel like I am going to fall asleep right where I sit. Uuuuuuuuu.
