Top 100 Reasons To Ride In The Winter

[Portis]

(counting down 100-1)

100. You don't have to put icecubes in your water bottle.

[markm109]

99. Snow flakes flying past you makes you feel like you're going warp speed.

[operator]

98 The atmosphere of a lightly snow coated trail!

[SirSpinsalot]

97- You work harder and get a better workout in order to keep body temps up.

96- You think less about leg pain and more about the ice mustache you are sporting.

95- Numb nuts is superceded by Numb hands,feet,nose, lips, and ears.

[temp1]

94- When the temperature drops below 50 F and daylight savings kicks in the absence of rollerbladers, dog walkers, and casual cyclists combined with a drop in auto traffic makes it feel like local roads, trails, and paths have been turned back over to their rightful owner: me, the hard ass.

93- Longer periods of darkness let me spend more time blinking like an alien on my bike.

[Jawbone]

92 - you don't have to worry about bugs flying in your mouth as you ride.

[caloso]

91--Excuse to stop shaving.

[Portis]

90. Give the Public a break from staring at your pasty white bird legs. :p

[Gojohnnygo.]

89. I don't have to warm up the engine. It's all ready warm! :p

[markm109]

88. It hurts less falling in the snow. (And there are fewer people around to see you)

[Michel Gagnon]

87. You don't sweat... unless you dress too much, that is.

86. There's too much snow/ice on the road to use the car.

85. Car traffic is stalled.

[ChezJfrey]

94- When the temperature drops below 50 F and daylight savings kicks in the absence of rollerbladers, dog walkers, and casual cyclists combined with a drop in auto traffic makes it feel like local roads, trails, and paths have been turned back over to their rightful owner: me, the hard ass.

Rightful owner -- excellent! Which leads to #84...

84. Chicks dig a hard ass.

[bg4533]

83. The looks and comments from all the slightly more sane people out there.

[rattking]

82. plenty of parking spots

[Zin]

81. Getting to look like the nija cyclist when sporting your black belaclava!
(you southern guys may not understand this one. :p )

[HereNT]

80. Looks of awe and wonder on coworkers faces when you walk in the door on time in a blizzard.
79. Most bike thieves take the winter off.
78. Not having to carry your bike up the stairs, since you can lock it up outside because of #79.
77. Getting to see what you'll look like when you get old and crotchety when the beard you grew because of #91 gets filled with ice and you ride by a car window or something that looks like a mirror.
78. You get to build a new bike.
77. More layers = less pain when you wreck.
76. Seeing other bikers on the road, confirming that you are not, in fact crazy.
75. Seeing all those cars getting towed because they forgot to park somewhere else on the day their street was getting plowed.
74. Drafting a snow plow and having the freshest pavement around.
73. Laying the first set of tracks in fresh snow.
72. Having your boss tell you "You are insane" and not losing your job because of it.

I could probably come up with more, but I'd better limit it and leave some room for everyone else...

[Juha]

71. You have a good reason to go to the LBS to get "more stuff". (As if you needed any more good reasons)

[royalflash]

70. don't need to cool off when you get to work
69. don't stink the office out as well
68. no queue at the LBS when you stop off to get a spare part on the way (in fact it is as quiet as the grave)
67. feeling like a really elite-hardcore cyclist when the fairweather wimps are huddling in their cars/train
66. pretending to be a "Desert storm" veteran with goggles, helmet and balaclava
65. laughing at the guys still stood on the platform waiting for the train which is an hour late due to the signals being frozen (happens every year but still catches the train guys by surprise)
64. less chance of a head-on crash with morons cycling the wrong way down the bike path

[Chris L]

63. You're less likely to be sunburned (although it can still happen)
62. You're less likely to die of heat exhaustion (although it can still happen)

[khackney]

(61) The worried look on your riding buddy's faces when they find out your "still" riding 4-5 days a week. :D

[Bruco]

60. After Winter comes Spring (classics).

[caloso]

59. Eating as much pie as you want during the holidays.

[markm109]

58. You get to laugh at people in thier cars stuck in the snow as you ride past.

[KrisA]

#57 Arriving at work on a -30C morning warm, while all of your auto drivin coworkers are frozen.
#56 Saving roughly $3000 over the winter vs those who own and drive a car to work
#55 Starting next years racing season in tip top shape with excellent technical skills due to the challenge of keeping your bike's shiny side up all winter

[naisme]

54. The satisfaction at the end of the day, when you hang the bike up pull off the icicles hanging from your beard, and have a hearty after ride meal, cozying up with the Beastie Boys, or some Crystal Method.
53. Turning down a ride on a pristine night, with a full moon. "But, it's colder than **** out." "I know, I want to ride."

[temp1]

52. It makes you feel like an Earthling that is perfectally equiped to survive in the difficult environment that is winter as opposed to those aliens forced to experience (or endure) winter vicariously in their climate controlled pods, and you know they will never really understand the contentment and strength derived from functioning first hand in the harsh yet beautiful and majestic winter.

[Swiss Hoser]

51. It somehow justifies keeping your legs shaved all year round.

[colinm]

50. Justifies that third Singlespeed - The Rusty Scupper
49. Provides use for all the hacked parts you never knew what to do with...

[coney]

48. You ride faster than your breath.
47. People are in awe that you ride when it's 20 degrees outside, making you look tough as nails.

[timmhaan]

46. there is nothing on tv
45. you don't own a car so you have to.

[Jonathon]

44. waiting for spring sucks

[Michel Gagnon]

43. You don't want to wear out the car prematurely.

42. It's too cold to drive. (Actually, for Winter trips shorter than 25-30 km, I tend to get cold if I have to sit in a car.)

[Urbanmonk]

41. You have to chip your *#@ off the seat. People just shake their heads.

[KevinmH9]

40. Be a tough man or woman and wear your tight shorts and jerseys and laugh at those people walking down the streets with their heavy winter coats, while you are warm as you pedal away.

39. Your insurance doesn't go up if you crash your bike on a icy road.

[naisme]

38. The cold finally gets to you, and it is just what crazy folks do in the middle of winter.

37. You justify it with the excuse you're doing for the advancement of sience, by field testing Nashbar's winter catalog, even though Nashbar never contacted you.

[HereNT]

Just thought of two more :

36. Lakes aren't just for riding around any more, now you can ride on them too! (probably make practicing skidding a lot more fun, too)
35. Just because I can :p

[Vision-]

34. Justifies your right to laugh loudly and obnoxiously in the face of anybody who complains about "freezing while scraping the ice off their car windows".

[sm266]

33.Because the first moments of "lung burn" makes you feel alive.
32. Because it only snows here once a year.

[KevinmH9]

31. No worries about punk kids putting water in your gas tank and then freezing. :p

[jfz]

32. Justifies your studed tire purchase.

[Mr. Jim]

52. giving the "good bike" a break while you ride the winter beater.
51. Getting to listen to your triathlon/road buddies complain about how boring riding the trainer is all winter.
50. Get to stop shaving legs, snow doesn't give road rash.
49. Getting to roll my bike tires across the bosses car and then walk into work asking "who's lexus was that?"
48. Not having to scrape your windows before you can drive home. (I can't believe no one else thought of this one)

[Mr. Jim]

Boy did we ever mess the numbers up replying at the same time

[bg4533]

Boy did we ever mess the numbers up replying at the same time

Replying at the same time? Not unless you wrote that post yesterday afternoon. You can still go back and edit your post to fix the numbers.

[coney]

24. Because I love when I can feel my nose hairs crystalize! Aaaaahhhhh!

[KevinmH9]

23. More than likely dogs will be inside, and you won't be chased.

[Zin]

22. The silence of a sub-freezing morning when the only sound to be heard is your breathing and tires on the snow pack.

[KevinmH9]

21. Go out really early christmas morning put bells on your bike and kids will think its santa.

[Chris L]

20. You are guaranteed to encounter less road rage.


There's actually some truth in that one. For all the talk I hear of people supposedly liking hot weather, I can't say I've ever met anyone who actually does.

[Mr. Jim]

Replying at the same time? Not unless you wrote that post yesterday afternoon. You can still go back and edit your post to fix the numbers.

My bad, I must have missed a page when I started my reply.

[KevinmH9]

19. Cars are four seasons, so why not bikes?! :D