Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Why would you bike commute in the winter?

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Why would you bike commute in the winter?

Old 01-29-14, 04:07 PM
  #1  
ride for a change
Thread Starter
 
modernjess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 2,221

Bikes: Surly Cross-check & Moonlander, Pivot Mach 429, Ted Wojcik Sof-Trac, Ridley Orion. Santa Cruz Stigmata

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Why would you bike commute in the winter?

I know why and I therefore I do. These days is seems so do a lot of others around here. Like this gal.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/01...ommute#gallery

Winter sucks but winter always returns so I'd rather be riding. Just thought I'd share.
modernjess is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 04:09 PM
  #2  
Custom User Title
 
RPK79's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SE MN
Posts: 11,239

Bikes: Fuji Roubaix Pro & Quintana Roo Kilo

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2863 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 31 Times in 14 Posts
If your last name is Velo do you really have a choice?
RPK79 is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 04:34 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: North Attleboro, MA
Posts: 260

Bikes: Surly Steamroller

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
It confuses me when people refer to bicycling as having "seasons". Some of us have winter commuter bikes, used only for that purpose. If you had a bike(s) that setup for a particular season(s), wouldn't that make that season bicycle season?

There are some winter days, when it's not too cold, there are no clouds in the sky, the suns shining brightly in a bright blue sky and the roads are clear and I'm making good times. Those are some of my favorite days of the year. There was a day a week or so ago that it was in the -8ish range, but met the rest of the conditions I posted, I thought to myself, "If it was about 10 degrees warmer, this would be a great day for a long ride.




Mostly, I like the sound of people screaming "idiot" at me as they pass me driving 55+mph on an untreated road in 2" of snow. Sign says, 55, I must drive at least 56. -sorry mini rant.
OneGoodLeg is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 04:37 PM
  #4  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
Because I live someplace near the Pacific Ocean, not MN
fietsbob is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 04:39 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Isaiahc72's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Northwest Arkansas
Posts: 291

Bikes: 2015 Kona Rove AL, 2016 Giant Escape 2, 1995 Giant attraction SS,

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Riding in the cold, rain, sleet, whatever. It builds character
Isaiahc72 is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 07:04 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
MEversbergII's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Lexington Park, Maryland
Posts: 1,262

Bikes: Current: Origami Crane 8, Trek 1200 Former: 2012 Schwinn Trailway

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 112 Post(s)
Liked 23 Times in 19 Posts
'Cuz.

Also, too awesome her last name is Velo.

M.
MEversbergII is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 07:12 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
NOS88's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Posts: 6,489
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 2 Posts
Because I can. Instead of buying cross-country skis or snowshoes, I put my money into a winter commuter. Why not?
__________________
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. - S. Wright
Favorite rides in the stable: Indy Fab CJ Ti - Colnago MXL - S-Works Roubaix - Habanero Team Issue - Jamis Eclipse carbon/831
NOS88 is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 07:30 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
Motolegs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Southern Colorado
Posts: 493

Bikes: General 80's MTB "Icebreaker", Motobecane Grand Jubilee (vintage mint), Trek 1.1, 2014 Motobecane Mirage (steel) Trek 3500 MTB

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 39 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
It's a mini adventure. A wake up call to the senses. I'll take it any day over a console mounted computer in a car. Riding a bike into work in the Winter, your senses are alive. It's a great feeling.
Motolegs is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 07:48 PM
  #9  
Shimano Certified
 
mtbikerinpa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: PA
Posts: 1,849

Bikes: 92 Giant Sedona ATX Custom

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
The last 2 jobs I had to commute by bike due to costs of fuel/car even though I had a couple cars, though after a while it became a badge of honor.
"You BIKED? Still?"
"Yup."
"Isn't it cold?"
"Wear a coat, ride harder..."

Now I stay outside all day for my current job(car lot tech) but I still use whatever excuse to ride errands instead of driving them. It makes the winter more natural than trying to hide from it.
mtbikerinpa is offline  
Old 01-29-14, 09:08 PM
  #10  
Dirt junkie.
 
SnowJob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 406

Bikes: Surly Ice Cream Truck, Peacock Groove road bikem, Salsa Fargo

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts
Wow, Jana is famous!

Alls I know is that if those pictures were of me I'd have snot all over my face.
SnowJob is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 01:23 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Buglady's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 2,383

Bikes: 2018 Ghost Square Trekking B2.8 e-bike; 2015 MEC Cote gravel/touring bike; 1985 Boyes-Rosser tourer, now outfitted as Winter Trundle-bike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Liked 22 Times in 16 Posts
I bike commute in winter because it's faster and warmer than the bus. Not quite as warm and almost as fast as driving (not that I have a car anyway), and not counting parking and scraping ice off the windshield and all that jazz.

I bike commute in winter because I'm usually in a better mood when I get to work. Sometimes I get to see things like a bunch of kids playing with a remote controlled toy snowmobile. I had no idea such a thing even existed! (Then I got distracted, misjudged some ice, and bit it, but luckily nobody saw me, as they were all looking at the toy!)

I bike commute in winter because I've got to do *something* halfway impressive and/or bad-ass to salve my ego and keep myself going when the demons pipe up about failure. Hey, demons, I rode my bike in a freaking snowstorm today, go away, I'm tougher than you! Seems to work so far.
Buglady is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 01:25 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Buglady's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 2,383

Bikes: 2018 Ghost Square Trekking B2.8 e-bike; 2015 MEC Cote gravel/touring bike; 1985 Boyes-Rosser tourer, now outfitted as Winter Trundle-bike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Liked 22 Times in 16 Posts
Re: the lady in the article - awesome! And one of those bikes is in my garage, wearing Ice Spiker tires, ready for my partner to trundle off to get groceries.
Buglady is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 02:22 AM
  #13  
Member
 
Doppiadi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Padova, Italy
Posts: 27
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
It's all about having the right equipment and realize there is really no reason why you shouldn't. After all if I do enjoy spending all day on ski slopes in freezy temperatures, I can definitely enjoy my biking, right?! What annoys me more than cold and snow (that's honestly rare here) it's heavy rain, and now we are having days and days of continuous rain..
Doppiadi is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 04:00 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
kookaburra1701's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 1,345

Bikes: 2014 Specialized Dolce Triple, 1987 Schwinn Tempo, 2012 Windsor Kensington 8

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by SnowJob
Wow, Jana is famous!

Alls I know is that if those pictures were of me I'd have snot all over my face.
My face would be tomato red. She's ridiculously photogenic for the conditions.
kookaburra1701 is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 07:23 AM
  #15  
rhm
multimodal commuter
 
rhm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,852

Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...

Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times in 339 Posts
I commute because I want to get to work. I commute in the winter because I want to get to work in the winter. I commute by bike because it's the best way to get to the station.

Just for the sake of argument... I don't have a car, but of course I could get one. I can afford it, and I'm a good driver (though not enthusiastic about it). Other than the cost of buying, maintaining and insuring a car, I'd be spending about $50 in gas per month. Parking a car at the train station would cost $102 per month. Parking a bike (in a locker) at the train station costs $7.50 per month. It doesn't make sense financially.

Driving a car to the station might save me a little time. A car definitely goes faster than a bike. But the car route to the station is quite a bit longer than the route the bike takes, and then there's a comparatively long walk from the parking garage to the train platform; all told, I imagine driving a car to the station would shorten my two hour commute by about five minutes. But it might not. It doesn't make sense by that logic either.

Aside from that, I don't want to drive a car. I want to ride my bike.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
rhm is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 07:42 AM
  #16  
Señior Member
 
ItsJustMe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 13,749

Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 446 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Why would I not? Riding is always more fun than driving, regardless of weather.

This year I did change my tune a bit - I have driven on days when there is fresh snowfall that has not been plowed on the back roads yet - this is because on two occasions early in the year I was thrown across the lane due to hitting ruts in the snow and I realized that if there had been a car there, I would have been hit. Not worth it.

I also decided to just drive on the few days a year when it's below zero F. I just wind up getting too cold in the toes, and though I have things I could do to fix that, on NORMAL years that only takes me out of the saddle for 3 or 4 days and it's just not worth fussing with.

This year of course is different - those two changes have meant that I haven't ridden for 2 weeks in a row now, 3 weeks total for the winter.
__________________
Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
ItsJustMe is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 10:03 AM
  #17  
working on my sandal tan
 
ThermionicScott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,625

Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)

Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3868 Post(s)
Liked 2,560 Times in 1,574 Posts
Great article, and she has an awesome attitude.
__________________
Originally Posted by chandltp
There's no such thing as too far.. just lack of time
Originally Posted by noglider
People in this forum are not typical.
RUSA #7498
ThermionicScott is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 11:03 AM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
Jim from Boston's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times in 171 Posts
Originally Posted by Buglady
..I bike commute in winter because I've got to do *something* halfway impressive and/or bad-ass to salve my ego and keep myself going when the demons pipe up about failure. Hey, demons, I rode my bike in a freaking snowstorm today, go away, I'm tougher than you! Seems to work so far.
See Veolminati:The Rules

Originally Posted by Velominati, Keepers of the Cog
Rule #9
If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Fair-weather riding is a luxury reserved for Sunday afternoons and wide boulevards. Those who ride in foul weather – be it cold, wet, or inordinately hot – are members of a special club of riders who, on the morning of a big ride, pull back the curtain to check the weather and, upon seeing rain falling from the skies, allow a wry smile to spread across their face. This is a rider who loves the work.
Jim from Boston is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 11:39 AM
  #19  
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,364 Times in 1,382 Posts
Originally Posted by rhm
Aside from that, I don't want to drive a car. I want to ride my bike.
This isn't really an aside. It's really the driving point, isn't it?
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 12:01 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
Jim from Boston's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times in 171 Posts
Why would you bike commute in the winter?

I only have the time and inclination to obtain my excercise on my daily bike commute since it fits so well into my day, and I enjoy cycling. More specifically for winter commuting:
  1. Maintain a base level of fitness over the winter
  2. Meet the challenges of winter cycling, in particular acquiring and/or innovating my winter equipment, and seeing how well it prepares me to take on further challenges
  3. Increase my tolerance for the cold weather
  4. Answer that perennial question, “You didn’t ride your bike today, did you?.”

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 01-30-14 at 01:03 PM.
Jim from Boston is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 01:40 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Thetford, Vermont
Posts: 92

Bikes: Surly Steamroller, Karate Monkey, Ogre

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I love getting asked, "Ride your bike today"?
Friends who would never ride themselves will always ask. You can see in their faces that they want me to say yes. It's almost as if a part of them is thinking, "If he can do it, maybe I could - or at least some of the time."
I feel like I'm letting them down if I can't say I did.

Jana is my hero. My commute is also 12 miles, and in a part of Vermont where it doesn't get quite as cold as Minneapolis, but I have only figured out how to stay warm enough down to about 15 degrees.
cogdriven is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 03:14 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
tjspiel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 8,101
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times in 12 Posts
Why I ride in the winter: The real truth.

Back in 2004 or so I was a periodic bike commuter but mostly took the bus. That year the new light rail line opened and all the bus routes were going to change. Though I was all for the introduction of light rail service, the downside for me is that there would no longer be a bus that took me directly downtown, it would take me to the train station instead.

So rather than wait for a bus, ride that to a station, and then wait for a train I decided just to ride my bike to the train station. This worked well and I enjoyed it. As the cold weather came that Fall I knew I'd have to figure out the new bus schedule but I kept putting it off.

Well, it's been almost 10 years and I still don't know which bus will take me to the station. In that time I figured out I could ride the entire distance by bike pretty easily and get there faster (at least for 3/4 of the year) than if I take the train.

So the reason I commute in the winter comes down to the fact that I was too lazy to look up a bus schedule.

Last edited by tjspiel; 01-30-14 at 03:40 PM.
tjspiel is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 09:02 PM
  #23  
CXT
Senior Member
 
CXT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Riding in the winter if my favorite time to commute. It sucks because the commute is longer due to the studded tires and extra weight of all the cold weather gear, but its ridiculously peaceful riding in the winter. The trails are completely empty. No runners. No walkers. No dogs. No people with headphones on that can't hear you screaming "On Your Left." With everything covered in snow, it's like biking through a post card scene after the zombie apocalypse.
CXT is offline  
Old 01-30-14, 11:11 PM
  #24  
vespertine member
 
wipekitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Land of Angora, Turkey
Posts: 2,476

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 687 Post(s)
Liked 220 Times in 163 Posts
Commuting in the winter (and generally, making an effort to be outdoors more) helps me avoid the seasonal affective disorder and cabin fever that others complain about. I like to exercise, but I hate gyms; I also dislike driving in the snow, scraping snow, and dealing with starting a car in cold temperatures. Learning to adapt to interesting weather conditions is fun, and I find a sense of accomplishment when I come up with a new solution that works.

I also enjoy walking into the office looking like I just returned from a trip to space.
wipekitty is offline  
Old 01-31-14, 05:30 AM
  #25  
Senior Member
 
Jim from Boston's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times in 171 Posts
Originally Posted by wipekitty
...I also enjoy walking into the office looking like I just returned from a trip to space.
+1; me too. I previously posted to this thread, “Does Commuting Make You “Happy”?

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
I would add “heroic’ to happy. When I’m carefully dressing in layers for my winter commute, making sure everything is in place and adjusted, I envision an astronaut preparing for a mission. When I arrive, all pumped up from the ride, and I walk down the hall swathed in my winter gear, helmet on my head, I think about the scene from the movie, “The Right Stuff.” where the astronauts stride down a corridor in their space suits to the Hallelujah Chorus.

See this movie trailer, at 2:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuR1p7UdI2Y
Jim from Boston is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.