-17ºF ... perfect biking weather

Yesterday I rode my bike to work.  When I got there I heard the typical "Your crazy!", "Were you the idiot on a bike that I passed on my way in?", "How can you stand to ride when it's that cold?" comments from coworkers.  But what is surprising is how easy it is to ride in even the coldest temps with just a bit a preparation.  Admittedly, riding in temps like -17ºF tends to be slow, and I wouldn't call it efficient, but other than the time it takes to prepare and then make the trip, it's pretty easy.

It took me just over 2 hours to bike 14+ miles to work yesterday.  I was never cold with the exception of my toes getting a bit cold from time to time.  When I went down hills and the resulting wind chill would pull the heat out of my feet.  My goggles did freeze up on the inside, so I ended up riding with my eyes exposed.  The lack of wind and my warm breath kept my eyes pretty warm.  If it had been windy, I may have had to thaw out my goggles a few times so I could keep my eyes covered.  The goofy looking tape on my helmet keeps the wind out.  All those vents in helmets that help keep you cool in summer, are not all that helpful in the winter.

To be absolutely honest, I rarely bike in this kind of weather.  It's manageable but not very convenient for a 13-14 mile commute.  Shorter distances would be way more reasonable for bike commuting in extreme weather.  However, I like to attempt things that are difficult from time to time just to challenge myself.  Similar to running a marathon, or biking 100 miles in one day, riding a bike in sub-zero temps is a challenge.  It felt good to succeed.

When I got into work, I took a couple pictures of my bike, and my lunch (carrots) which were not frozen when I left home yesterday morning.

So what does one wear when riding a bike 14 miles in -17ºF temps.  Here is most of the gear I wore on the ride in.  My Gore-Tex cycling shoes are not pictured.  I usually put chemical warmers in the toes of my shoes when I ride in temps like this, but the lack of wind allowed my feet to stay warm most of the trip.  Wearing this much clothing also makes me feel awkward and riding takes a bit more energy.  But I was warm and comfortable and it was easy to regulate my body temp with zippers and effort level.

I really enjoyed the ride in, and I even enjoyed the "Your crazy!" comments from my coworkers.  What I didn't enjoy was the lack of plowing on the Omaha trail network.  These trails are becoming a major part of the Omaha transportation infrastructure for many people and when they are not plowed, people end up walking or biking on busy streets when they normally would not have to.  When I commute to work, I usually ride almost 6 miles on the Keystone trail.  Yesterday, I was not able to use this trail because parts of it has not been plowed in over a month, and the rest was still covered by last weeks snow.  I don't expect the trail to be plowed right away after big snows, but I do expect that it gets plowed prior to city sidewalks.  Just like it doesn't make sense to plow local streets before plowing the interstate the main pedestrian/bike trails should be cleared before the minor sidewalks.

At least this isn't a problem we have for more than a few months of each year, but Omaha does need to put a bit more thought into making it easier for pedestrians and bikes to get around Omaha in winter.  The more Omaha helps those modes of transportation, the fewer cars there will need to be on the streets, or at least the rate of increase with slow and less of our tax money will be spent on expanding streets.