The universe tested my new resolve to bike through winter by dumping 8″ of snow on Manhattan. (Far less than the historic blizzard predicted, still a mess.)  The city was shut down on Monday, and other factors kept me home yesterday too, but this morning I suited up and wheeled Monty into the sun and c-c-c-cold (24ºF, 9 mph wind).

I keep his tires pumped to 100 psi. Many experts recommend lower pressure for better traction in winter; however, I realized I have no idea how to let air out. (Brady? Belichick?) No matter – my boy’s Schwalbe Marathons cut through slush like buttah, even over cobblestones.

As I entered the park I could see that the Hudson River Bike Path had been plowed, but a layer of snow and ice remained.

Once I was out of the shade, though, the path was quite clean. There were a few other hardy souls on foot, and I passed two on bikes.

It’s a beautiful day. I’m so glad I skipped the subway!

A repurposed cowl kept my head and face from freezing.  I knit it in qiviut, a yarn spun from the downy undercoat of musk oxen, supposedly the warmest fiber for its weight around. The cowl is thin enough to fit under my helmet, just lacy enough to let me breathe freely, and quite warm.

We made it! Stay tuned for Part II: The Ride Home.