Streetfilms recently did some filming in Chicago and I love the resulting video about the joys and ease of winter riding that they put together:
I particularly agree with the comment about bike commuting helping to ease the “winter blahs” (at minute-mark 2:08).
Final note about riding in single digits vs. snow (minute 4:01). Last Friday at 7-degrees on the bone-dry roads I felt warmer than I did yesterday when it hovered close to 30 but stayed damp all day.
+1 on both points you liked best. I’m with you. I’ll take dry and cold over warmer and wetter any day. I was going on about that just the other day!
Great video but I can’t believe you felt colder yesterday than Friday. Yeah it was damp but I’d much rather deal with a little road splash vs immediate pain from getting exposed to absurdly low temperatures. Either case still beats the train though!
@Jeremy, I can’t exactly say that I felt colder yesterday but I did not feel any warmer. I prefer the dry roads to the damp roads like yesterday and today – less mess.
Jeans?! Unless you’re only going a mile or two you better pick up a can of Bag Balm while you’re out. At least toss in a pair of bike shorts before the tights and jeans.
Great video and I agree wholeheartedly that cold/dry is easier to enjoy the ride in than moderate/wet. This past weekend it was -16f when I got to the coffee shop for our morning meeting and while everyone thought I was was nuts, I thought they were for not realizing how easy the weather was to ride in.
It’s been a L-O-N-G time since I’ve ridden in truly wintry conditions (28-30 degrees is springtimey for most “real” winter residents), but I do remember that cold and wet is a lot harder to handle than cold and dry — the moisture just gets into your bones and feels colder or something.
Give me 90 degrees and 95% humidity, though — that’s where I’m most comfortable!
This is great. The quality production values and editing really stand out. Kudos to all involved!
Next we need a winter-biking promo film from someplace like Vail or Park City or Lake Tahoe, someplace more hilly and less urban where we can dispel fears about frozen mud ruts etc. and give props to our favorite studded tires.
I’d volunteer but don’t know if I’ll get up to Tahoe again this
winter (sad me!)
Anyone up for it?
