Winter Biking

Last year my rule was not to bike on days when the high was below 45 degrees, but due to some recent purchases I'm going to drop that temperature down a bit. Apparently I'm not alone

Washington, D.C.,-area cycling organizations say that greater numbers of commuters take up cycling to work each year, and many continue, regardless of the cold.

My favorite new product - the Bell Metro Bike helmet with winter gear. The winter gear is the key. No more stuffing the vents with newspaper and raw panda meat, no more wearing a stocking cap underneath and pulling it down to cover the ears. The winter gear fills the vent holes and attaches nice ear muffs. You can also get a rain shield, but I don't have that. I also think a good pair of booties are key.

‘‘Drivers should give cyclists plenty of space — as much as they would give to an actual car,” said Elizabeth Preston, director of communications for the League of American Bicyclists in Washington, D.C. ‘‘Cold weather and snow and ice only means they should give even more space than normal.”