In Which CR Biker Sees the Edge

I came close to regretting the morning commute, today.  The temperature was in the single digits, the first time this season that it has been that cold in Cedar Rapids.

It was cold.  There was a light breeze, which, when I faced the wrong direction, made it psycho cold.

But, I was prepared.  I had on the long underwear, two pairs of socks, a long-sleeved cotton shirt under a warm sweathshirt under my biking jacket.  I even had on a scarf, the final bit of bling that marks the edge of my winter gear.

And it was still cold.  My toes got a bit numb on the way in this morning.  The extremes of my body—my face and my toes—were not on board with the whole “let’s bike in insanely chilly weather” thing.

Still, the commute is only 30 minutes.  You can chill down a lot in that time when it’s that cold, but honestly, if you’re covered well you don’t really risk any true adversity.  When I got to campus, despite the bitching from my toes, by body overall was warm—I was even slightly sweaty.

And, yes, it’s another morning sky photo.  But why bike at all when it’s so cold?  Because I can.  Because I need the exercise.  Because it get to savor the morning sun that most car drivers barely notice as they barrel by.

Nov. 27 sunrise at intersection of Blair's Ferry Road and C Avenue at about 7:10 a.m. in the morning.  It was cold, but the sky was also cool.