Rant from an Icebiker

I am part of an unofficial organization that I call the Icebikers. We bike through most of the winter. It is a sometimes treacherous but mostly satisfying endeavor. However there is certainly on thing that irks me most when biking in winter- inadequate snow removal.
For the icebiker, staying in the saddle is the ideal. I don't like to "portage" through sections of road or sidewalk every quarter mile. The icebiker appreciates a shoveled nearly to the concrete sidewalk and dispises a "snow hump" where the sidewalk and street meet. Typically I find the streets to be more maneuverable than sidewalks due in large part the inconstancy of shoveling given to the sidewalks.
The other day I made my first icebike appearance of 2009. With the addition of a studded tire, I was able to make it to work on time. On the way back I took a different route and regretted it. A whole block of sidewalk on a busy street wasn't even shoveled. In the Go the last snowflake fell on Saturday and I believe there is a 48 hour rule on sidewalk snow removal. I actually had to ride on a one way street facing traffic to get out of the mess. I'll avoid that route for a while.
Another killer for the icebikers is the wind chill. It can really deprive you of internal heat. Typically I don't ride below zero. I've done it but it gets miserable for the distances I need to cover to commute. It's hard enough having to plow through snow. However, bike anxiety and occasional peer pressure makes me defy the cruelest winter days.