Originally Posted by
Gresp15C
I know you're a regular commuter, so you probably don't need this advice, but I find that it helps a lot to ride steadily through the fall and into December, and get acclimated to the cold a few degrees at a time. Starting a winter cycling regimen in mid-January is pretty tough.
We've got snow on the ground in Madison, and might have more tonight! I've got my new winter bike all prepped and ready to go. Yahoo!
There are at least two elements of handing bad weather: preparation and acclimation. And preparation depends, to a degree, on acclimation. I'm bad at handling the kind of days which we only get five or ten of, and I notice the same is true of many people in places of various climates. In a sense, it's not worth the bother, since I don't encounter them often. I've ridden in 15ºF, but it's never been easy. One day, I wore enough clothes to stay warm enough, but I had to stop a lot to adjust things. I also took a lot of pictures on that ride, so I had to take clothes off to shoot and then put them back on. I rode in that very cold weather because it had been a long time since I was able to ride, and I was itching to ride. It wasn't a commute, it was a scenic ride in a state park. I did have fun, but it took effort.
But yes, I strongly agree, and that's why I'm trying to ride as much as possible while the weather gets more challenging. Today's forecast called for lots of rain, and I commuted to class anyway. I didn't get very wet. I thought since I might get wet, I would take Citi Bike instead of my own bike. I could switch to the subway whenever I want. I'm not sure I made the best choice, as Citi Bike is annoying to ride more than three miles, and my commute is five miles. But it's OK. At least I got to ride.
