Living Car Free - How cold is it? A winter bike commute journal

Ok - didn't get much feedback on the commuter forum, so I try it here. Hope nobody minds... :)



Calling it a 'journal' might be overstating it. I was inspired by somebody on a bike winter website who essentially made the case that biking in winter isn't all that bad, there isn't that much snow, meaning you won't have constant snow fall from Dec 1 - through March 1, the streets are usually pretty clean, and it's not always subfreezing either. So I decided to keep track of the weather and road conditions starting Dec 1 until mid March on my particular route.

This is for Chicago, however my commute is of course different than others in the city. How much snow/ice is on road very much depends on what route you choose even within one and the same city. In general, I chose small residential roads over larger roads, meaning I encountered more snow than probably others did who chose different streets..

'1' in the columns means yes, '0' means no. If it was at any point (while riding my bike) under 32 I marked it '1'/yes. Obviously because I left in morning, I usually rode my bike during some of the coldest hours of the day. Frequently the morning was under 32, the afternoons were above 32.

The ICE column indicates if roads had slush/snow/ice. If there was at least a larger patch of snow or ice on my way which I couldn't ride around than I checked the ICE column. This was at times a judgment call, but usually it was pretty straight forward.

We had above average snow. Especially February was very snowy. March was warmer than usual, with little snow (so far).

The 'winter conditions' column is an OR connection between under 32 and ICE, not sure how helpful that is.

I hope this is interesting, however, in hindsight I would have done things a little different, probably would have added another temperature column for let's say 'under 10'.

What do you do when you don't commute by bike - drive, take transit, telecommute? I find its always colder waiting for transit than biking, and waiting for a car to warm up on a really cold day really sucks too.

Exactly what I used to tell my "driving" co-workers this winter. I usually drive, when I don't commute by bike - but the days I drove it usually wasn't for the weather but usually some other reason, like having to pick-up kids etc.

Good that you were able to commute by residential streets. We had such an awful winter here that you probably wouldn't make it on residential streets. Many were plowed on a regular basis and we got close to 6 feet of snow. My winter commute is on 4 lane aterial routes. I leave a little earlier to avoid the busiest traffic.

I'd recommend indicating on your temperature column what the actual temperature was. I seldom take the bike if the morning temperature is below 5F and just wondering what you do on super-cold days. Normally, we don't have many of those days. But this year there were quite a few. In fact, I think it only went above 32F for the afternoon commute for a few days in the early part of February. Other than that, it was deep freeze from Dec - March.

Well, the great white north has been anything but, in my neck of the woods.

The last appreciable snowfall was back in December's late AUTUMN.

Nothing since then - the poor winter beater (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/4188249315_afddd95d36_b.jpg) barely got the chance to get her studded tires stretched - and has already been relegated to trail duty for the season.

For 7 years I didn't ride to work on only 2 days--and I walked on those days due to heavy falling snow that screwed up the visibility. The only times I was uncomfortably cold was during the first season, when I was just learning the ins and outs of winter riding. I also fell on ice twice in the first winter, but never after that (unless I was goofing around). God bless the learning curve!

What I find, as far as "cold" is that the car commuters have it a lot worse.

First, they have to shiver and scrape. (and sometimes shovel!)
Then they have to shiver and try and get the car started... and once they've finally abused that poor starter enough to get those cold pistons crankin', they have to shiver and wait for the car to warm up.

By that time, I'm stripping off layers, and half way to work.

Good that you were able to commute by residential streets. Yes, indeed. I do remember a few times I was so lucky because hardly any streets were plowed, except the two streets I had to take. But a few days later pretty much everything was free again.

I seldom take the bike if the morning temperature is below 5F and just wondering what you do on super-cold days.
Yeah, don't think it was much colder than that here... 5F was probably the coldest here.

Nothing since then - the poor winter beater (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/4188249315_afddd95d36_b.jpg) barely got the chance to get her studded tires stretched - and has already been relegated to trail duty for the season.
Wow!!! Where is that, looks really remote and northern :-)

The only times I was uncomfortably cold was during the first season, when I was just learning the ins and outs of winter riding I frequently overdressed, especially on very cold days ending up having to open a jacket during mid-ride etc.


First, they have to shiver and scrape. (and sometimes shovel!) Always enjoyed pedalling past those poor suckers scraping and shufffling. Even tried to do this with my wife, but she just called me back and I had to help shuffling... hahaha!

Ok - didn't get much feedback on the commuter forum, so I try it here.

I guess I'm wondering what sort of feedback you want.

Posting in Commuting, LCF, or the Winter Cycling forums is likely to get only yawns or a, "Yeah, so?" response, since for us--or at least for me--it's perfectly normal.

There was nothing really remarkable about our winter here, except maybe that it seems to have ended a bit early. Our winter is pretty much like yours or that in every other Great Lakes city, only cloudier and we get lake-effect from two lakes.

I guess I'm wondering what sort of feedback you want.

True, probably was the wrong audience... no need to preach to the choir, right.

I enjoyed reading about the OP's experiences and I don't think he/she is preaching to the choir. I'm always reading on this forum things like, "I can't wait until it's warm enough to ride again." Usually written by somebody who lives in California or Georgia! :D

True, probably was the wrong audience... no need to preach to the choir, right.

You expressed disappointment in not getting feedback, but still haven't said what sort of feedback you'd like.

I'm happy to give feedback, if I know what you want. Just throwing some ones and zeros out there doesn't tell me what you want.

Under 32 is still not what I would consider cold, but the data is interesting. I should do something along those lines. Typical morning commute temps range from twenty below at the low end to twenty five above or so. After serious blizzards I hoof it rather than trying to navigate the bike.

Wow!!! Where is that, looks really remote and northern :-)


Hehehe.... not remote at all, actually.
That's right in town - that beach will be HOPPING in about 10 weeks.