Why do people ride when the days are short, wet and cold?

• Winter cycling can be surprisingly comfortable. Assuming that you are dressed correctly, the physicial act of cycling will warm you up faster than you would be if you're waiting for your car's heater to warm up.



• Winter cycling can be surprisingly convenient. Suppose you need to travel a couple of miles to the store. On your bicycle, you might have already made it to the store and back in less time than it would take to scrape your windshields and dig your car out of the snow.



• Winter cycling allows you great flexibility in getting around. You can't get stuck in a snow bank or on a patch of ice, since you can just simply pick up your bike and carry it with you. If you get a flat on your bike, you can have it repaired and be on your way in less time than it would take a motorist to contact their motor club.



• Cold weather can paradoxically improve traffic conditions. Since many people bunker down in the winter, traffic tends to be a bit lighter and calmer. When conditions are slick on local roads, many motorists reduce their speed significantly. This is good news for cyclists -- when motorists are going at sensible speeds, the chances of getting into a fatal collision with a car goes down tremendously. In addition, roads aren't torn up by road construction like they are in the summer time.



• Winter cycling is FUN. You can get the same endorphin rush that winter skiers get. However, whereas most skiers only ski a handful of days throughout the winter, you can winter bicycle throughout the entire winter.



• Exercise staves off winter poundage and blues. If this is the season when your main physical activity is walking to and from the omnipresent platter of holiday cookies and when the lack of sunshine sends your spirits plummeting, even a short daily bike commute can keep you in fair physical and mental health.



• Year round cycling keeps your momentum going and builds your cycling skills. If you don't stop riding, you never have to experience a sore butt after getting back in the saddle after a long hiatus. You don’t have to reaccustom yourself to the rhythms of traffic. You just keep getting more nimble, strong, fast and confident.



• Year-round cycling helps you live life more indulgently. You can eat at your favorite restaurants more often if you aren't constantly spending $10-$20 to use a parking ramp. You can hang out with friends at your favorite coffee shop more often if you aren't constantly spending $15-$25 to fill up your gas tank. You can more easily take a trip to Europe if you don't have to deal with $1500 automotive engine repair bills. Cycling helps you live richly, even if your income is limited.



• Year-round cycling helps you make it comfortably through lean times. In Illinois, the costs of car payments, car maintenance, gasoline, auto insurance, etc., can easily eat up more than fifty percent of the maximum unemployment insurance benefit that you are eligible to collect. If you have the misfortune of being laid off from your job, you will feel much better if your money is going to support you and your family instead of simply supporting your car.



• Variety is nice. I personally enjoy the sounds and smells of leaves swirling under my tires; if the stiff winds are slowing me down, I look forward to speeding on the return trip. A dark rainy day can be soothing; the ride is smooth, the streets quiet and the light delightfully spooky. I’d rather feel the snow on my face than brush it off a windshield. We are lucky to live in such a weather rich area; a bicycle provides a front row seat for enjoying it.



• The weather is usually not always so bad. When the thermometer hits 60 degrees in February, my bike and I are ready to take advantage of it.