T-Shirt #12

TD in Ames, IA -

Why do I bike in the winter?

I like the sound of the studs on the pavement, especially when the constant hum is interrupted now and then by a small snow bank.

I enjoy the challenge of spinning the back wheel though 6” of fresh snow, while the front wheel stops spinning because its brakes are frozen up.

I love that point in the morning commute when you pull off the facemask because your head is REALLY sweating. I also love the quick stop to put on the facemask because it is MUCH colder than you thought it was.

I miss the constant west wind fighting me in the morning and helping me home.

I miss riding my bike right out onto the lake to see how the fishing is going.

I like the solitude of the trails in the winter when everyone else is inside.

I have fun trying to lock my tires up for as long as I can on frozen mud puddles.

I miss having a quick chat with people clearing their walks: “Isn’t it cold to be out biking?”

I miss being able to out stop and out accelerate cars after a snow.

I like riding in the dark with snow reflecting everything.

I get a kick out of smiling at the people in cars that are going by and staring at me.

I like waving to my friend on the bus as he rolls by sitting next to people that he swears don’t know what a shower is.

I guess I’ve compiled quite a list. I also enjoy biking in the summer, but wanted to write about riding in the winter. Like dreaming of ice fishing in the summer, and yearning for casting while in the ice house, I think I’ve always wanted the season that it isn’t. The nice part is I can just keep riding, and then it will snow. Unless the other reason that I bike in the winter finally warms the planet to the point that it doesn’t snow in Iowa any more. Then I’ll move to Canada.

"Some people go to church and think about fishing. Others go fishing and think about God." -Unknown