Gear Junkie

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.