Winnipegger braves extreme cold on Bike to Work Day

Bike to Work Day happens to be on one of the coldest mornings of the winter, and at least one Winnipegger was brave enough to face the cold on two wheels Friday.

The day is a worldwide movement where people leave their cars at home, brave the cold and pedal off to work.

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"It was great," said Zach Fleisher, who took a 12-minute morning ride from the West End to his work downtown. "The temperature, I find, isn't the biggest factor that you have to deal with. It's moreso the wind and the conditions around you."

Fleisher said if cyclists dress warm enough, biking to work is fine. 

"I personally wear goggles, because I find that the wind gets into my eyes and it can make you cry actually," he said. "If your tears freeze, it's pretty much the worst thing ever."

For his first year of winter biking, he got a bike with studded tires to tackle Winnipeg's ice and snow.

"It wasn't a huge adjustment, to be honest, and I would encourage Winnipeggers to try it out once in a while," he said. "You're able to get out there and move in the morning just before your work day, and it's a great way to get rid of stress right after the work day too."

He bikes to work most days, except the day after a snowfall, because he finds it hard to navigate.

"The biggest tip I would give for Winnipeggers who are thinking about riding or getting into it is that you should always, always check the weather, because if it's really really poor weather conditions outside, you definitely don't want to be slipping and falling all over," he said.