Hello, my name is Tracy Halasinski and I am VP of External Communications for BikeDenver. We are starting a new monthly feature on our website and this is the first in a series of columns by BikeDenver members. We hope that you enjoy the columns and that you stop by our website often to check them out as well as the other features on the site.

Given that this is January, it seems appropriate to write a column on the New Year and what it might bring. I’m not one for resolutions, but the New Year seems to be as good a time as any to think about what’s ahead.

Tracy Halasinski

In terms of bicycling, January can be a difficult month. It’s cold and it’s dark. January is the darkest of the winter months for me. So the saying goes, it’s always darkest before the dawn. It is difficult to get up on those cold winter mornings and face the ride to work. As I pedal away from the house, my eyes water and it’s hard to catch my breath in the biting cold air until I get warmed up. It seems like cruel and unusual punishment to make my poor bicycle get out in the cold. My nose runs constantly and the snot gets in my balaclava. Sometimes the balaclava makes it hard to breathe and makes my glasses fog up. My fingers and toes get cold. Why do I do it? Some days, it’s hard to say. It could be the feeling of accomplishment of riding on such cold days, or knowing that I’m saving on gas and wear and tear on the car, or that I’m getting exercise, or maybe it’s the righteous feeling I get by leaving my car at home. Come on, bike commuters, admit it, you can’t help but feel a little bit superior when you arrive at your destination via bicycle. It’s probably a combination of all of the above. Really, though, the most important reason is because I enjoy it. The feeling of freedom that I had as I kid on my bike has never gone away. I get to experience the sights, the sounds and the smells of my route. And even though my commuting route is nearly the same every day, it is never the same ride.

Even though January is the darkest of winter months, there is plenty to enjoy. The crisp air and brilliant blue skies, the bright sun reflecting off the just-fallen snow, the long, thin shadows cast by treeless branches and the promise of spring just around the corner.

Get out there and enjoy what winter cycling has to offer. Be safe and be nice! Wave to your fellow cyclists, as we are few and far between in these winter months.

by Tracy Halasinski, BikeDenver VP External Communications

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