Cyclists ride through snow

This weekend, about 50 bikers lined up at City Hall despite freezing temperatures and high wind chill.

Their mission was to promote biker safety and regulation through Bloomington’s third annual Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Bike Ride.

The cycling event took place at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Weather was not as bad as it had been in the few days prior, but bikers still had to ride through low temperatures and snow-covered paths.

“In the end, I would say that I gained some confidence in my ability to ride through snow,” Bloomington Bicycle Club blog editor Allan Edmonds wrote on the club’s blog.

“Everyone had a good time exploring bike routes in Bloomington. At last it lived up to its name.”

Two routes were offered — one not so terrible, and another for the most “fearless” riders, according to a press release.

The Terrible Route was a total of three miles and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Route was seven miles long.

Bloomington’s City Planning Department organized the event with help from the Bloomington Bicycle Club.

The club presented the film “A Winter of Cyclists,” which tells the story of 12 cyclists who commute via bicycle in Boulder, Colo., rain or shine.

Bloomington Bicycle Club President Jim Schroeder said he thought the film sent a strong message about the commonality of people using their bikes to commute, even in the winter.

“We’re trying to promote that bicycles do belong in traffic,” Schroeder said. “It’s not just a summertime sport and that’s why we’re doing it in the winter. We want to show people that they can ride year-round.”

The two routes highlighted bike paths that newer riders might not have been aware of.

The goal was to show bikers more ways to get around Bloomington so they would be encouraged to commute despite weather, according to a BBC post.

It also emphasized how important it is to obey traffic laws and act like vehicles. If bikers want to be treated like cars, they can’t pick and choose what rules they
follow.

“Unfortunately, a lot of motorists see people on bikes and say, ‘Oh, must be a student’ or ‘Oh, must have lost their license,’” Schroeder said. “But actually, I would say the bulk of riders — especially during the winter — ride because they want to. A little cold fresh air before you work kind of motivates you.”