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Winter Cycling Information
Winter Cycling In Winnipeg Can Be Successful And Rewarding by Kevin Miller
I started seriously riding a bicycle at age 16, but for the first 21 years I only used my bicycles from early April to late October. Then in 1993, I decided to continue cycling for transportation throughout the winter. It has turned out to be a very successful and rewarding experience.
Winter cyclists are warm. They do not curse the cold because they dress for it and are active in it.
Contrary to what many people think, winter cycling is safe. On most days, conditions on the busy streets are almost summer-like. However, if arterial streets are slippery and traffic is heavy, I cycle slowly on the sidewalk because I don't trust motor vehicles' lack of traction. I think that most motorists, including the police, are glad to see a winter cyclist on the sidewalk when streets are slippery and busy. The few pedestrians don't seem to mind either, especially since I always call "excuse me" as I approach one, and "thank you" if they move to one side. I am very careful to always ride on the "proper side of the street" sidewalk so that drivers exiting lanes and driveways will see me coming, and I'm extra careful at all intersecting roads, lanes, and driveways. My 12K commute time increases from a summer average of 30 minutes to 45 minutes or more, but driving and busing are much slower in the winter too.
I save $65 per month on bus money. If you drive for personal transportation, you'll save a lot more than that. Also, you don't have to scrape windows, you don't have to wait for the engine to heat up, parking is easier, and you feel good about the obvious fitness and environmental benefits of your transportation choice.
In order for winter cycling to be successful, your clothing and equipment choices must work. I'll tell you what works for me.
Clothing:
Torso/legs:
If you participate in other outdoor winter sports, you'll know what to wear: a perspiration-wicking undergarment, an insulating layer, and a wind-proof shell. Vary the insulating layer from fleece or wool on the coldest days to nothing on the mildest days. If you're warm during the first minute, you'll be too hot after five minutes. If you hate being cold for the first few minutes, do a few minutes of pushups or sit-ups immediately prior to hopping on your bike.
Head/face:
I wear eyeglasses, I cannot wear contact lenses, and my eyes are very sensitive to wind, so I have to overcome fogging and tearing problems. I apply a glycerin-based soap like Pears to my eyeglasses to control fogging. Downhill ski goggles prevent tearing, and mine have a battery-operated fan to keep my eyeglasses completely clear. Combinations of a balaclava, ear muffs, ear band, neoprene mask, and neck tube prevent freezing skin on colder days and sweating profusely on milder days. And don't forget to cover up those big vents in your helmet with tape or a helmet cover.
Hands:
Your hands remain stationary on the handlebar and are exposed to the wind, so ski gloves only work on mild days. For the coldest days, I apply anti-perspirant to my hands, and use multiple pairs of well-insulated mitts. I also have to flex my thumbs occasionally. Snowmobile gauntlets or cycling pogies are also options.
Feet:
On milder days, light boots with proper socks will be OK for toe-clip or platform pedal users. Cycling shoes with proper socks and booties can work for clipless pedal users. For the coldest days, my old system consisted of anti-perspirant to minimize sweating, a thin perspiration-wicking sock, a pair of very thick wool socks, and a pair of breathable boots with thick insulation, but I was then forced to use a platform pedal. I had a pair of clipless pedals with a platform surrounding the clipless part (there are also one-sided clipless pedals that have a platform pedal on the other side), so I could still use clipless pedals on the milder days. Then I devised a 6-layer vapor barrier footwear system that allows me to use clipless pedals down to -41C!If all this sounds far too expensive, remember that I'm on the bike for 45+ minutes, and I view every ride as a challenge of self-reliance. If your commute time is much shorter, you may not need all the high-tech clothing I need. Also, based on the clothing you currently own, you should be able to determine your lowest temperature comfort point; if it's colder than that, you can choose not to cycle on that day. As you gain experience and purchase a few other clothing items, you should be able to extend your temperature range.
Bicycle:
I use an older quality mountain bike with a spring/elastomer suspension, fenders for sloppy days, and studded tires that are fantastic on hard-packed snow and fairly good on glare ice.
Bike shops carry exceptional Nokian carbide-studded tires (I have the 160-stud 1.9" Mount & Ground), Schwalbe hardened-steel studded tires (two models), IRC Blizzard (many reported problems), Innova (the studs are soft steel and wear down to nothing after a few hundred K on pavement), and "home-made" models --- or you can make your own.
My spring/elastomer suspension works very well at all temperatures, and I appreciate it when hard-packed snow is rough. An air/oil suspension is at risk for blown seals on the coldest days, and an old elastomer-only suspension becomes rigid below freezing.
By using a very light lube during the cold spells, my bike performs well at very low temperatures. However, at milder temperatures, especially on sunny days, salty slushy slop can quickly cause steel parts to rust unless the bike is well-lubed with a much heavier oil or grease, or you clean and re-lube all parts frequently. An alternative is to use a beater bike on the sloppy days.
At least one of my two commutes is in darkness, so lighting and good reflectorization are very important.If all this sounds like too much bike maintenance and/or too many expensive upgrades to your bike, you can simply choose to not cycle on days when the salty/sandy/slushy crud is likely to inflict a beating on your bike and/or on days when the streets or sidewalks are too icy or snowy for your bike to handle. I personally do not cycle on the 5 to 10 days each winter when a fairly significant snowfall has occurred overnight because I know the arterial streets will be extremely slippery, and the side streets, pathways, and sidewalks will be so slow-going that my commute time will double. I also know that the streets and sidewalks will all be plowed/sanded and in OK shape by the following day.
The Icebike website has lots of great info about winter cycling, but remember that winter in Winnipeg in January is much colder and drier than winter in most other parts of the world. The website also has instructions for joining the Icebike Email List ("listserve") --- I've been on it since September 1998, and it's great. Other good sites for Winter cycling areTips For Cold Weather Bicycle Commuting -- leaflet produced by the City of Toronto.
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Recreation/wintercycling.htmhttp://www.mec.ca, click the Learn tab, then select Cycling Info. From that page, click on Winter Cycle Commuting under the General menu.
If you're interested in discussing winter cycling, please contact Kevin Miller.
