Bicycling in winter



Winter cycling guide

Every Fall as the weather turns cold people are always asking me,



 "Your not riding your bike in this are you? How do you do it?"



Photo by Ellen van der Zwan



I smile and tell them, "I am riding in this, and I will be riding all winter and when I can't ride, I will walk." I smile.

And they roll their eyes, and say cliches like, "Well, your a better person than me. I could never do that"

But truth be told- they could. Winter cycling to me is the most fun. The extreme, often unpredictable weather, adverse road conditions, and lack of day light, make it an adventure.

I think having a positive attitude is a big part of it too.

Here are some things I do to make my rides, and commutes, safe and fun.

Prepared:
I am always prepared for changing weather. I carry extra clothing-shirt, gloves, neck gaiter, socks, hat, helmet cover, pants, and whatever else I may need.
Temperature drops of 30+ degrees are common in winter.

Bike prep:
My bike is well prepared for winter. I have fenders, rear rack, and multiple lights.

Actually three lights in the front an three in the rear. May seem excessive, but it is not, being visible is very important with the low light conditions of winter. Reflectors and reflective clothing are OK, but nothing catches the eye of a driver like a blinking light.

Lubrication-I use a generous amount of oil on my chain, gears, and derailleurs. The salts and sand are very harsh on the bike.

Obeying the laws:

One should ALWAYS obey the laws of the road. If you drive you know what they are.
Winter is a time for me to be hyper aware of my surroundings. I know the road conditions, what is in front, behind, and on my sides 100% of the time. I am also aware of options to get off the street if I have too-especially in icy conditions. I recently got pulled over for going through a four way stop without completely stopping during rush hour. It was the first time I was pulled over on my bicycle. When the cop told me why he pulled me over, I told him, "you are completely right, and I appreciate you looking out for me, I should have come to a complete stop." He told me most of the cyclists he stops argue with him even though they are breaking laws like going through Red lights of ignoring Stop signs. I have found over the years the Police are good allies to have, if for nothing, they will be the first ones to the scene if you get hit, and may save your life.

Biking skills in winter: 'What if you slip on ice or snow?" I think one of the best ways for a cyclist to prepare for the adverse road conditions is by learning how to bike on dirt and gravel trails with multiple terrains. Like mountain biking, winter road cycling has its share of obstacles: sticks, leaves, walnuts, sand, ices, snow drifts, branches, slush, mud, just to name a few. Mountain biking prepares you in that you learn how to go over and through obstacles like these. Tires are not as important as you might think, it is more about the pressure in the tire so experimenting with different tire pressures can help insure a safer ride.

Clothing:
Why ride in winter? Why not ride in winter?!
Layering, layering, layering! That is the key, there is no magic one piece of clothing, and in most cases less is more. For instance in winter I usually wear, in temps of 20f to 35f, skull cap, helmet rain cover, neck gaiter, fleece gloves, two light weight wick able long sleeve shirts, a light weight wind breaker with a back vent, cycling shorts, wind pants, or micro fleece pants, wool socks, hiking boots ( I use platform pedals).

I regulate my temperature buy the zipper on my jacket, and on my level of exertion. All this takes practice and what works for one person, may be different for another, so be patient. The only rule is: to go ride and experience it for yourself!

I have biked in blizzards, sleet, 31f degree rain, snow storms, when temps were well below zero, and all I have to say is: it is FUN!

So give winter cycling for transportation a try! Here are some resources that may help.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/features/howto.cfm

http://www.icebike.org/

Happy Cycling,

Bill
(All pictures were found online if you are the taker, let me know.)





Video from the Dutch-bicycling life!

Cycling For Everyone from Dutch Cycling Embassy on Vimeo.

How to not get hit by cars

Here at Carfree American we are aware most of our content is unoriginal, and we are cool with that, because our focus is to share our experiences, or others experiences,  to people who want to share in a healthier lifestyle.

Sometimes there is no point in writing articles that have already been written well regarding Bicycle Safety.

One such article, we recently found, highlights "How not to get hit by a car while bicycling for transportation."

Everyone should read this as at some point in your cycling life you will be invovled in all these scenario's.

Thanks to http://www.bicyclesafe.com/ and Michael Bluejay for this wealth of information!


How to Not Get Hit by Cars

important lessons in Bicycle Safety
by Michael Bluejay

Around 33,000 people die in car crashes in the U.S. each year.
About 1 in 41 is a bicyclist.
THANKS FOR READING, AND RIDE SAFELY! :)


PS from Carfree American:

You do not think it could happen to you???


Here is a post of what happened to my friend Vanessa

http://carfreeamerican.blogspot.com/2011/02/vanessas-story-no-helmet.html

Be safe,
Peace, Bill

Resources and Education
http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/