Thursday, December 25, 2008

Winter Commute



The snow is gone and the Friday commute will be a fine day for bike riding.
Winter riding is not a big deal. It's.....It's.
Well, my friend Noah who rides his bike every day says it very nicely.



"Through experience alone, you figure out what works for you in the cold, so it's best to start venturing out for short periods of time or in "somewhat" cold climates, then expand your horizons as the weather gets colder, or start going out longer to determine where your weaknesses are.

Weaknesses can be in clothing:

* too hot
* too cold
* a drafty seam in your favorite winter jersey

Weaknesses can be mechanical:

* Drivetrain lubrication may be either too thick or doesn't protect from salt
* The ratchet in an old freehub might fail to grab in cold temps
* Your light's batteries might not last as long in the cold

Weaknesses can be mental, too. Those usually fade pretty quickly once you find out that you won't, in fact, die."


Personally, I think the only thing keeping people off their bikes in the winter is apprehension. Those who try it once usually keep riding.

5 comments:

  1. The snow sure got out of here fast.
    Wish I could commute by bike...unfortunately, a daily ride in/out of Boston is kind of hard.

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  2. I think you are right. Although, my winter rule for biking is this: If there is a lot of ice on the roads I'm probably not going to ride.
    It's actually very fun and though you don't get lots of speed out of it - it's a mental break - a way to just think...or listen :)

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  3. I should notify my pal about it.

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