• The bike seat stays in the basement and we rely on our trailer to commute with our son. 
• My husband accidentally squeezes himself into my rain pants . Our foyer is a cacophony of black pants and shells that rustle like leaves when we walk by.
• Jane Healy reports about her amazing traffic busting, energy building, heart expanding cold weather rides with her children (posted to the Bike Winter list serve last week).
• The Chainlink lights up with questions and stories about what kinds of tires and tricks to use on icy roads. (For those looking for some Bike Winter basics info, l will be giving a 15-20 minute “how and why” presentation at the Cultural Center this Thursday at 12:15.)
• Our calendars are full of biking events, from rampaging Sweaters, Santas, Little Elves and Dreidles. . .  to neighborhood rides (Jefferson Park and Lake View). . .  to giving your salted bike TLC (West Town and Recyclery)  . . . to just hanging out and swapping winter warrior stories (maybe start out with Derailleur Assembly and end at Chainlink bar night). This is just a sampling of Bike Winter events on Chainlink. Also, looking ahead--get your videos rolling for the Jan. 2 Film Fest at Facets.
  

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The Bike Winter elves in Chicago and elsewhere have been busy these last few weeks.

Holly Rhode is still in the saddle! And she’s convincing others too. Check out her recent post about taking a friend on her wintry commute. 

Up in Madison, WI, Aaron Crandle and others are filling out their Bike Winter calendar faster than a snow plow tears down Western Avenue.  Their need for stickers to spread the word up north tipped the scales to doing another sticker printing (thanks, Howard!) Check out their Facebook page and say hello.

And here’s an inspiring, enough to melt the iciest, crustiest unshoveled sidewalk, note from Gina Overshiner:Hi.  I live in Columbia MO and have been a bikewinter.org  fan for years.  I love your new sticker and am planning on getting a few. I am a long time 4 season cyclist.  This year, I started a middle school Bike Brigade at my son's school. We have 6 very dedicated kids riding this year and as the temperatures have started to dip, their resolve to ride all winter grows.   I have
come up with some small incentives to keep them going.   I know they would be thrilled with the opportunity to "earn" a bike winter sticker.  See http://pednet.org/newsroom/archives/2010/bikebrigade.asp Gina, stickers are on the way!

On the home front, please pardon our dust as our web work continues. As sure as spring will come again, the site will be fixed up soon. . . and definitely before spring.  We are starting to add images people have been submitting. Keep them coming, please! Many thanks to Todd Gee, who has been working with Howard to create a new calendar that will work for multiple
cities. He launched (beta) a new version less than 24 hours before welcoming our newest cycling sister into the world. Congrats to the Phillips-Gee family.

If you want to see some ruddy Bike Winter faces tomorrow night, be sure to tune in to WTTW’s Biking the Boulevards. Bike Winter volunteers will be picking up the phones for the pledge drive. Thanks to Lowell and Julie, our 2010-11 co-chairs, for starting a new tradition. It will be great exposure for the cause, as well as helpful to a local institution.

I am sure I am forgetting something. . . chime in, stay warm and keep spreading the Bike Winter cheer!

Gin Kilgore (BW grandma and web elf)