Winter Bike to Work Week 2014

I know for some riders every week is bike to work week, but for others the rallying cry is just what is needed to get out the door and brave the cold, especially this year. For us it didn't hurt that several coffee shops around town were enticing riders with free coffee today. This has been one of the most fridged and snowy Winters in a long time, so when we stepped out the door to 5 degree temps it wasn't a surprise. 

Normally I would ride my Quiver disc with studded tires for the 13 mile ride in, but that was loaned out for one of our sponsored riders to run in last weekends Stuporbowl race in Minneapolis. Next choice was my Charge Cooker fat bike. This opened us up for the optional single track route along the Milwaukee River. The four mile stretch of well packed single track broke up our ride nicely. 

After 9 miles and a fun romp through some single track a hot cup of coffee was on my mind. A quick stop at Colectivo Coffee's Foundry location was just the thing to pump a little warmth through our veins. Colectivo is a big supporter of local cycling and its no surprise they were offering free coffee for bike commuters this morning, something we weren't about to pass up. 

Duty called so we had to leave the warmth and step back into the cold. Looks like a hot cup of coffee was just what Joel needed to make it the rest of the way in. No matter what your motivation, or frequency of riding in the Winter this week is a great chance to brush of the cold and get out there for nice Winter commute!

by Nick Ginster