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Winter bikers defy weather

On the most frigid winter nights, they are a startling sight.

Out of the darkness they appear: the flicker of a bicycle's back reflector as the rider cruises over icy streets and past the bumper-to-bumper traffic.

From Minneapolis to Milwaukee, from Alaska and Illinois to Sweden and even Russia, winter bikers - and the clubs and Web sites devoted to them - are springing up all over the place. Some are in it for the workout, some because they want to live in a world with fewer automobiles and less consumption of fossil fuels, according to an article from The Associated Press.

To fully understand the phenomenon, AP reporter Patrick Condon decided to try it for himself.

"I've lived in Minnesota the majority of my life but never had I steered a bicycle across ice-covered streets," Condon wrote. "I viewed those who did as at least a little insane. Until I gained a fresh perspective."

After reading the story, you can visit these Web sites:

Home of the Winter Cyclist: http://www.icebike.org/
Bike Winter: http://www.bikewinter.org/main.php

Roger 0 comments 7:32 PM