Its a problem in North Dakota and I get the feeling that you in Minneapolis weren't biking all winter with the extreme chills and snow. If you were, then fine but a normal bike rider would be killed.
[In Minneapolis, nothing stops bicyclists — not even winter](http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-minneapolis-winter-bikin...)
[Biking is up, even — and especially — in cold weather](http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/236827801.html)
[Twin Cities winter bike community feels the pinch](http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/247300181.html)
[Why would you bike commute in the winter](http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/01/29/why-would-you-bike-c...)
[Ride on in Winter (2011)](http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/114216374.html)
Cold can be a problem, but it's also a problem for drivers. Rain can be a problem. Heat can be a problem. But all of these can be overcome, and these are just some of the problems with getting more people to stop driving to work (I personally think proximity to work and perceptions of being seen biking to work are bigger problems in the USA, but I haven't studied the problem much).
Some key thing are that it's very flat and there are bike roads which are snow plowed consistently. And there are lots of students.