Winter cycling...

Stop one along the work trip that will eventually take us up into the snowy northeast, is Penn State, in State College, PA.  Last night I walked around the college town with empty streets, I guess everyone was watching some important football game.  I came across this... advertisement? bike rack? Both?  What I found striking was that even though I found it difficult to walk on two feet, due to the ice in some spots, there were plenty of people braving the ice, and cold and cars on bikes around the campus.  There are a lot of bike lanes and greenways, both from what I can see and what I've been told.  A member of the lab I visited on Sunday told me that he bikes in everyday (rain or shine) about 3 miles.  Now 3 miles on a bike is a very nice commute.  I was also informed that people in State College, are "used to bikers".  How do we get the folks of Winston-Salem "used to bikers"?

Ok I do want to mention it here, I will also send an email around to everyone.  SAFETY FIRST.  I was watching the Vlogs from week #1 and a couple students scared me with comments like "I think Dr. Allen is trying to kill me" and "I rode to staples...and almost died".  My first reaction, before hearing the end of these honest comments was that you rode on the road and maybe had a conflict with an automobile.  It turns out that these "near death experiences" were due to the newness of this particular mode of transportation and the body's physiological response to exertion.   This is another issue entirely and please be wise as you bike, if you have never biked before, grab a friend to help you learn (yes, I know you are out there), and know your capabilities, if you can't go for a hour (unlikely in the gym due to boredom), bike for as long as you feel good.  Either way, please be SAFE!!!  Please wear a helmet and remember if you do choose to ride on a road that automobiles are big, heavy, fast, and dangerous.  People in Winston-Salem are not used to sharing the road, so please use extreme caution and use the greenway trails (no traffic) or small residential roads with light traffic.