In Which The Bitter Cold Freezes Biking For Now

Snow scenes MMU, afternoon of Jan. 2. Top: Salt slowly melts snow between Basile Hall and Warde Hall. Middle--2 p.m. and this is how high the sun is in the sky--not very high at all. Bottom--winter salt makes the "floor" wet near the empty bike rack. Soon, Francis, soon.

There may be some hardy souls out there on two wheels, with the air temperature at 7 and the wind chill at minus 15, but I’m not one of them.

Honestly, I might be if it were only for the cold. It’s on the edge—if I dressed warm enough, zero is not too daunting for a bike ride. But a minus 15 wind chill? That would be give me pause.

No, what has CR Biker temporarily not working on that 5,000-mile goal is the snow. Snow is in the forecast, too—naturally. Theme one for this winter has been “cold.” Theme two has been “snow.” If snow fell only once a week or less often, it would be pretty and pretty much appreciated, at least by me. If it gets sunny at all, and the temperature flirts with 20, two days will usually be about the right amount of time for streets to start to get bike worthy, for me.

We’re nowhere near that. It seems we can’t go more than 24 hours without flurries turning into a dusting turning into arctic temperatures turning into a semi-permanent white ice glaze on streets.

Well, even if there is little hope in the forecast for next week, we know that the days are lengthening and the mid-day sun won’t stay forever near the horizon. Light is returning the world.

May it bring warm. Soon, please.