Paula White
Call them crazy or the rest of us lazy - many bike in winter and love it. To encourage you to try it, too, the city's second annual Winter Bike to Work Week will be held Monday through Friday, Feb. 11-15.
It's sponsored by Madison Bike Winter, a loose-knit group of enthusiasts. "Really, what we're encouraging, and why I formed the group here in Madison, is to encourage people to bike all year round, especially to and from work," says organizer Aaron Crandall. "It hopefully gets people out there for more than just a week and gives them an opportunity to try."
Minneapolis and Boulder hold similar annual events, but only for a day. Madison Bike Winter spreads it out in case the weather turns bad for a day or two.
"Every day we're going to be having coffee stops on the different bike paths," mostly in the downtown area, says Crandall. Sponsor volunteers will man the stations. There will also be scheduled group rides, including one around Lake Monona for Valentine's Day, as well as workshops on winter riding and even yoga.
"Really, the nice thing about biking in the winter is you have a lot of freedom," Crandall says. "There aren't many people out there."
For those who want to try, he and others offer a variety of tips for taking care of yourself and your bike in cold weather.
"As a daily rider, it isn't rocket science, but gear is important," says Andrew Muzi, CEO of Yellow Jersey Ltd. "Waterproof shoe covers and layered clothing appropriate to the temperature are essential."
One problem may be that you even get too warm if your commute is long. "You want to have things you can maybe unzip a little bit," Crandall says. "But if you don't have too far to go, you should have the clothing you need already at home."
If not, he recommends stores that offer farm-related clothing, which is often less expensive than specialized gear. Gloves are far better than mittens, especially if they're windproof, and a balaclava and even goggles may be useful.
As for your bike, "if you just want to ride to work for one week in the winter, my highest priority would be personal safety," says Adam Clark, a manager at Budget Bicycle Center. At a bare minimum, he says, you should have a studded front tire.
"For those who don't know, a studded tire costs $50 to $150 and prevents the surprise falls when the tires come in contact with ice," he says. "No matter the experience level of the rider, a surprise fall on ice usually results in head impact because both hands are still on the bars when you hit the ground. In many cases, getting one hand out to brace for the impact will result in a broken wrist, arm, elbow or collarbone.
"Just get the tire, or don't ride at or below freezing temps, especially on days when you have melting and refreezing," Clark says. "The path that was dry on your way to work may get wet, and on your way home will have slicks of black ice that you won't notice until you hear your helmet crack."
Speaking of helmets, Clark adds, "the best is an alpine ski helmet with its own insulation and venting."
Fenders and even full mudguards will keep you and your bike cleaner, "which is a more than trivial aspect, especially as regards the salty black scum on the streets," says Muzi.
Once you arrive at your destination, "If the roads are slushy, you may want to wipe your bike off more often than usual and get as much of the road grit off, because that's what's going to cause it to rust," says Crandall. "Then, also, you're going to want to oil your chain more frequently than you would in the summertime, because that chain is going to get some wear and tear from that salt and the sand."
Sound like a lot of work? "Even if people are not willing to try it out, we want to get the idea out there," says Crandall. "Maybe this year it's too cold or the conditions aren't right, but next winter maybe you can make an investment if you need better gear or something, and you can give it a try."
How about the actual experience of biking in winter? Does it feel particularly exhilarating?
"No," says Crandall. "Other than being cold, it's pretty much the same."
All activities for Winter Bike to Work Week are free and open to the public. For more information and updates, visit bikewinter.org/city/madison or Madison Bike Winter on Facebook.
