10 good and bad things about winter cycling

Lately, I've had frequent opportunities to ponder the pros and cons of cycling in the wet winter weather here in the Pacific Northwest.

1. The good — Finally get a chance to pile on all those layers of polypro, fleece, Gortex, gloves, booties, balaclava….

2. The bad — Ten minutes down the road I'm sweating like a pig, getting chilled.

3. The good — I really enjoy hill-climbing as it reduces the wind chill and gives the furnace a chance to heat up.

4. The bad — The wind chill factor drops below zero as I fly downhill. Eyes tear up. Can't see!

5. The good — Water in bottles never gets warm.

6. The bad — I lower my core temp by drinking near-freezing water; get cold from the inside out.

7. The good — Wet drive train seems to operate so silky smooth as I spin along puddly roads.

8. The bad — Dry drive train grinds and sounds like sandpaper after all that wet road grit gets worked into chain links.

9. The good — Spend more time with family by taking shorter rides and hunkering in warm house.

10. The bad — Get cranky, gain weight, loose fitness because of less time on the bike.

Good advice

For some sensible information about clothing to keep warm on winter bicycle rides, check out CycleDog Winter Cycling Part 1. In Winter Cycling Part 2, CycleDog explains techniques on keeping the wheels on the road.

For the best all around website on the single topic of bicycle riding when it's cold outside, see IceBike. This website is useful to anyone who bikes in the winter, not just those who seek out frozen lakes to test their studded bike tires.