Sunday, January 21, 2007

Cold-weather cycling in Washington

From the Herald in Everett, WA, 01.20.06:
On winter's dark, wet, sometimes snowy days--when most of us wince at the thought of getting out of bed--Philip Smith of Everett is putting on long underwear, a fleece jacket, a bright yellow waterproof coat and black rain pants.

Next come the bike shoes, socks, a helmet, a Velcro-attached visor, safety glasses, gloves and lights--lots and lots of lights.

"It wasn't so bad once I was geared up for the winter. I'm not after pain," Smith said. "It's just nice to be outside. You miss a lot from a car."

"There's this Thoreau-esque contact with the elements, with the air, with the wind blowing in your face, seeing the birds and wildlife, the 360-degree view," he said. (Read more.)
This favorable article also includes a helpful list of tips for cold-weather winter bicycling, something I'm not very experienced with, living in San Francisco. More suggestions for cold-weather cycling can be found at IceBike.org.

Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site

4 comments:

  1. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I commute by bicycle year-round. The weather here can get pretty dicey at times. In winter we get a lot of snow and a lot of rain (and temps can go anywhere from 5 degrees C down to -20). Initially I wasn't sure I'd want to ride through the winter, but I love it. As long as you dress for it, you're good. If anything I had to force myself to dress down, as I found I got too hot when I was bundled up. I'd recommend to anyone that they keep commuting all year.

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  2. I'm in Columbus, Ohio. We're not in the Ohio snow belt and we're far enough away from the Great Lakes that we don't have to worry about lake-effect snow. But we do get some occasionally. We got hit yesterday for the first time this year (and the first time since I started bike-commuting). It made clear to me that I'm going to need some good rain/wind pants and some fenders. But other than that, with polypro underwear, bike tights, a fleece, a t-shirt, and some so-so rain pants and a windbreaker, I was good to go. I love the looks of people as they stare at the "crazy biker."

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  3. I live in Kent Ohio and I bike commute everyday. The streets are clearer than the sidewalks so there's not much of a hassle. just gear appropriately and enjoy the ride. i do.

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  4. Anonymous4:29 PM

    hello all !
    just comingo ver from Belgium, i would like to keep on working on my body and would like to commute from Edgewater Md to Landover (east DC). anyone got suggestions for nice and SAFE route ?

    Greets,
    Johan

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