Biked the coldest morning of the season today...8F to start with extra layers and extra smugness to keep me warm.

I balked at yesterday's commute due to high winds. But this morning it was still, so the extra cold was no problem. I took the studded snowbike since I anticipated a fair amount of packed snow and ice on the side streets I take...and I was correct, although the roads became dry and clear after the halfway point to work.

I tried something new for my face. I usually am fine with just my thin balaclava, and as it gets colder I pull my Halo headband over my ears. But this morning I wore my thin summer neck gaiter as a 2nd balaclava layer. It worked better than wearing the shell hood as I have done in the past, both for warmth and for side vision. And when I say warmth...it was just enough to stay warm, and not enough to overheat.

Today was also the first ride in a couple of years where I double gloved. In the past I have tried big mittens over my winter gloves, or cheap cotton work gloves under my winter gloves, but the mittens make it hard to shift, and didn't seem to keep my hands warm, possibly because of tightness, which restricts blood flow, which is also the problem with the cotton glove underlayer. But this morning I wore my thin, synthetic dollar-store work gloves under my winter gloves and it was the best dual glove combination in 32 years of winter commuting. The work gloves have perforations to breath, and the winter gloves have just the right ratio of breathability to water repellence ratio.

So, high on the smugness of nailing the clothing, I then had to parade in front of my co-workers to get to my office. I work on the lower level of our building, but construction has blocked the rear lower-level door. So I came in the front door and walked my bike to the stairs. First, I took my commute bag off the bike and took it down so I didn't have that weight on my bike or back. Then I carried the bike down the stairs to the lower level. I really appreciated the much lighter snow bike replacement I bought just a couple months ago. Anyways, being a 60-something biker in an office of 20 and 30 something drivers already boosts my self-image. Biking in the cold and snow is another boost, and rolling the bike through the office...well that's even better.

Maybe this makes me a little immature, but at my age, a little immaturity is a good thing, especially if it keeps you biking.