Bikes on Campus

Riding a bicycle in Alaska during the winter months is a bit more challenging than in many other parts of the world. I would say it is due to the frozen and bumpy ground more than the cold and darkness. Temperatures during the months of January and February can easily drop to -20 F, but I know that that would not stop me from riding, nor the fact that it is dark most of the time. With 10:30am sunrises and 4:30pm sunsets, anyone can see that our days in Anchorage are not quite a full days, yet, you will see people riding year-round.

Fortunately for Californians that's not the case as you can see in these pictures.  We visited the University of Stanford in Palo Alto, CA and even though it was not my first time, I wanted Diana to see the bike culture in this beautiful part of the world.

Anchorage gets considerable amounts of permanent snow each year. Let me clarify that permanent snow is that which falls and stays the rest of the winter as opposed to lower 48 snow. That permanent snow will become ice...yes very uneven ice, very bumpy and dangerous for a bicyclist.

If we had a weather that remotely resembled the California one, I know I would probably not own a car. These pictures were taken at the plaza in front of the chapel.

Row after row of parked bicycles

We took this picture as we waited for the shuttle to take us back to Palo Alto. Bikes everywhere :) I see it just normal for someone studying here to move around campus by bike 



Stanford University - Palo Alto, California 2011