Tales from a Winter Bicycle Commuter
Posted by Courtney Goldberg
Before you even begin to ask the question, yes, winter bicycle commuters still exist on the North Shore. And yes, they still continue to bike to work even this winter. No, they are not clinically insane.
 Right after last weekâs snowstorm (theyâre all starting to blend together, arenât they?), I had a chance to catch up with Bill Woolley, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services at the City of Salem. Bill has been biking to work religiously for 21 years (the pictures above are of Bill's bike at the closed Commuter Rail station and parked outside of his office building). Bill genuinely enjoys his bicycle commute each day and says that he continues to bike in the wintertime because itâs easier to maintain the habit year-round than to stop biking in the winter months and try to resume come spring. Aside from a good deal of admiration for Bill and his dedication to his commute, hereâs what I learned from him.
C: What is your motivation for winter bicycle commuting?
 B: Naturally, the ongoing reasons for biking through the winter are the same as the rest of the year: itâs fun, good for my health and easy on my wallet. I also felt like if I stopped biking for the winter, it would be difficult getting started back up again in the spring. After that first year [in 1993 commuting from Beverly to Danvers], it was just a matter of facing and enjoying whatever challenges Mother Nature threw at me. I've slipped on snow-covered ice a few times, making turns I misjudged, but I've had so many layers of clothing on that the padding has kept me from getting injured.
 C: How is cycling in the winter different than it is other times of the year?
 B: The first thing that comes to mind is the degree to which I have to get geared up. Just getting dressed for my ride and undressed afterwards typically adds a half-hour to my daily commuting routine. As far as the actual ride is concerned, slipping on ice and slush is a challenge I don't have to face during the summer. The greatest danger, in my opinion, is during a snowfall when plows are out. They're focusing on their work, rightfully, and not expecting to see someone on a bicycle. I have to be hyper-vigilant about plows approaching from behind so I can get out of the way. Predictably, during a snowy winter commute, I get more name-calling. Drivers are more inclined to roll down their windows and yell unpleasantries. On the more positive side, biking during a snowfall, especially when schools have been called off, can be very peaceful. There are fewer motor vehicles to worry about and the ones that are on the road are going more slowly.
 C: What do you do to outfit your bike and yourself for winter cycling?
 B: I ride a mountain bike, with wide, aggressive tires, year-round. My bike has an excellent taillight and headlight, on which I depend for visibility. In the winter months when the days are shorter, I have to mount my headlight more often, but thatâs really it. When the weather is at its wintry worst (snowy, slushy, frigid cold), I wear, in order: long-sleeved T-shirt, heavy socks, sweatpants, water-resistant overpants, sweatshirt, fleece jacket, boots, water-resistant winter jacket, two ski masks, ski goggles, helmet and battery-heated gloves.
 C: How much more time does it take (including gearing up and down for a ride) to bike during the winter months?
 B: Bundling up and undressing can add as much as 30 minutes to my daily routine. The actual ride can be longer, of course, depending on road conditions. Last week, during the [third] blizzard, my commute took an hour and 20 minutes. It normally takes about 25 minutes. The wind was ferocious and the snow was piling up quickly. I took a longer route home (more side streets) to avoid plow caravans. I didn't dare pedal on the road across the Beverly-Salem Bridge, so I walked my bike on the protected sidewalk through a foot of snow and into the wind. I had to stop about every 10 steps just to catch my breath. I also stopped in the new MBTA parking garage in Beverly to clear the ice off my goggles and take an extended breather.
 C: Is winter cycling worth it?
 B: For me, unquestionably so. I can't honestly say [winter is] my favorite time of year for biking (not even close), but it's still more fun and, I think, safer than driving in winter. I've had people call me crazy and insane for biking in winter. Some friends have become genuinely exasperated with me because they think I'm endangering myself or, even, motorists. My argument is this: In the past 21 years of biking to work year-round, I've pedaled approximately 50,000 miles, compared to about 40,000 miles of driving a car for various reasons. During that time, I've been involved in five auto accidents (none of which were my fault and two in which I sustained injuries), compared to zero biking accidents (other than an occasional and harmless slip on ice). So, how does that support the argument that I'm safer in a car than on a bike?
 C: Is there anything else about winter bicycle commuting that youâd like to share?
 B: Yes, No parking problems! Motorists circle around blocks like vultures, waiting to pounce on the first cleared parking space that becomes vacant amid the snow banks. Wherever I pedal to, in Salem or elsewhere, I can always find parking very close to the door. Coffee shops, markets, friends' apartments...
Thank you, Bill for your descriptive and insightful comments!
 Do you practice a shared comment (bike, walk, take the commuter rail, bus, ferry, carpool or vanpool) to work during the winter months? Take a picture of your commute during the week of February 23rd and send it to us via Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #ownwinter. Weâll re-post/re-tweet it and you could win a gift card to Dunkin Donuts!











