Winter Bike Commuting: 10 Tips to Ride Safe

Every day for five years I cycled downtown to work and school, only hitching a ride when it got to under 10-below. Your article missed the part of wearing bright yellow outerwear. My death threats were cut by 98 percent when I bought a yellow parka. Red is not as visible as yellow, because many males having some degree of color blindness and red appears greenish.

Very interesting. I’ve ridden year-round in Saint Paul and Minneapolis since 1982 and just have a few other thoughts about the winter half of the year.

1) Winter riding is NOT for everyone and I would encourage anyone who wanted to try it to do so with a friend who’s more experienced. The safety issues are real, ever-present, and can be very, very serious. If at all possible NEVER RIDE ON ICE. That being said, there are different kinds of ice: black ice at intersections; wet, rutted ice after a spring snow dump and skimpy plowing; glare ice after a snowfall and insufficient salting. Glare ice is the most common ice that I see but even it has its varieties. Clean glare ice is (not surprisingly) slippery, but it sometimes isn’t as bad with a bit of snow on top of it.—The most serious accident I had on a bike was a day like today when it was clear and about 0 degrees F out. I approached the intersection of Prior and University in Saint Paul, saw some black ice, and instinctively hit my brakes. DUMB. Instantaneously, I was flat on my back, in front of an on-coming truck. I got out of the way and the truck avoided my bike but I had broken my helmet in the impact.

2) Which brings up the second point: for winter biking a good helmet is essential. I use a Bell Faction, with its hard shell and less wind-penetration. But I wish I knew how well it cushions at, say, minus 20 F, with the increased stiffness of the plastic at cold temperatures. (I know of no helmet company that evaluates their helmets for suitability at different temperatures.) I also regard a mirror as essential for safety.

3) I can’t imagine riding with toe clips—it seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Re: lights—I don’t know if you need to spend hundreds of dollars, but you definitely want them, and more is generally better. As a sometimes motorist, I find bicyclists using a headlamp very easy to recognize at night. Flashing headlights come in a close second. Be cautious using more than one tail-light: sometimes it can make you difficult to recognize for motorists.

4) I’m a gear junkie who’s also a cheap junkie. I paid $10 for my present winter bike at a yard sale. It’s an old Raleigh 3-speed, and as such has all the advantages of a single-speed bike (i.e. no dérailleur to get trashed in the salt-spray) with the addition of a transmission. —Internal hub transmissions are a great way to for bulletproof winter riding. One squirt of oil per month and you’re good to go.

5) You’ve probably noticed that drivers are crazier than normal when the first snowstorm hits. This manifests itself, among other ways, as a greater tendency toward aggressive behavior toward bicyclists. That makes the first snowstorm a good day to take the bus…except that your bike will probably beat the bus by a country mile.

6) Different conditions demand different tires. I commute along University Avenue, which is kept well-plowed. For that, the 26×1-3/8 tires of my Raleigh are fine most days. Studs sound super if you end up on ice a lot. Fat, lugged tires are the choice if you end up riding a lot on the hardpack near the edge of the road that’s been shoved over by the plows. The tire that works well in one condition may be a poor choice in another.

7) Winter commuting takes me double to triple the time of summer commuting. Part of it is that I’m riding a slower bike (—I use a dérailleur bike in summer) but part is also that the road conditions require slower riding. You also have to factor in all the additional time required to outfit yourself with your protective clothing and lights.

8) Clothing yourself is a challenge. I tend to ride in the same clothes I work in. However, When I arrive at work, I’m always sweaty, no matter how cold out it is. That means I get chilled at work and need a couple VERY warm sweaters to warm up. —Dressing for riding, for me, is done in layers. Down to 32, I use a wind-breaker. (—Note: Tricia is absolutely right about using a yellow or yellow-green wind-breaker—they’re by far the most visible. Wish I had one!) Below 32, I add a polarfleece jacket and a balaclava. Below 20, I switch from gloves to mittens. Below 0, I add wind pants. In strong wind below 0, I add a bandana below the balaclava, to add warmth and cover the last bits of exposed flesh around my eyes. I never use ski googles but (as of today) have a patch of fur on my mitten to wipe tearing from my eyes. Seems to work.

9) Road conditions can be hard to judge at night. Riding home last night, I noticed patches of what appeared to be dry pavement that were actually snow-covered, and patches of snow-covered ice that appeared to be dry pavement. Be aware that judging road surface from 50 feet can be a challenge.

Bottom line: winter riding isn’t “safe”. I wouldn’t even call it fun! But if you want to do it, the dangers can be manageable if you’re thoughtful and careful. And it doesn’t have to be expensive.

I consider it fun, primarily because I love biking and miss riding a lot when winter rolls around. So, I bundle up, turn on my 3 lights and go down the road smiling. I ride for the same reasons I do lots of other things. It brings me joy, even though – or perhaps because – there is risk involved. TV watching and bowling are not my idea of winter fun.

I don’t know bout ya’ll in the city, but wind out here in Mankato can create a real trial of epic size-a-ma-tude. If that there forecast says the wind is picken up, you can bet the extra cold feelin and the possiblitay of the wind smakin against your ugly mug will make wish you’d taken the 3:10 to work.

Oh, and pedalin up dem hills is fine so’s long as you keep your weight over the back tire or sit you butt down when you ride over icy spots. Although, testing your god given torque over the ice can be a rootin tookin sock in the weasel nuts…

Is it OK to use my downhill ski helmet. It works so well with the goggles—but is it safe for a fall on to pavement?

Rose,
Not sure. I’d contact a helmet manufacturer. But to me it would seem viable. Ski helmets are made to take impact from hard snow, rocks, tree trunks, etc.

I agree with Martin’s comments—“safety issues are real.” Wear bright yellow, a light, and…the most important clothing article for me is my North Face Windstopper neck gaiter. You lose so much heat through the neck area. After heating up, you can adjust it to vent if needed.

I’m a biker in Milwaukee, and this is the first winter I’m riding through. Martin’s comments sound spot on and are much appreciated. You need to be extremely careful out there. Before I found my “snow legs” I took a couple of good spills on fresh snow early in the winter. Luckily they were all on side streets with little traffic.

With the addition of studded snow tires, I have found that winter riding has ceased to become a harrowing chore and turned into something much more fun. On major streets I still feel more exposed than in the summer due to the reduced operating room on the streets. But about 3/4 of my 5.5 mile commute can be on side streets. Riding side streets with little auto traffic, and a fresh layer of snow, can be a very enjoyable experience. I see other riders a lot with the same road tires they use in the summer months, but I find the studded snow tires give me peace of mind, thus making it easier to stay loose and have a more enjoyable ride.

What else? Noticeable outfit would be an advantage to wear especially when the weather is nasty. The more vivid you are, the less risk is exposed to your life. Abbey.

I’ve been winter cycling in Winnipeg (the locals call it winterpeg) for three years now. It really is a great experience to break the winter blues. I find a key note dressing the proper amount, at -30 C it’s just as easy to overdress and arrive at work sweaty making the day and possibly the ride home uncomfortable.
Anouther key point is to get eyewear that is not too dark or what I did is get gogles with changable lenses. It gets dark early in the winter and cycling in the dark with dark gogles is dangerous, but then going without them is harrowing as well.

Good tip about keeping your bike cold. I never thought of that, but it makes sense.

Here in PA, I usually don’t ride if there’s snow and ice … that’s just too much of a chance to take … my luck is that I’d lose it right in front of an oncoming pickup truck and that would be the end of me. So all I worry about is the cold, and layering up is the main thing. I usually just need my batting gloves when it’s in the 30s, and my leather winter gloves do pretty well down to about 10, which is usually as cold as it gets here. The wifey won’t let me bike if it gets colder than that, anyhow. My old leather jacket serves pretty well toward breaking the wind. When it’s in the teens I have to break out the longjohns but jeans alone seem to do fine above that.

It’s a good point that it’s best to keep the bike below freezing or at least dry. When I first started riding in the cold a few years back I got a nasty splash of road salt laced liquid on my bike, I decided to hose it off before locking the bike in the rack at work. When I came back, there was ice all over the derailleurs! I got the front one freed up but I had to bike home … mostly uphill … with the back in fifth the whole way. Had to keep the bike indoors that night to thaw it!

Nice story, I learned some stuff.

I have been riding year round in Elk Grove Village Illinois and the Chicago area for since 1982 and coldest is -36. I love doing it but now looking at studded tires that I know work. Key is keep head, hands, and feet warm.

Try to find a NRS kayak helmet liner for winter cycling. It is the only helmet liner that give complete ear coverage that I know of. Comfy to 0 degrees.

Well I have commuted on a FS expensive bike for five years now through the cold dark canadian winter….

Good components well maintained can easily withstand winter riding.

Wow! What’s with all the doom and gllom. “Winter riding is unsafe and not fun!??”
Winter commuting is awesome. I stay in shape and avoided the winter blues. I loved the “is that guy crazy?” looks from people.
Have none of you ridden with studded tires. I have two sets – 26 × 2.2 inch Nokkian Extremes for my mountain bike and 700C x 38 Hakkopolitta’s for my commuter. All your problems with ice go away with these. I can ride through 5 or 6 inches of fresh snow with either.
I ride clipless pedals in dry or rainy weather. Neoprene booties and chemical toe warmers are added as needed.
For snow clipless pedals won’t work. Then I change to a platform/power grip set up with snowshoe boots.
In winter you may have to take the lane more often. If this isn’t for you probably won’t like bike commuting in any conditions.
Chris

I commute 12 months/yr on a fixie. Because of an aversion to ice, my comments relate only to staying comfortable and safe on dry roads. (I live in DC where I can pedal more winter days than not, despite my ice aversion.)

DC doesn’t get Fargo cold, but temperatures occasionally drop to the single (Fahrenheit) digits – which is cold enough. In my Vermont wintering youth, I learned that, like cyclists, X-country skiers have serious cold-weather sweat-dissipation issues. With a few modifications, dressing appropriately for X-country skiing (basically temperature- and wind-appropriate layers) has kept me comfortable on DC’s coldest days. DC winters might not get Fargo cold, but X-country ski clothing does. And there’s plenty of good, frugal, and highly relevant X-country experience to tap into. And good suppliers. So if you seriously want to know what works for your conditions, look at what the Nordic skiers use.

My key cycling modifications are:

1. Neoprene booties over cycling shoes;
2. highly visible outer layers; and
3. (when it’s especially cold or windy) downhill ski gloves/mittens – below 20F – and face protection – below 10F. (This isn’t really a modification from Nordic recommendations. They also use them, but at lower temperatures due to typically less wind.)

I followed this approach comfortably in the 1970s and ‘80s and have restarted since returning to DC (from the tropics) a few years ago. The neoprene booties are a major deviation from Nordic recommendations. They do not breathe. But they keep my feet warm in good cycling shoes. I’d love something breathable that insulates, wears and rides as well. But I’ve not found it, so I dry my wet socks at work and home.

And since restarting my bicycle commutes, I now swear by two “modern” innovations:

1. A ski helmet; and
2. Really bright LED head- and tail-lights.

While I share Rose and Stephen’s earlier concerns about the ski helmet’s pavement-appropriateness, it is far safer than the ski caps I wore in my youth (when leather hairnets were the norm in bike racing). I also wonder how cold-appropriate cycling helmet plastics are with temperatures in the single digits. But in terms of comfort, the ski helmet works great. Skiers use liners with their helmets when it gets really cold. I’ve used mine on the bike comfortably without a liner down to 10F.

As for the LED lights, sadly, the really bright ones are still hundreds of dollars. I spent most of my bike-commute-generated savings last year on a kilo-lux in front and rear LEDs. I doubt I could have spent this much as a student. But I refuse to be far less visible than a car during the evening rush hour, now there is an alternative. And the glimmer of hope ahead is that LED lighting costs will continue to plummet, until only the battery is the major expense. So if you’re not ready for them yet, keep watching. You may soon be.

One really bright LED light that NOT hundreds of dollars and is worth considering is the Magicshine (available here: http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=22&zenid=i8icvhd4m02ldo3fndnulmsmm4). I originally purchased mine for nighttime mountain bike riding, but they have been put into service now as commuter lights as well, and they’re working out really well.

Now in my second winter commuting to school in Duluth, I’ve found a few things that were missed (or just not covered). In a winter bike I’ve found the heavier the frame, the easier it is to handle through snow. For single speeds and fixed gears, gear them low (around 60”). If your not into riding fixed gears, old 3 speed sturmey archer hubs with a coaster brake are awesome. Having brakes is awesome until the cables freeze (believe me they do).

Oh and I ride a ski helmet with yellow-amber ski goggles. Since I’m a broke student, I just use hockey tape and cheap LED maglites. Also a cheaper alternative to powergrips is using bmx pedals and making DIY fixed gear straps out of old seat belts.

When it get realy cold -15 Celcius I strongly rekomend this http://www.lungplus.se/ in addition to the tips above and covering of all skinn. Think Ninja-style. I commute 10km down to -20 Celcius with with out problems.

Have to disagree with Martin Wessendorf. Most types of ice are very pleasant and safe surfaces to ride on.

As long as you have decent studs on your tires.

As to LED lights. I have a head lamp that I use almost every day. but if you really want the best light TO BE SEEN, use a neon strobe light, LED’s emit a beam that is TOO narrow, A strobe emits a 360 degree blast that no one will miss seeing (use amber (red, blue and green lenses may present legal issues in your area).
Also they wont break the bank. you can buy a 12 volt battery one for under 30 dollars and if thats too expensive you can buy one from electronics surplus sites for $9.99 and build your own.
BTW keep a red rear and white front LED and reflectors to keep legal

For LED lights, I like tactical flashlights. There are some out there that will output 900 lumens! Another great resource is commutergear.net

Good suggestions all. One point I didn’t see mentioned is the use of a Gore-Tex or Windstopper helmet cover. For few ounces these things cut the airflow through the helmet dramatically. With that and the inherent insulation of a foam helmet I find I can go with lighter hats under the helmet.

Riding a bike on snowy road can be very fun. You should have to take proper precautions while riding in winter. Don’t ride on snowy roads because your break’s may not work properly.
http://www.globalwarming360.net/human-activities-affecting-environment-adversely.html