Baby, it's cold outside.
"Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia." ~H.G. Wells
"What's wrong Mom? Don't you think I know how to suck it up and deal?" ~Max Overshiner, Age 9.
It's December 16th, 2007. We are well into another Missouri winter. As temperatures have been dropping, we have added coats, gloves, hats, etc. to keep warm on our daily rides. Recently, I picked the kids up from school and we headed off to piano lessons. While we were riding, I noticed Max wasn't wearing his coat. It was about 35 degrees.
"Max, aren't you freezing?" I asked as we rode up the hill on Broadway.
Max looked over and replied "What's the matter Mom? Don't you think I know how to suck it up and deal?"
My jaw dropped and we both burst out laughing. I was stunned by his response and all it implied. As the mercury has dropped into the twenties and teens, this has become Max and Annarose's winter war cry.
"Are you sure you're warm enough? Are your fingers warm? Are you toes/cheeks/ears too cold?" I ask.
"It's OK, Mom. I'll just suck it up and deal." or "Don't we look like we know how to suck it up and deal?" followed by joyous laughter.
"Who are these children? Where did they come from? What have I done to them?" I ask myself.
About ten days ago, we had our first snow of the season. Two days later, we had an ice storm that closed schools on Monday and Tuesday, left thousands without power, and left over twenty dead. Four days after that, we had more snow, about 6 inches this time.
The logical question is "Are we still riding?" The illogical answer is "You bet!"
On Thursday, I was out on my bike running errands when it started snowing. Then it started snowing harder. On the way downtown from Target, I stopped by the house to pick up some ski goggles, because the snow was pelting my eyes...painful. Goggled, I headed out for the first snowy ride of the season with loaded Burley cart in tow...what fun! At the corner of Clinkscales and Broadway, an elderly gentleman in an old pick up rolled down his window to tell me I was brave for riding in the snow. I smiled from ear to ear and hollered "Thanks" as I made my left turn on to Broadway.
At 3:30 the snow was still coming down and the roads were getting really slick. I almost wiped out as I made a left turn onto Locust on the way to pick up the kids at school. I was worried about riding home with them. We arrived at the bike rack along with Erika and Violet. Erika and I discussed getting the kids home safely on the bikes in the snow. We decided to take it slow and ride home together, safety in numbers. I gave the kids a quick briefing on snowy road conditions and safe winter riding. 1) Watch for cars, they can't stop as quickly in the snow. 2) Start braking early, you can't stop as quickly either. 3) Keep your bike in low gear, this will help overcome rear wheel slippage and keep you in control of your bike. 4) Take it slow and easy. We decided to walk our bikes through downtown.
As we started out, Max realized his rear tire was flat. Argh! Max rides a vintage Schwinn Hollywood cruiser from the early sixties. Fenders, racks, single speed, coaster brakes, no quick releases, changing the rear wheel is a real pain. It was snowing hard and getting dark quickly. We walked the bikes to Cyclextreme to have the tire changed. Thanks Mike! By 4:30, we were on our way. Still snowing, getting darker.
We walked down to Flat Branch Park and headed home on the trail. The ride wasn't that bad. While pedaling through the snow was harder than usual, the snow afforded good traction so it was easy to maintain control of the bikes. We didn't have any trouble with slipping until we were pretty far up Maupin. With our fair share of sliding, a few injury-free falls, and lots of laughter we all made it home safely. Erika and I discussed whether we would ride to school in the morning, we agreed to wait and see.
Friday morning, we were surprised and disappointed to learn that school had not been cancelled. Being unsure of the road conditions, I offered the kids three options for getting to school. One - Walk. Two - Take the city bus. Three - Try it on the bikes and see what happens. Of course, we could have just driven, but what fun would that be? Both kids immediately started jumping up and down yelling, "Walk! Walk! Walk! We can have a snowball fight! We can play in the snow on the way." They reasoned. We put on our snow gear. I put extra shoes and socks in a messenger bag. I made hot chocolate for the kids to drink on the way.
We set out at 8. I told the kids that since we were walking, we would just take Broadway which would be about a mile shorter than our regular bike route. The kids wouldn't hear of it.
"Broadway's boring and it smells like car exhaust." Argued Annarose.
"There will be more snow to play in on our regular route." Chimed in Max.
They didn't care that it was further to walk, fine with me. We tromped off through the snow on the way to school. On Maupin near Greenwood, we ran into Erika and Violet who we usually ride with each morning. We talked to them briefly, then they headed off on their bikes. The kids ran along chasing and pelting each other with snow balls. We made a few stops for sips of hot chocolate and to strip off extra layers of clothes. We made it to school about 5 minutes after the second bell. We were a bit tardy, but we had a really fun walk. Dr. Vandover, our principal, was very understanding, appreciating the importance of taking time to smell the roses, or eat the icicles, as the case may be.
So far, in all this snow and ice we have driven one day, it was the first day back to school after the big ice storm. I was worried about road and sidewalk conditions. I decided we would drive and scope out the roads for the next day. As we pulled out of the driveway, both kids said they felt guilty leaving their bikes at home. We talked briefly about going back to get the bikes. Not knowing the road conditions, I decided to go ahead and drive. The next day, we were back on the bikes.
Yes, we are still riding and have everyday, but one. We have ridden in very cold conditions, rain, snow, sleet, and ice. It really isn't that hard. Anyone can do it. It doesn't require any expensive equipment. You just need a little common sense, healthy dose of adventure, and a bit of planning.
Tips to help you ride all year through
1) It's all in how you look at it. Don't think of it as too cold, snowy, wet, whatever. I always think of it as an "arctic adventure", a chance to see what you can do, push your limits, see what your made of. Sometimes the only thing you can change is your attitude, you'd be amazed by what changing your perspective can do.
2) Dress for the for second mile. As you bike/walk along, you will generate body heat. If you are overdressed, you will be uncomfortably hot before you know it. The first few minutes of your ride/walk, you should be little cool. Don't worry, you will warm up soon enough.
3)Layers, layers, layers. You have probably heard this before. But it's true and bears repeating. Dress in layers, for maximum warmth and comfort. Layers allow you to easily customize your clothing as your body heats up and cools down with exertion. For cold weather riding, I usually wear long johns top and bottom; jeans and a shirt; a sweater, sweatshirt, or fleece; and a wind and water proof uninsulated shell/top-layer. This mix gets me comfortably through all but the most extreme (low-teens and below) cold conditions. I can unzip or take off outerlayers, if I get too hot or as weather conditions change through the day. On extreme cold days, I will top off my layers with an insulated coat and insulated (Carhart) cover-alls. I recently made the mistake of wearing my heavy coat and cover-alls one morning when it was 17 degrees, I was sweating before I was a mile from home. I had stop to unzip my coat and the top of my coveralls to cool down. I had shed the coat completely by the time I was downtown.
In winter, it is really easy to overdress, because that initial shock when you step out the door seems soooo cold. Resist the urge to overdress, and you will arrive at your destination at the end of your ride comfortable and happy. Years ago, I read in Outside magazine that you should "Dress for the second mile" when participating in winter sports, keeping in mind how warm you will be in the second mile will help prevent overdressing.
4)Head, neck, hands, and feet. Winter biking requires extra attention to your extreme extremities. Your head, neck, hands, and feet will get cold.
The best cold protection of your head is a balaclava. A thin, usually black, "hat" that covers your head, face and neck. This will keep your head, ears, face, and neck warm. You can fold it up when you don't need face protection. If the balaclava isn't for you, you need a warm hat that covers your ears and fits under your helmet and a neck gator or scarf.
When it is really cold, snowing, sleeting, or raining, eye protection is very important. I love ski goggles, they are fun to wear, don't fog up, and look totally goofy.
The biggest complaint we hear from bike brigade kids is cold fingers. Good mittens or gloves are extremely important. After years of winter riding and experimenting with many different types of gloves/mittens, my all time favorite is a pair of hunting mittens I absconded from Tim. They are made of blaze orange fleece offering great visibility when signaling. The insides have black glove liners. The index fingers and thumbs fold back making it easy to buckle helmets, manouver zippers, and handle bike tools, all without having to remove the mittens.
Make sure to keep your feet warm with warm shoes or boots and some extra socks. They make booties that go over your shoes, I have never used them so can't attest to their effectiveness.
5) A nice warm drink. When the weather started getting really cold, I fitted the kids bikes with Bar-Hoppers (handle bar mounted cup holders, available at Klunk) and got each of them an insulated travel mug. Each day before we leave, I fill their cups with hot cocoa for the ride to school. On really cold days, there's nothing like some nice warm cocoa to keep you warm.
6) Handling your bike in snow and ice. Riding, like driving, in ice and snow can be tricky and dangerous. And, like driving, a little extra time, caution, and common sense can get you where you want to go.
-Ride safely for the existing conditions. It takes everyone, including cars, longer to stop. Ride more slowly than usual and start braking well in advance of stops.
-Wear bright colors and use your blinkies a lot., even during the day. This is always a good idea when riding, but is especially important in winter when the days tend to be overcast and gray and it gets dark early. I have started making everyone in our family wear hunting vests when they ride. I am amazed at how much more visible it makes us.
-Your bike handles differently in ice and snow. If it's possible, ride on areas of the road that are clear of ice and snow...duh. Snow makes it harder to pedal, but can offer some extra traction if it isn't hard packed.
-Your bike will likely fishtail in slushy snow, hard packed snow, and tire tracks. Try to avoid these parts of the road. Keep your bike geared low to increase your traction. Hang on and keep pedaling.
-If the road looks wet, assume it's ice or black ice. Pedal straight across and try to avoid making turns on ice if you can help it.
-You will find most winter road hazards at intersections where gutters meet leaving more water/ice/slush/run-off for you to navigate. Try to steer clear of these hazards and try to avoid turns in these areas, if possible. If you must turn, make sure you steer wide enough to avoid the hazard.
-In snowy/icy conditions, you need to ensure your safety by making sure you are riding far enough out in the road to avoid snowy/slush/ice/trash that has been pushed to the sides of the roads by snow ploughs. This may require riding further out in the lane than normal.
- Be assertive and ride where your are safest and avoid winter road hazards. It's your life and your safety don't be afraid to protect it; even if that means inconveniencing some cars and slowing traffic flow a bit from time to time.
-Remember: if you put yourself in the danger zone by riding too far to the right or riding too fast for conditions and have an accident, you will really back up traffic, and worst of all you'll be hurt.
<http://www.icebike.org>
<http://www.bikewinter.org>
http://www.snowybike.org
"What's wrong Mom? Don't you think I know how to suck it up and deal?" ~Max Overshiner, Age 9.
It's December 16th, 2007. We are well into another Missouri winter. As temperatures have been dropping, we have added coats, gloves, hats, etc. to keep warm on our daily rides. Recently, I picked the kids up from school and we headed off to piano lessons. While we were riding, I noticed Max wasn't wearing his coat. It was about 35 degrees.
"Max, aren't you freezing?" I asked as we rode up the hill on Broadway.
Max looked over and replied "What's the matter Mom? Don't you think I know how to suck it up and deal?"
My jaw dropped and we both burst out laughing. I was stunned by his response and all it implied. As the mercury has dropped into the twenties and teens, this has become Max and Annarose's winter war cry.
"Are you sure you're warm enough? Are your fingers warm? Are you toes/cheeks/ears too cold?" I ask.
"It's OK, Mom. I'll just suck it up and deal." or "Don't we look like we know how to suck it up and deal?" followed by joyous laughter.
"Who are these children? Where did they come from? What have I done to them?" I ask myself.
About ten days ago, we had our first snow of the season. Two days later, we had an ice storm that closed schools on Monday and Tuesday, left thousands without power, and left over twenty dead. Four days after that, we had more snow, about 6 inches this time.
The logical question is "Are we still riding?" The illogical answer is "You bet!"
On Thursday, I was out on my bike running errands when it started snowing. Then it started snowing harder. On the way downtown from Target, I stopped by the house to pick up some ski goggles, because the snow was pelting my eyes...painful. Goggled, I headed out for the first snowy ride of the season with loaded Burley cart in tow...what fun! At the corner of Clinkscales and Broadway, an elderly gentleman in an old pick up rolled down his window to tell me I was brave for riding in the snow. I smiled from ear to ear and hollered "Thanks" as I made my left turn on to Broadway.
At 3:30 the snow was still coming down and the roads were getting really slick. I almost wiped out as I made a left turn onto Locust on the way to pick up the kids at school. I was worried about riding home with them. We arrived at the bike rack along with Erika and Violet. Erika and I discussed getting the kids home safely on the bikes in the snow. We decided to take it slow and ride home together, safety in numbers. I gave the kids a quick briefing on snowy road conditions and safe winter riding. 1) Watch for cars, they can't stop as quickly in the snow. 2) Start braking early, you can't stop as quickly either. 3) Keep your bike in low gear, this will help overcome rear wheel slippage and keep you in control of your bike. 4) Take it slow and easy. We decided to walk our bikes through downtown.
As we started out, Max realized his rear tire was flat. Argh! Max rides a vintage Schwinn Hollywood cruiser from the early sixties. Fenders, racks, single speed, coaster brakes, no quick releases, changing the rear wheel is a real pain. It was snowing hard and getting dark quickly. We walked the bikes to Cyclextreme to have the tire changed. Thanks Mike! By 4:30, we were on our way. Still snowing, getting darker.
We walked down to Flat Branch Park and headed home on the trail. The ride wasn't that bad. While pedaling through the snow was harder than usual, the snow afforded good traction so it was easy to maintain control of the bikes. We didn't have any trouble with slipping until we were pretty far up Maupin. With our fair share of sliding, a few injury-free falls, and lots of laughter we all made it home safely. Erika and I discussed whether we would ride to school in the morning, we agreed to wait and see.
Friday morning, we were surprised and disappointed to learn that school had not been cancelled. Being unsure of the road conditions, I offered the kids three options for getting to school. One - Walk. Two - Take the city bus. Three - Try it on the bikes and see what happens. Of course, we could have just driven, but what fun would that be? Both kids immediately started jumping up and down yelling, "Walk! Walk! Walk! We can have a snowball fight! We can play in the snow on the way." They reasoned. We put on our snow gear. I put extra shoes and socks in a messenger bag. I made hot chocolate for the kids to drink on the way.
We set out at 8. I told the kids that since we were walking, we would just take Broadway which would be about a mile shorter than our regular bike route. The kids wouldn't hear of it.
"Broadway's boring and it smells like car exhaust." Argued Annarose.
"There will be more snow to play in on our regular route." Chimed in Max.
They didn't care that it was further to walk, fine with me. We tromped off through the snow on the way to school. On Maupin near Greenwood, we ran into Erika and Violet who we usually ride with each morning. We talked to them briefly, then they headed off on their bikes. The kids ran along chasing and pelting each other with snow balls. We made a few stops for sips of hot chocolate and to strip off extra layers of clothes. We made it to school about 5 minutes after the second bell. We were a bit tardy, but we had a really fun walk. Dr. Vandover, our principal, was very understanding, appreciating the importance of taking time to smell the roses, or eat the icicles, as the case may be.
So far, in all this snow and ice we have driven one day, it was the first day back to school after the big ice storm. I was worried about road and sidewalk conditions. I decided we would drive and scope out the roads for the next day. As we pulled out of the driveway, both kids said they felt guilty leaving their bikes at home. We talked briefly about going back to get the bikes. Not knowing the road conditions, I decided to go ahead and drive. The next day, we were back on the bikes.
Yes, we are still riding and have everyday, but one. We have ridden in very cold conditions, rain, snow, sleet, and ice. It really isn't that hard. Anyone can do it. It doesn't require any expensive equipment. You just need a little common sense, healthy dose of adventure, and a bit of planning.
Tips to help you ride all year through
1) It's all in how you look at it. Don't think of it as too cold, snowy, wet, whatever. I always think of it as an "arctic adventure", a chance to see what you can do, push your limits, see what your made of. Sometimes the only thing you can change is your attitude, you'd be amazed by what changing your perspective can do.
2) Dress for the for second mile. As you bike/walk along, you will generate body heat. If you are overdressed, you will be uncomfortably hot before you know it. The first few minutes of your ride/walk, you should be little cool. Don't worry, you will warm up soon enough.
3)Layers, layers, layers. You have probably heard this before. But it's true and bears repeating. Dress in layers, for maximum warmth and comfort. Layers allow you to easily customize your clothing as your body heats up and cools down with exertion. For cold weather riding, I usually wear long johns top and bottom; jeans and a shirt; a sweater, sweatshirt, or fleece; and a wind and water proof uninsulated shell/top-layer. This mix gets me comfortably through all but the most extreme (low-teens and below) cold conditions. I can unzip or take off outerlayers, if I get too hot or as weather conditions change through the day. On extreme cold days, I will top off my layers with an insulated coat and insulated (Carhart) cover-alls. I recently made the mistake of wearing my heavy coat and cover-alls one morning when it was 17 degrees, I was sweating before I was a mile from home. I had stop to unzip my coat and the top of my coveralls to cool down. I had shed the coat completely by the time I was downtown.
In winter, it is really easy to overdress, because that initial shock when you step out the door seems soooo cold. Resist the urge to overdress, and you will arrive at your destination at the end of your ride comfortable and happy. Years ago, I read in Outside magazine that you should "Dress for the second mile" when participating in winter sports, keeping in mind how warm you will be in the second mile will help prevent overdressing.
4)Head, neck, hands, and feet. Winter biking requires extra attention to your extreme extremities. Your head, neck, hands, and feet will get cold.
The best cold protection of your head is a balaclava. A thin, usually black, "hat" that covers your head, face and neck. This will keep your head, ears, face, and neck warm. You can fold it up when you don't need face protection. If the balaclava isn't for you, you need a warm hat that covers your ears and fits under your helmet and a neck gator or scarf.
When it is really cold, snowing, sleeting, or raining, eye protection is very important. I love ski goggles, they are fun to wear, don't fog up, and look totally goofy.
The biggest complaint we hear from bike brigade kids is cold fingers. Good mittens or gloves are extremely important. After years of winter riding and experimenting with many different types of gloves/mittens, my all time favorite is a pair of hunting mittens I absconded from Tim. They are made of blaze orange fleece offering great visibility when signaling. The insides have black glove liners. The index fingers and thumbs fold back making it easy to buckle helmets, manouver zippers, and handle bike tools, all without having to remove the mittens.
Make sure to keep your feet warm with warm shoes or boots and some extra socks. They make booties that go over your shoes, I have never used them so can't attest to their effectiveness.
5) A nice warm drink. When the weather started getting really cold, I fitted the kids bikes with Bar-Hoppers (handle bar mounted cup holders, available at Klunk) and got each of them an insulated travel mug. Each day before we leave, I fill their cups with hot cocoa for the ride to school. On really cold days, there's nothing like some nice warm cocoa to keep you warm.
6) Handling your bike in snow and ice. Riding, like driving, in ice and snow can be tricky and dangerous. And, like driving, a little extra time, caution, and common sense can get you where you want to go.
-Ride safely for the existing conditions. It takes everyone, including cars, longer to stop. Ride more slowly than usual and start braking well in advance of stops.
-Wear bright colors and use your blinkies a lot., even during the day. This is always a good idea when riding, but is especially important in winter when the days tend to be overcast and gray and it gets dark early. I have started making everyone in our family wear hunting vests when they ride. I am amazed at how much more visible it makes us.
-Your bike handles differently in ice and snow. If it's possible, ride on areas of the road that are clear of ice and snow...duh. Snow makes it harder to pedal, but can offer some extra traction if it isn't hard packed.
-Your bike will likely fishtail in slushy snow, hard packed snow, and tire tracks. Try to avoid these parts of the road. Keep your bike geared low to increase your traction. Hang on and keep pedaling.
-If the road looks wet, assume it's ice or black ice. Pedal straight across and try to avoid making turns on ice if you can help it.
-You will find most winter road hazards at intersections where gutters meet leaving more water/ice/slush/run-off for you to navigate. Try to steer clear of these hazards and try to avoid turns in these areas, if possible. If you must turn, make sure you steer wide enough to avoid the hazard.
-In snowy/icy conditions, you need to ensure your safety by making sure you are riding far enough out in the road to avoid snowy/slush/ice/trash that has been pushed to the sides of the roads by snow ploughs. This may require riding further out in the lane than normal.
- Be assertive and ride where your are safest and avoid winter road hazards. It's your life and your safety don't be afraid to protect it; even if that means inconveniencing some cars and slowing traffic flow a bit from time to time.
-Remember: if you put yourself in the danger zone by riding too far to the right or riding too fast for conditions and have an accident, you will really back up traffic, and worst of all you'll be hurt.
<http://www.icebike.org>
<http://www.bikewinter.org>
http://www.snowybike.org
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