Close-up view of bike spokes

30 Days of Winter Biking: January 2019

January 2018, I decided to try a self-challenge of biking 30 days in the month. I was aiming for 31 but was out of town for 3 days and couldn’t find a bicycle on that middle day. Still, I biked over 400 miles, lost 8 pounds, and gained a new sense of appreciation of winter and a proud sense of determination that kept me biking nearly 3,000 miles the rest of the year. I was taking a personal spin (see what I did there?) of the internationally-famous annual April “30 days of biking” challenge.

I’m going to do it again, aiming for 31 days, though I won’t beat myself up (like I did before) it I don’t bike every day. Who’s with me? You can bike indoors or out, and bike as little or as much as you want. It’s a self-challenge, so you don’t need to document the miles unless you want to. I log my miles manually through the Love to Ride website, the org that hosts the national bike challenges.

I will post on social media every day I bike, keeping myself honest and happy about my daily bike adventures, and will use the #30daysofbiking hashtag.

Winter biking is NOT easy. It takes time, patience, money, layers, cold noses, frozen eye lashes and, at least for me, a stubborn streak. But the benefits are a healthier, happier me and you.

Start 2019 on a bike and enjoy the ride!

Snow, ice, beauty, happy.

Melissa Wenzel

About Melissa Wenzel

Car-free bicycle advocate, passionate state employee, union leader. MN's "Industrial Stormwater Sherpa." Human being first, government employee second.