Winter cycling tips

Perhaps you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to cycle more and you reckon that facing winter on two wheels is the best way to increase your saddle time. It could be necessity that sees you tackling the snow, ice and frigid temperatures on your bike. Whatever your reasons for winter cycling, it might be daunting at first. Not only are the conditions more difficult than any other time of the year, but also the prospect of purchasing gear to face the season might be discouraging to some riders.

The biggest winter riding concerns are surfaces, temperature and illumination. Accumulated snow can be prohibitive to cycle in unless it’s packed. Anything higher than four inches on an incline will bring you almost to a stop even in your granniest of granny gears. Until the four inches-plus on riding route that has been plowed or packed by many trampling feet or a few dozen snowmobiles, you risk a lot of pushing. If you’re in a couple of inches of white stuff, make sure to steer with your hips. Snow turns to ice on the road and that’s where the surface goes from being a hindrance to a danger. Ice crashes can be sudden and painful.

A rider can deflate her knobby tires a little to get more traction on ice and be very careful about what lines she takes, but the best solution for ice is purchasing studded tires. Unfortunately, a pair of these game-changers can cost more than $200, but they are worth the investment, especially if you buy carbide-stud models. This is the second winter for my Schwalbe Ice Spikers, and I can confidently spin over road surfaces that, taken on foot, threaten to leave me prone and stricken.

The lower temperatures demand layers, intelligently applied. Wicking base layers are best, but it’s difficult to balance the cold ambient temperature with the heat generated by exertion. Experiment with different combinations of clothing for different degrees of cold. I have three outfits: the Around Freezing Setup, the Winter Usual and the Forget About It!, which involves – just for my head – an ear-band, cycling cap, helmet, neck snood and scarf wrapped around my face.

Face tips: If you cover your mouth and nose, your eyewear will frost over and it will get harder to breath as ice builds on the fabric. Strips of duct tape on your nose and cheeks protect them moderately and are great conversation starters when you arrive at your destination.

I change over my pedals at the same time as I switch to the studded tires. Wide downhill pedals accommodate my snowboots and make it easier to dab in the snow, for I find myself lured by unplowed trails just to test their rideability.

Darkness prevails in winter and one needs, at the minimum, lights fore and aft to stay visible. Where I live, there’s plenty of night and a paucity of street lamps. The hardcore commuters around here employ powerful light systems to illuminate their way. I’ve gone with two medium lights clipped on my handlebars, one high and one low, and a headlamp cable-tied to my helmet. Most modern cycling clothing has reflective trim that glows under light.

Snow in the drivetrain causes skipping gears or might prevent your derailleurs from moving altogether. When the temperatures really dip low, like -25 C and lower, your bike might begin to malfunction. A heavier grease might help to prevent some problems but other mechanical failures are caused by moisture. Last winter at -30 C, my freewheel became stuck so that I couldn’t apply pressure to the pedals, but when I pushed my bike, the entire drivetrain spun as if I were pushing a fixie.

For some, the most difficult aspect of winter cycling is motivation. You won’t ride as quickly or effectively as during the rest of the year, there’s a certain degree of discomfort, and the extra gear gets expensive and cumbersome. But it can be a whole lot of fun and beats sitting on an indoor trainer so that your cycling muscles don’t atrophy. Your sense of adventure will be satisfied and your body will thank you for making the effort come spring.