Bicycling in Bloomington

 My January riding was more than usual but less than I hoped for. I rode at least 81 miles but almost 60 miles were done on two Sundays early in the month. However, I don’t think I recorded all my commutes, so the mileage was a little higher. While the mileage wasn’t high, I rode indoors on 21 days. Usually, indoor training is more efficient than outdoor riding but it’s not nearly as much fun.

More rides were possible in January but I chose alternate activities. For example, the past two Sundays (my long exercise day), I ran for at least 75 minutes. This morning, the temperature averaged 25^o on my two outdoor thermometers, so I chose to run. I have often gone for rides at that temp, but I’m trying to do more running this year.

I generally ride as early in the day as I can. During the summer, I try to get out at first light. In the winter, I try to get out as close to 8 AM as I can. This morning, I would have experienced a lot of ice on the roadsides if I had gone for my typical winter ride. I could tell because I ran along some of the route. Later in the day, the same ride would have been much more pleasant.

Winter weather in Bloomington generally is not too bad and many days, it’s nice after the sun has warmed the air. For those who ride in the afternoons, it’s possible to ride comfortably through most of the winter.