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Winter Bike documentary seeks to make the snowy activity seem more appealing

Trying to show the bike as a four season machine

Group of bikers on the road. Cloudy winter day. Film look image.

A new documentary that is set to premier this week hopes to make cycling through the winter more appealing to Winnipeggers. Filmmaker Christopher Mitchell followed several cyclists over 32 days of winter riding in 2015. Mitchell told Metro New Winnipeg that the film is supposed to inspire commuters to realize, “a bike isn’t a one-season or a three season machine.”

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We couldn’t agree more and with proper preparation, winter cycling can be a blast for those who are ready to brave the elements. What the film tries to convey is that a bike can be a four-season machine. It doesn’t need to warm up and it’s easier to dig out. It also can often be faster in congested city centers. With knobby tires running lower pressure for increased traction and proper apparel, cyclists in cities across Canada ride through the winter.

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Montreal, CA, 7th March 2016. Man riding bike on Rachel Street during snow storm

Metro News spoke to Steve Langston who is an author, cross-country rider and winter cyclist who said many people don’t understand why he rides year around. Langston said, “The best advice I ever got about biking in the winter: just don’t quit biking,” he said. “It snows? You just keep biking—in your head you don’t have a season, you’re just biking.”

Mike Branconnier rides his fat bike during the winter. The wide tired machine is better suited for snowy conditions but certainly doesn’t take away all the challenges of winter riding. “It’s not only all the regular things cycling would normally put you up against, being fit and coordinated and planning your route and stuff, but you have the weather to contend with as well, the machine is heavier… it’s harder to push around, sluggish,” he explained.

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The documentary will be released later this week and premier on MTS. Trying to demonstrate that the challenges of winter cycling are worth overcoming because the reward is self-satisfaction. Andrea Tetrault is another winter cyclists who told Metro News that people’s reactions vary from you’re cray” to “that’s awesome, I’d love to do that.” She continued saying, “People are curious, but it’s a cautious-curious. “”

Though winter cycling can seen hardocre, Mitchell created the documentry to show, “Bikes are extremely versatile and can go through anything if you’re willing.”

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