Cold Weather Cycling – How to Predict Which Day is the Coldest/Shortest Day of the Year
As winter approaches many “fair weather cyclists” give up cycling or turn to indoor cycling. What if you can predict when the coldest day of the year would be? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has compiled all of the data from 1981-2010 in the U.S. and placed the info in an easy to read map to wherein the coldest day(s) are color coded based on 30 year averages! This means that scientists can figure on average which day of the year is the “coldest day.” Or least they have a very educated guess. The question is will you sleep in or ride on the coldest day of the year? RIDE. Add it to your long list of crazy things you do on your bike.
For those of us in the Western half of the U.S. the coldest day of the year is in December. This means that for many of us we may have already experienced the coldest day of the year – this is great news! Dreaming of outdoor cycling again brings a smile to my face for sure, of course in Arizona we can ride our bikes all year. In fact I do ride all year. In the winter months it’s all about the layers. Layering the appropriate winter weather gear will keep you warm enough to continually ride throughout the year. A good rule of thumb my friends and I go by when layering up is: if you’re not a bit chilly at the beginning of the ride then you have too many layers and you will be HOT and uncomfortable later in your ride.
For the Eastern half of the United States most of the “coldest day(s)” of the year seem to be in January and February. Worse, is that for many of those states there may be ice and snow to deal with further restricting your ability to ride your bicycle. No amount of layers will prevent you from sliding around on the ice! Be careful out there and find a great group of cyclists who aren’t afraid to spin on the trainer with you. I have found in the past that a garage full of your cycling buddies all spinning on their trainers while watching a movie or spinning video is a great way to keep your cycling fitness up as well as keeping up your cycling social network. Give it a spin – literally.
As you ride in the dark and cold weather, we all wonder when the precious sun will be coming out again. This begs the question… when is the shortest day of the year? At which point can you wake up in the morning and get on your bike knowing that every day from here on out (until the summer solstice) you will get more and more sunshine in the mornings on your rides?! It all turns to the winter solstice.
The shortest day of the year is when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, when the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun at 23.5 degrees. The December Solstice occurs between December 21st and December 23rd. Every Year it’s a bit different depending on the Earth’s “wobble” and rotation around the sun (you can check it out here for more scientific reading). No wonder Santa gets out on the 25th of December! He needs as much night time as possible. 😉
When is it in 2014? Depends on where in the world you are. In Mesa Arizona where Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC is headquartered, the December Solstice is Sunday, December 21st at approximately 4:03pm MST. You can find out when it is for you at https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice.html. You can bet that I will be smiling at 4:03pm on Sunday the 21st of December this year as I know that every day for the next 6 months (approximately) I will be getting more and more sunshine in the mornings on my rides!
Be safe out there with your winter cycling. Layer up, and get out and celebrate the shortest and coldest day of the year… maybe they are even the same day in your hometown…?
Info and data taken from: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/when-to-expect-coldest-day-of-year; and https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice.html.
Arizona Bicycle Accident Attorney Ben Dodge
If you, or someone you know were injured in a bicycle accident caused by road debris, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles.
Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the country. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.
A Consultation With Experienced Arizona Bicycle Accident Attorney Ben Dodge is Free
In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.
Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are scheduled from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:
- Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
- The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
- Your cyclist’s rights, obligations, and any potential liability.
- The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
- The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.
You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922 (855.ONE.EZ.CALL). Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Mr. Dodge will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation for a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.
Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC
Call Ben Dodge today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 480.656.8334.
Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com
His Main Offices are located at:
Mesa Arizona (Home Base Office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206
Phoenix Arizona Office
2415 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Salt Lake City Utah Office
299 South Main
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
St. George Utah Office
321 N. Mall Drive, Suite 103
St. George, Utah 84790
Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire State of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and can assist in representation in all 50 states. He has helped cyclists in New York, Texas, California, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.