It is perfectly possible and usually pretty easy to cycle throughout the
winter, but you'll need to adapt. In particular, winter can be challenging
because it can be wet, cold, slippery, and dark. On the other hand, it's
generally easier to dress for cooler temperatures than for extreme heat. Often
the biggest problem is avoiding too much clothing; most people dress for the
temperature they feel when they get on the bike, but warm up so fast from the
exercise that they overheat!
Dealing with water
- The main problems are keeping rain or snow off without sweating too much inside.
- Underwear made out of "wicking" material (not cotton) helps draw moisture away from your skin.
- Jackets: jackets with vents will help with air circulation. Some people buy Goretex or other breathable fabrics, but for many people a simple shell jacket, with no liner, works well as part of a layering system.
- Front fender/mudflap: keeps your feet dry and helps keep water and salt off your frame, chain, and shifting cables.
- Rear fender: keeps you from getting a muddy stripe on your back, as well as helping to protect your bike and any panniers or other bags in which you transport things.
Dealing with cold
- Stay dry! (See above)
- Don't dress too warmly; dress in thin layers you can easily remove, jackets with zippers you can adjust, etc. You should dress to be a little cold when you leave the house so you will be about the right temperature after riding a few minutes.
- Protect your extremities:
- Fingers: mittens are warmer than gloves. Layer if necessary. Shell mitts over mittens are the warmest.
- Head/neck/ears: balaklavas (ski mask), fleece headbands, or a hat thin enough to fit under helmet are all good.
- Feet: keep them dry--fenders help here.
- A common mistake is to put on a thick pair of socks under the same shoes you wear to bike in in the summer. If you don't loosen the laces on the shoes, this reduces blood circulation and makes for cold, painful toes.
- If the temperatures are warm enough to wear the same shoes, try thinner socks that are longer. Warming up your lower leg in this way helps to keep your feet warm without harming circulation.
- Many people find that a pair of light hiking boots work well in the winter.
- Others use some kind of cover over their shoes. There are specially made over boots like this available at bike stores or online.
- Eyes: some people find cold air makes their eyes hurt.
- Ski goggles will help if you have some.
- If you buy a pair of ski goggles, try them on with your helmet on. Some goggles are designed to be worn with a helmet, but others are too large for this.
- Inexpensive safety goggles from a hardware store will also work.
- Use layers to protect your core.
- The best combinations are layers with an outer shell and various layers underneath. Biking is similar to running in that it is exercise, but it differs mainly because of the wind chill that you make when biking. A bright colored shell jacket is probably the most important part of a winter biking wardrobe. You can spend from $20 to $500+ for a jacket, depending the jacket material. Many of us have a yellow shell jacket that cost around $40-$50 and lasts for many years. Biking and running shops are good sources, but just about any wind-breaking jacket will do.
- If you plan to bike in the dead of winter, a pair of shell pants is also valuable. Most of the winter this is overkill, but in windy and sub-zero weather, the pants are a very helpful addition. The best wind pants have elastic ankles, zippers near the ankles, pockets, and draw-string waists. Wind pants are available at biking, running, and other sporting goods stores.
- Under the shell layer you vary your clothing to fit the temperatures and your own preferences.
- With the shell protecting you from wind, moisture, and much of the cold, many people wear surprisingly little underneath. You easily get too warm biking!
- Avoid cotton where possible, since it will get wet with perspiration and then will start making you cold.
- If you wear cotton underwear, you may want to take another pair with you to change into when you get to your destination.
- Though it may seem strange, Coolmax and other summer fabrics work well as lower layers, since they wick sweat away and keep you dry. (This writer uses just various cheap Coolmax shirts under a shell jacket for most of the winter. This is quite comfortable, and gets amazing stares when he gets to work and removes the jacket outside to let out the steam!)
- If you bike to work in your work clothes, have a set of work clothes at the office as a backup. You never know when a passing truck will dump a gallon of slush in your lap.
Dealing with slippery conditions
- If your wheels skid (especially your front wheel), you can lose balance and fall very quickly. It's actually rare for there to be enough ice for this problem if you use the roads, but sidewalks and paths are often covered with ice.
- Using brakes:
- Brake slowly or lightly. Avoid panic stops by looking ahead and slowing down for potential hazards early.
- Normally your front brake stops you more quickly. But in very slippery conditions it can be easy to lock up your front wheel, so you may want to rely on the rear brake more--you have a better chance of recovering from a rear-wheel skid.
- When braking to make a turn, do all of your braking in a straight line before you start to turn. Turning and braking both require traction, and braking and turning at the same time can cause you to lose traction.
- Corner very gently: changing direction too quickly on slick surfaces can also cause spills.
- Plan ahead: since you can't dodge or brake as quickly, ride slowly, watch the road well ahead of you, and anticipate changing conditions.
- Tires: studs? wide vs. narrow? knobby vs. smooth?
- Different tires are good for different conditions. If you have a mountain bike, you have a wide range of options for tires. Some people prefer mountain bikes for transportation in part because of the wide range of tires available for 26" wheels. If your wheels are 700c, mostly used on road bikes and hybrid bikes, your options are more limited, but there are still good options.
- Studded tires are expensive and heavy, but work better than anything else in rare icy conditions. The more expensive the studded tires, Nokians for example, the better the tires are for general riding as well. If you are using an off-road path or sidewalks however, you should expect more ice because these facilities are usually cleared last if at all.
- Wider tires designed for mud or sand work well on most snowy or slushy roads, but are less efficient for clear pavement. For 700c wheeled bikes, look for cyclocross tires, which often fit road or hybrid frames and have knobs like off-road mountain bike tires.
- In some conditions, such as thick, loose snow, narrower tires actually work better! Wider tires are designed to "float" on top of snow, much like snowshoes do for walking. Narrower tires can cut into the snow which sometimes works better.
- See the link below for "Icebike" for more information about tire options.
- Avid bike commuters often find that having a second set of wheels works really well in winter. Most days a fairly normal set of wheels/tires works fine and are most efficient. However, for days with snow or ice, it only takes a minute to change to a second set of wheels that you have snow/ice tires on.
- Don't be afraid to ride in the right tire track, where the surface is often clearer. You have the same right to use the road as motorists, and if they have to go around you, so be it. Most of us have been biking for years or decades in the winter and haven't had problems. Motorists are almost always respectful and pass safely.
- Find a vacant lot/quiet area where you can practice when there's ice or snow. It takes just a little practice to learn to ride well on snow and be prepared for ice.
- You may just want to walk/X-C ski/take public transit/drive a car on days when roads aren't clear. Fortunately, this is usually only right after a big storm.
- To complain about poor roads and sidewalks in Ann Arbor: sidewalks: report the address to the city at 994-2818 (M-F, 8am-5pm) street maintenance: 994-1617; call 99-HOLES for potholes.
Dealing with dark
- With dark coming as early as five pm, lights are especially important; you're invisible without them, and you must be visible to be safe.
- Keep lights clean, aim them carefully, and check batteries frequently.
- Front light: Headlights are far more important than rear lights, legally required for biking in dark or wet conditions, and one of the most important pieces of safety equipment on a transportation bike.
- Small halogens are cheap ($10-$30) and bright enough for low speeds, but suck up batteries. Use rechargeables.
- Blue and white LED's are inexpensive, very power efficient and may give up enough light for you to be seen, but will not help you see the road.
- More powerful bike light systems with rechargeable battery packs will shed enough light for you to see the road ahead at very high speeds, but they can be expensive ($30 to $400, with many in the $100 to $250 range), and you must remember to keep them charged.
- Generators remove the need for batteries, and provide less light than powerful rechargeable systems but more than the smaller halogens: rim- or tire- driven generators are least expensive and easiest to install; hub generators are most efficient and reliable, but cost $150-$250 (including the cost of building a new wheel around the hub).
- Rear light: red led's are cheap ($10-$20), effective, and battery-efficient.
References