I’m always up for a challenge, especially when it’s on my bike. Bike touring? Yup. Duathlon racing? You betcha. Winter riding? Of course! That’s why I’m ringing my beautiful bell in support of the B-icicle challenge. Emily D’Ath and Monica Tan, two Americans living in Beijing, have challenged cyclists around the world to continue riding through winter. They’ve even set up a blog and a Facebook page so you can follow their winter-riding adventures and post your own stories, tips and photos to share with all-season cyclists worldwide.

I love riding too much to put my commuter in storage just because the temperature drops. Sure, there’s the odd time when it’s too icy to be safe, but that’s when Bixi comes to the rescue (I’m lucky to live near a docking station, and Bixi Toronto recently relocated some stations outside the original zone, which will make reaching Little Italy and The Distillery much easier by bike share). And true, there are times when I’ll use public transportation to travel to the suburbs to visit Mom. But for the most part, I’ll be leaving my apartment on bike this winter because riding is a part of me – it feels unnatural to not be clipped in. Even in the middle of a snowstorm!