Is 2014 your year to walk or run a 5k, 10k or half marathon? If so, join Hennepin County HealthWorks corporate team for the April 26, 2014 Get in Gear races. Save over 50 percent on registration fees by signing up for the Hennepin County corporate team. Registration is now open for the corporate team, review registration instructions here. 

The 2014 races will include a 5k, 10k and half marathon and events will qualify as wellness activities for the 2015 health incentive. It’s a great wellness activity for co-workers and families!

Name:  John Villerius, Office of Budget and Finance

Commuting by bike has so many positives:  better health, lower environmental impact, and lower transportation cost, to name a few.  Those positives continue to be achievable during the winter.  For me, winter bike commuting is one of the things that makes winter bearable and, at times, a blast of fun.  I hate cold weather, but I dislike being indoors and inactive for 5-plus months of the year even more.  As a result, some of my most enjoyable bike riding takes place in the winter.  You can start on rather simple terms: moderate temperatures, dry roads, short distances, daytime riding.  Or go full-tilt into lower temperatures, and on snow- or ice-covered roads or trails where your bike can act like a snowboard with wheels.  Quite an adventure.

There are some key elements to successful winter biking whether for commuting or recreation – clothes, bike, traffic. 

1. Dress in layers. The first layer next to your skin is fabric that transports any moisture away from your skin so that you don’t feel cold and clammy.  Long underwear of polypropelene or smart wool will accomplish that. The middle layer is thermal. Depending on the temperature, I use one or more old sweaters or fleece.  The number of thermal layers is a matter of personal comfort.  The outer layer is wind protection. like a nylon windbreaker. 

2. Keeping your extremities – head, hands, feet – warm and covered tends to be different for every person. One rule of thumb (rule of “toe” ?) is not to constrict circulation with ill-fitting gloves or shoes.  Larger-than-normal gloves or mittens with liners and loose-fitting shoes with one or more pair of socks works. I also use a pair of nylon overmitts and ankle-height rubber shoe covers on the outside for the wind. I cover my face with a ski mask or balaclava and use ski goggles when it’s below 15 degrees. Some winter cyclists use hand/feet warming packets. Some use battery-powered heated gloves and socks. Some use bar mitts for the handlebar, originally made for snowmobilers.

3. If you venture beyond dry road conditions, definitely have studded tires put on your bike. I keep them on all winter, even when the roads are clear. Also, regular winter riding causes salt and grit damage, mostly to the chain, gears and brakes. Regular cleaning using a bike degreasing product and lubricant will save you from having to replace those parts as often.

4. Be visible to others. Get a small white LED light for your handlebar, and a red one for your rear fender or the back of your seat or helmet. They are not expensive. Some bicyclists wear reflective vests also. If you ride in places where the road surfaces are not well-lit by street lighting, you might choose a more powerful light that lights the road surface.

5. Traffic issues between bikes and cars can be greater in winter due to visibility and road surface conditions.  When snow is falling, or when pavement markings are buried, I keep to trails, or ride only where roads are wide or have little traffic so that I have a greater-than- normal distance from any motorized traffic.

The website icebike.org and its email listserv are good for advice and endless suggestions to address any issue with winter bicycling.  Give it a try.

For additional winter commuting tips, view this recent CBS story.