Across the United States, each winter snow and icy temps cannot keep hardcore bike commuters at home. Thousands of dedicated riders suit up each winter morning to pedal to work or school, and industry sales reveal bike riding in the cold months as an ascending trend. “We’ve seen a big increase in interest,” said Stephen Cottrell, sales manager at Freewheel Bike in Minneapolis.
I rode for years in Minneapolis, my home town, on icy streets for a commute. (See my “Winter Bike Commuting: 10 Tips to Ride Safe” article from a couple years back.) This week, for an article with Outside magazine, I leaned on my experience of riding in the snow as well as Cottrell’s winter-biking knowledge — he commutes on a fat-tire Salsa Mukluk bike daily through Minnesota’s worst weather — to compile a list of must-have winter cycling gear, “The Gear Junkie’s Top 10 Winter Bike Commuting Essentials.”
With the right gear, anyone can ride all year ‘round. Cinch your hood tight and put pogies on your handlebars. The winter winds are calling your name. —Stephen Regenold
Top 10 Winter Biking Essentials
1. Bike: Salsa Mukluk
2. Handwear: Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Softshell Lobster Glove
3. Light: Light & Motion Urban 500
4. Rear Light: Cateye Rapid 5
5. Headwear: Outdoor Research Helmetclava
6. Handlebar Pogies: MEC Northstar Cycling Pogies
7. Chain: KMC Rustbuster Bike Chain
8. Fenders: Bontrager Interchange Nebula
9. Jacket: Gore Bike Wear Fusion Jacket
10. Helmet: Giro Reverb
—Stephen Regenold is the founder of GearJunkie.com and a contributor to Outside magazine. See his bio page on Outside at this link.
