Biking in a Winter Wonderland

Real winter biking season started yesterday. We FINALLY got a decent amount of snow AND the cold weather to keep it. At the end of November! I'd make the claim that this was direct evidence of global warming, but apparently yesterday's record cold temperature was last year and record warm temperature was the year before, so I guess I ought not to make sweeping generalizations on odd points of data.

In any case, riding home from Erik's last night was accomplished in blowing snow, -24 windchill, and the odd bit of ice hiding under the accumulating white stuff. I was extremely grateful for my studded tires (THANKS, MALCOLM!) and fleece-lined pants. The fabulous thing is that I was much warmer and more comfortable riding home in such conditions than I would have been taking the bus. I got pretty fed up last year with shivering in a bus shelter while Rem beat me to our destination on his bike and was warm to boot.

I still cannot claim to actually enjoy the ride particularly -- having to stop every five minutes to blow my nose puts a certain damper on my enthusiasm, I'm afraid. I pulled down my scarf last night to accomplish that very deed and it froze together. Rem laughed. Harrumph.

Rem does claim to enjoy winter riding -- he says the joy of making fresh tracks in the snow outshines the inconveniences of the rest of it. I figure at least part of this is attributable to his lack of a tap for a nose and the other part to his functioning metabolism. He has fewer inconveniences to outweigh.

For now I guess I'll just have to be content with it being preferable to bussing, walking or driving. Stay warm, everyone.