[alanmcorcoran]

When I was 18 I had some financial and legal difficulties involving auto transportation and essentially lost my ability to own, operate or insure a car. At the time, a drivers license was not required to operate a 49cc moped. (These will do 45 on a flat road, a little more if you tweak them a bit.) I drove a Peugeot (and an American made replacement after it the Peugeot was stolen) for almost three years through some very harsh winters (Ithaca New York, sub zero temps, late seventies.) Having very little money, I rode with no special gear, crappy (sometimes no) gloves, work clothes (crappy cheap suits) and a crappy thrift store Army jacket. I can't say I enjoyed freezing my ass off (those years are probably why I will be a California resident until I croak) but I don't remember any serious accidents. You get a little wind protection on a moped - they're like a scooter in that you stick your feet and knees behind a fairing and you can crouch down a bit to reduce wind chill. It was a bit hairy going up and down hills on snow, but northern cities are pretty aggressive about plowing, sanding and salting so there usually isn't ice except in the middle of a freezing rain storm.

Just mention this because there are often financial/legal reasons, bordering on economic survival, that lead otherwise sane people to ride year round in cold climates.

I've been riding year round in CA too, which sounds like a joke, but I can tell you there are far more bikes out in the summer here than in February.