Hello there, this is the friendly voice and typing sounds of your mostest favoritest Midwest Bicycle Commuter blogger guy coming at you live, disturbing your peace and asking to borrow your ladder for a stunt I want to try off my roof. It seems like it's been such a long time since I've sat down and let loose with the observations and complaints, so your "grace" period of MWBC free bliss is officially over! I'll venture to say I've made it through the worst of the riding conditions on my way to accomplish my goal of riding my bike to school each day I teach. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Having a whole slew of snow days, which absolved me of my requirement to attend and therefore teach school, (which is only slightly different than when I am required to attend and yet do not teach, though I am required to, but that's another story) made meeting my goal significantly easier to obtain. I haven't yet actually made my goal because I still have a fourth quarter and a week of riding to class to make it.
However meandering and wayward appears to be my writing on the way to making one, my point is that the really crappy weather for my commute is in the past. I rode through the cold, which wasn't physically difficult as much as mentally challenging. Yes, leaving a warm, cozy house to enter the sharp, black cold of winter mornings with the knowledge I was about to mount a bicycle and be cold for a few minutes until my blood flowed, left me mentally challenged. You heard it here first.
The actual snow was physically challenging for my bike and me. The snow was the easiest. It became quite tough when that snow melted during the day and under traffic, then froze into all manner of dips and valleys which tried to change the direction of my bike against my will. I had to be especially wary and alert of vehicles during these times. I knew their stopping distances increase dramatically and I'd be in danger of vehicles unable to stop for me in time.
Well, this is not really related, but I found this video clip thanks to another blog I read. It has more to do with the attitudes people display toward cyclists on the road. It's sickening, I'll grant you, but you should watch it so you don't kid yourself that we live in some Sesame Street type of environment, where everyone respects each other and is kind, patient, etc. This is reality.
Stay safe out there. Make a goal of your own. Keep on commuting by bike!
-MWBC
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