Originally Posted by
Roody
It does take a little more physical effort to ride in winter conditions, due to winter tires, bulkier clothing, and the denser cold air. But the effort is worth it and anyway, it isn't nearly as hard as most people think it is. It always amuses me how most roadies (and even mountain bikers!) dread that horrible day in October when they "have to put the bike away." (If the search function worked, I bet you would get a million hits for that phrase here on BF.)
I'm not sure why it never occurs to them that they really don't "have to" put it away.
I cycled through Winnipeg and central Alberta winters for about a decade. Although it might not have been nearly as hard as most people think, all that winter cycling factored into my decision to move to Australia.
Cold hurts.
The "black-and-white photo" that is winter scenery (grey sky, white ground, grey trees) has moments of beauty, but gets pretty dismal.
6 or 7 or 8 months of ice and snow and cold is really miserable.
I survived all those winters by travelling to warmer places ... and making use of community centres with swimming pools, exercise equipment, and spinning classes. The one I went to in central Alberta surrounded the pool with tropical plants. From the vantage point of the treadmill, I could look down on lovely blue water surrounded by green for an hour or so.
I love the fact that winters now are so green!
I do, however, miss cross-country skiing.