February, 2012:  December, January and even early February  have shown us some of the most pleasant winter biking days in recent memory, despite forecasts of a "bad" winter.  We like to remind people curious about trying year-round cycling  that winter cycling does not mean riding headlong into a blizzard from December to March, and that as we've seen there are many mild and dry days  to be enjoyed during a typical midwestern winter. Barring some sort of cataclysmic cosmic event, we will most certainly have some cold and snowy days ahead.  For tips on how to manage, see our how to page and our notes from Chicago's Bike Winter season kick-off event, where nearly 60 people gathered to share tips and encouragement.

The colder months are an important time to make sure there's plenty of opportunity to break out of hibernation mode and enjoy the company of others, so think about what events you want to help organize. Are you crafty? Host a fleece cutting party to help with gator and balaclava production. On the sidebar to the left, there's a link to our list of events. Events will be added regularly, so check back often.  And feel free to add your own!

If you are in Chicago, get involved and stay in touch via the Bike Winter listserv, the BW Chainlink group, or by contacting us. People in Madison should check out their Facebook page. And feel free to help keep Bike Winter rolling via our Paypal donation page.

We love this photo of Lorena Cupcake posted on The Chainlink by Archie from whateverland.com. Cheer beats chill!