About a year ago...

Last winter I worked at SRAM in Chicago while living in Milwaukee. (Most of you remember/know this, I think). When I got up in the morning, it was dark and cold out. When I got back to Milwaukee at night, it was dark and cold out. I had four separate bike rides each day (Milwaukee and Chicago, AM and PM) and had to dress in warm clothes that wouldn't get wet and make me miserable during the train ride, which was a little over 2 hours each way.

While organizing our new apartment last night, all of the winter cycling gear got stashed near the door in the bike room. The shoe covers, wool hats, glove liners, lobster claw gloves, headbands, goggles, balaclavas and Lake winter cycling boots (which get an A+) all got organized in milk crates. This winter if I do any commuting, it will be in my very own vehicle. I looked at all of the well-used gear and felt just a little nostalgic.

I won't miss the slush being splashed on me, the slippery roads or the salt build-up on my poor bikes. But when I looked at the boots, I remembered striding into the train station during mild blizzards, the cleats on my boots announcing just how bad.ass. I was for braving the storm. There's nothing like thinking you're cool to make a miserable situation bearable.

And when I think about it, it's also kind of like cyclocross and its popularity. The worse the conditions, the more 'epic' it is. There's never so much discussion after a race as when the race was in inclement weather. Oh, cyclocross <3