Winter Commuting: Beat Winter Blues, Stay in Shape

It's really not so bad.

Bicycling in winter, that is. Though I consider myself to be a cold wimp, and I am not particularly athletic, I manage to ride eight miles to work and back nearly every day. On most midwestern winter days I maintain that bicycle commuting can actually be more comfortable than driving. Consider this:

• Your bicycle never needs its windows scraped in the morning.
• No shivering while your car heater warms up. The heater is you.
• Door-to-door service. No searching for (or paying for) a parking space.
• You'll beat the out-of-shape, stuck-indoors, winter blues.
• And what's good for you is also vital to the environment.

For most people, the short drive to work is by far their most polluting act of the day, especially winter cold starts. Cars are the single largest producers of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. University of California researchers estimate that this ground level air pollution from cars causes up to 30,000 deaths per year in this country. But enough of the whys and on to a few of the how tos:

1. Ride a junker. Winter ice, snow and above all, salt will eat a high-performance machine alive.
2. Knobbies. The wider and the knobbier the tire, the more traction you'll have on wet, icy or snowy roads. Studded tires provide excellent traction on ice.
3. Install fenders. There is nothing more uncomfortable than a soaked, cold and gritty backside.
4. Be bright. Winter days are short, and you may find yourself riding in low-light conditions. Wisconsin law requires a front light and rear reflector after dark. A blinking red or amber rear light, reflectors and bright, reflective clothing are also vital to your safety.
5. Dress in layers. Peel 'em off when you warm up, add 'em when you're chilly. A windproof jacket and pants are essential throughout the winter; a windproof outerlayer allows underlying garments to insulate much more effectively.
6. Watch out for those extremities. Don't let frostbite find your ears, fingertips, toes or nose. Experiment with headbands, thin hats, balaclavas, facemasks, neck gaiters, and shoe and sock combos that insulate while leaving your feet with room to breathe.

Try it a time or two, on milder days, perhaps. Try not to let convenient excuses and force of habit weaken your resolve. You'll find you're not alone out there. And you may find that motorists even treat you with a bit more respect, sympathetic to your heroism and determination. Some of them may be fair-weather bicyclists themselves, wishing that they had the hutzpa to be out there with you.