Winter in Michigan

I once worked with a guy who told me that the Michigan state color was Overcast. That is the best one word description of what winter is like in Michigan. Compared to the rest of the Midwest it's not really that cold and, on the east side if the state where I live, it doesn't really get that much snow. But you don't get to see the sky or daylight very much. Winter makes biking a 7-8 month activity. This year I didn't bike at all in November and the only ride in December was one on the Pinellas Trail in Florida. I'm not sure I can count that one. Any ride where you pass both Christmas decorations and oranges on a trees seems bogus.

Well, what can you do bikewise in Michigan in the winter? One thing, if you live in SE Michigan, is to ride the 1st Dozen on January 1st in Dearborn, put on by the Cycling Saddlemen. About 150-200 people who look like the Michelin man do it most every year. One year they played "The Ride of the Valkaries" as we rode off. Another thing is to be sure that you are on the mailing list for the PALM. Then, at the end of January, when all hope is gone and all memory of anything but mittens and down jackets has faded away, there appears in your mailbox a PALM application and the promise of Summer. Even though all you see is tundra, the days are getting longer. (Click here to email us your mailing address.)