From Reuters, 01.30.07:
CHICAGO, Jan 30 (Reuters Life!)--Four pairs of socks, and Jackson Potter's feet were still icy blocks.Brrrrr. Year round cyclists in Chicago have the respect of this California bike commuter.
Riding his bicycle to work one Chicago winter morning, high school teacher Potter was too cold to go on. He stopped at a laundromat and asked if the owner could spare any socks. "He gave me about 10 pairs. I put on four pairs, and my feet were still numb when I got to school," Potter said.
Such is winter in Chicago, dubbed the "Windy City"--but even subzero temperatures and harsh windy gusts are not enough to deter a growing group of bike riders who cycle year-round. (Read more.)
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site
5 comments:
I love this blog. I included it in my new post on commuting to work by bike:
6 Tips on Commuting to Work by Bike
Chicago would be really tough, living up among all that lake-effect snow and the winds off Lake Michigan.
Down here in Columbus it's pretty chilly too. Today I had a negative 3 wind-chill factor but was still pretty warm on the way to work. This is the time of year when the downhill jaunt on the way to work doesn't benefit you as as much - I don't get quite as warm as I do on my ride home. Of course, in the summer it'll mean not being as sweaty once I get to work.
I've been a bicycle commuter in Boston for many years but avoided riding in winter until this year. Turns out I'm loving it, albeit it has been a milder than average winter. Proper layering and the internal warmth created by pedaling keep me much warmer than sitting at a bus stop. And I get home sooner too!
Could it be that this guy simply had so many socks on that he cut off the circulation to his feet - particularly if he was wearing his shoes too tight?
Hey Paul! We met at SFCM's 10th birthday. I think that guy just forgot to wear shoes over all those socks. Layers really are key: close-in insulating layers under looser windproof shells will keep out almost any weather.
We've got a great winter resource site here:
http://bikewinter.org/tipsAndResources/ginstips.php
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