Originally Posted by jeff-o
Have you ever been to Canada? In 15 minutes riding at 25km/h in -20 C weather, my eyes freeze open without the proper goggles. But you're right, with adequate protection I CAN ride in pretty much any weather conditions. I just have to figure out where I can park my bike in the winter...
I've been to Canada lots, every province except Labrador, summer and winter. the latitude of your town is less than 50 miles north of the latitude of my town in Michigan. I wonder if -20 temperatures are unusual, and your winter temps are more typically just a few degrees below zero?
Why would you need to park your bike anywhere different in the winter? Bikes are designed to work outdoors in all conditions. When i come out of work in the winter, sometimes my bike is totally covered in 4 or 5 inches of snow and ice. I just bounce it a couple times to shake the white stuff off, and clear the brakes, derailleurs and rims with my gloves. After that, I'm good to go. So far, I've had no major problems in 3 winters of every day commuting. The worst issue is the big snowbanks that make it hard to see traffic at corners. But that's an issue for motorists too, not just me.