cold weather commute, how i miss you

Today's commute was a hot one. This morning when I left, at 5:30, it was already 73 degrees. It reminded me of a huge misconception about cycling, and especially bicycle commuting. A lot of people think that to ride a lot, and to consistently commute by bike, that you need to live somewhere warm. Now, while snow can have a big affect on limiting your ability to ride to work, the warm/cold argument can really be the opposite of what you'd think.

It doesn't snow very much here, and in most of the country, it doesn't snow that much, that often. Cold weather can actually make commuting much easier and more enjoyable. With proper riding gear, the cold weather really doesn't bother you at all. I don't have extreme cold riding gear, but I have the right clothes to ride down to about 35 degrees or so. With proper clothes, the cold barely bothers me at all (especially once you get about a mile in, and your body heats up your clothes a bit). The benefit of the cold is the fact that it significantly reduces your sweating and how hot you get. I shower when I get to work, but on days like today, you sometime want to break back into that workout sweat immediately after showering. During the winter, the shower is refreshing and the outdoor temperature feels good to bring by body temp back down from the ride. I never get the "re-sweats" during the winter. Also, for those without showers at work, the winter increases the riding distance that an employee can endure without needing to shower. For flat urban riding, the winter can make it the one time of year that riding to work without a shower is possible, or that riding in a suit (like on city bikes) doesn't make the rider get too hot.

It isn't simply by chance that the two iconic two-wheeled companies are both located in the cold weather state of Wisconsin (Trek and Harley Davidson). So don't be afraid of the cold and have some good winter riding.