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A new acquaintance recently emailed me to ask for some advice on what I’d recommend as must haves and clothing tips for getting in to winter riding. I’ve had and have seen some great threads about such discussions in the Twitterverse, so I wrote her back and then referenced some of these great conversations to make sure that I wasn’t overlooking something important. I felt pleased with my detailed email, thought it was a bit much but prefaced it with a Cliff’s Notes version at the start, just in case, and hit ‘send’.
But there was this one thread from 2017 that I couldn’t get out of my head because it is just so succinct and such great advice:
These may be 10 tips from some ‘Random Dude’ but they are spot on and ‘This Mom’ is going to flesh them out here, for better or worse! If you are just getting in to winter cycling or trying to work out the kinks and refine your strategies, read on:
Contents
Tip #1: Just do it
Very true. If you are even considering cycling in winter, chances are you aren’t overly adverse to being outside in winter and that you are familiar with cycle commuting, in general. So, you likely have some of the ‘right’ clothes to keep you warm on your journey already sitting in your closet, and you have a bike.
You do not need to consume more to start cycling in winter. You might find that, over time, you do want to make or make some purchases to fill a void to improve your comfort level, but really, don’t feel obliged to. Since fat biking has taken off, there is more and more specialized gear to fill that niche that you can spend your money on, if you like.
Tip #2: Keep it simple
What he said.
Install full housing on your cables to prevent water getting in them and freezing. Use fenders to help keep you and your bike a little more clean.
Or just use what you’ve got and accept that winter will be a bit harsh on it. Expect to replace your chain in the spring, bare minimum. Start to save a few bucks per month to be able to replace parts as you need them. It’s all still cheaper than operating a car or even buying a monthly bus pass.
Chances are if you’re riding a cargo bike because you have kids to move around town, it’s the only cargo bike you’ve got. Better to use it to its full potential than baby it and keep it hidden until the snow melts, in my humble opinion.
Tip #3: Wear what you’ve got
Other analogies are dress like you are going for a cross-country ski or a winter run, with a bit more on your hands and feet.
If you live in a wintery climate, chances are you’ve already got lots of options that will work. You will learn what works for you but yes, it will take some trial-and-error. Hopefully you ride with panniers and you can shed layers there (or store some for if you’re too chilly or if the forecast changes for your commute home).
Here is a great thread on what people wear in all sorts of temperatures:
And here’s a picture of my then 7 year old dressed for a -27C polar vortex ride to school on the back of one of our cargo bikes:
If you need to keep kids warm while commuting in winter, here’s what we do:
Tip #4: Protect extremities
Absolutely this. Extremities are the first to get coldest when you’re outside in colder temps, no matter what. But this is amplified on bikes because you are holding on to cold things and your feet are resting on cold things: all of these cold metal conducts heat away from your body.
For your hands, I adore pogies. I look for cross-country gloves or lobster-style mitts. Some people swear by leather work gloves or mitts with sheepskin or similar warm goodness inside.
For your feet, consider plastic pedals and regular winter boots, preferably something that has a flexible upper or is not full-calf. Some people swear by Blundstones (I do not). I wear wool-outer/fluffy-inner Bogs and they work well for me. Thick Icebreaker socks rock my world.
For the ultimate and very thorough guides on keeping your extremities warm, check out the King of Cold’s sage advice, from Coldbike.com:
Tip #5: Bike maintenance
The reason for washing above zero Celsius tip is that your powdercoat may crack in below zero temps, especially if it’s cold already and you douse it with warm or hot water. If you want to do a thorough clean, warm it up first (inside or in a heated garage), then rinse it with a pesticide sprayer filled with warm water, or use a damp cloth to really avoid getting water into places you don’t want (like inside your cables), or hop into the shower with your bike!
I have a bakfiets cargo bike so can’t hop in the shower with it! I tend to restrict my cleaning to when we have warm spells, called Chinooks, and we use a bucket of warm water and cloth. I could probably clean more, but it’s challenging when you store your bike in a cold place. Regular use helps to reduce salt build up, but if you go away on holiday and leave your salty bike to sit, expect issues when you get back because you’ll likely grow a salt farm (as learned from recent personal experiences!!!).
Other spots to consider: Drop of lube on your brakes’ pivot points (just keep it the heck away from your brake pads!!!). I have a belt drive for my drivetrain but a chain on my mid-drive assist, so have to lube it.
If you’re lazy or busy (like me) and can afford it, eventually opt for parts that require even less maintenance:
- belt drive (instead of chain)
- internal gear hub (instead of cogs and external derailleurs), or single speed
- drum brakes (all internal braking), coaster brake, or at least disc brakes (but rinse them periodically)
- dynamo hub (so you always have lights and don’t have to worry about dead batteries)
- fenders (help keep gunk off your bike)
Winter bike maintenance varies from user-to-user, from nothing, to rinsing after each ride. It’s part personal preference, how special your bike is to you, ability, time, and diligence. You’ll figure it out. If you find yourself to be pretty hands off, do the following at the very least:
Tip #6: Brake check
We live at the top of a hill so I support this tip 100%! We are right at the very top of the hill, so it is flat out our alley, but goes downhill steeply within about 25 metres. And then we go downhill some more once we are on the road. So I always, always check, especially since I usually have an extra 50 to 100 pounds on board!!!
I recently left my bakfiets over the winter break and it grew a salt farm on my brakes so the pistons were super gummy/seized because of the build-up. So, check your brakes.
Tip #7: Tires 101
I’d opt for at least knobby-ish tires in the winter, although have a buddy who often just rides his Schwalbe Big Apples on his heavy cargo bike. By “more edges”, Doug means a bit more knob on the outside of the tire.
I strongly recommend studded tires, they were a huge confidence booster for me and our climate (with its Chinook-influenced freeze/thaw cycles). However, they are not cheap, but expect them to last many seasons. If you commute regularly on the same route, you will develop what I call “ice memory”, which also helps immensely and it’s usually more-or-less the same every season due to drainage issues, etc.
Read this post if you want more details on tires:
Tip #8: Braking
Slough that speed before corners. Try to keep your body vertical. Relish leaning into corners again when the snow is gone and you have bare pavement (because it feels sooooo good)!
More riding tips can be found here:
Tip #9: Know your limit, play within it
And be open to the idea that these limits might change over time.
When we moved to Vancouver, my husband set a limit of taking transit on days where it was ‘really’ raining in the morning (i.e. not just drizzle). He pretty much never took transit because of it.
When we moved back to Calgary, he wasn’t sure about riding in the snow. He’d done it for fun and training as a teenager, mountain biking in Fish Creek in the winter in the 90s, but not for commuting. On the first decent snowfall he was walking down to the bus stop, slipped and broke his wrist (not badly, but enough to need a splint). He’s been riding in the snow ever since.
Lots of people set snowfall limits, eg. take the bus if it snows more than 8 cm, or cut-offs with respect to temperature, like -10C, -15C, or -20C.
You do you. Bike commuting does not have to be an all-or-nothing affair. Find your limit and play within it.
Personally, I’m crap at switching modes so I tend to just ride. But, that’s me. However, I do start to have mechanical issues when things get around -25C or so or below, so opt for our car then, but that’s just so rare for us (I’m not talking “windchill” or “feels like” temperatures).
Tip #10: Joy
There’s not much more I can add to this one! Except maybe this photo of me relishing a ride on fresh snow in a snowstorm, cozy in my new ski helmet and goggles set-up, feeling pretty darn joyful:
Other tips
A few other gems from this thread:
- “Enjoy thinking how much cheaper this is than downhill skiing.” @bigorangebike *snicker*
- “Studded [flat] pedals [are] also a must have to prevent the feet slipping off them.” @Steve_of_Ottawa
- I’d also add that plastic pedals help conduct less heat away from your feet.
- Some people choose to use clipless pedals throughout winter. In my humble opinion, many of those people seem to have a more challenging time keeping their feet warm.
Or from my blog:
- Top 5 Pieces of Winter Cycling Gear
- Winter Ride: But Why?
- Canadian Winter
- Keeping Kids Warm on a cargo bike
- Winter Tires
- When it Really Snows
- Techniques
And there’s this 5 minute video from the author of Frost Bike, Tom Babin:
When you’re feeling like this is an impossible task, think of these kids who bike in winter and know that if they can do it, you can to! Embrace a growth mindset. Check out this impressive thread:
Want to see more cycling infrastructure or better snow and ice clearance (SNIC) in your community? Write a letter to your municipal elected official. Click here for more tips on advocating for change:
Happy trails and keep the rubber side down! Enjoy the rodeo.
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- High Quality Bikes for Kids for Christmas: How to buy them in a pandemic (2020)
