I’d like to file a formal complaint.
I think I’m pretty clearly on record with loving winter cycling. I love the brisk, cold air, the ever-changing nature of the snowy landscape. I enjoy the challenge and, yes, occasional struggle of sorting out what the correct level of clothing is for perpetually changing situations.
But the month of January, thus far, keeps handing out days that are unsuitable for winter riding.
When I say unsuitable, it’s not that they are too cold - I am convinced at this point that there isn’t such a thing. As the saying goes, there no bad weather, just bad clothing. But for most of the days of this recalcitrant month other factors in the weather have been working against me.
I am predominantly a road rider and we have the benefit of living in rural northern Illinois. That combination of factors means that the overwhelming majority of my riding starts and ends at my driveway. This is usually a wonderful thing, because it means that when the urge and opportunity present I can simply hop on my trike and go. And, to be clear, I have had that opportunity on a handful of days this year:
Riding in the snow
Three tracks are better than one. Or none.
Aside from those few opportunities, what January 2021 has decided to offer up so far is mostly day after day of high winds, low visibility, and - today - freezing rain.
What each of these factors represent for road riding is not necessarily an impediment to cycling in and of itself. Wind, for example, mostly just adds to the exercise gain, the calorie burn of the ride. But all of them put the road cyclist at a much larger than usual disadvantage with motor vehicle traffic.
Above a given threshold - say about 25 mph - persistent wind makes it essentially impossible to hear vehicles when they approach from behind. Yes, I do have mirrors, and check them regularly, but I also rely on being able to hear vehicles approaching in the intervals between glances at those mirrors.
Drifting snow - facilitated by that self-same wind - significantly reduces visibility, making it harder for me to see those vehicles and, perhaps more importantly, harder for them to see me. Drifting like that will occur at slightly lower wind speeds, which means a somewhat calmer day - with, say, 18-20 mph winds - may still result in drifting and poor visibility.
Now today we have those high winds - though they are a little below that 25 mph threshold - but despite the fact that we have a fairly substantial snow cover, there isn’t really any drifting. The sun is shining and, looking out the window, I can see for miles across the prairie. And so you might think, as I initially do: perfect - let’s get geared up for a ride!
But the reason nothing is drifting is because all of that snow - and the roads I’d be riding on - are covered in a sheet of ice from overnight rains. This means any approaching vehicle from either direction is going to be struggling with traction. Not a good situation for sharing the road with 2-4000 pound compatriots.
So for the moment I’m stuck at home, looking out the window and feeling sorry for myself. But I’ve put out feelers to both of the canal sites in the region - the I&M Canal Trail and the Hennepin Canal Trail - to see if I can get some idea of what the condition of the trails are. I’m not certain yet whether it would be safe to try to get to them - icy roads may prevent that - but it would be good to have an alternative for when the weather simply will not cooperate.