Bicycling in winter

 "Your not riding your bike in this are you? How do you do it?" Someone will asking when the weather turned cold and snowy.

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 can.

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 as well.

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

BE 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. And if you can, don't go cheap on a light- it can save your life!

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 have a driver's license you know you know the laws.

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-especially in icy conditions.

One great strategy to have, all year round, is to assume you are invisible. Too many times people are distracted, and if they are un-use to seeing cyclist, they may not be looking for you and may not see you!

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. Studded snow tires are an option, but I have never felt the need for them....yet. Peter White offers an excellent article about studded bicycle tires at Peter White Cycles



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).

Pedals: 
I went to platform pedals four years ago and have not looked back! They are easier to use and less

hassle than their clip-less cousins. If you race, you should stick with clip-less. For commuters, in winter, going platform is a better option as use are not clipped in and you can where your winter boots. Better to be able to get your feet down if you hit some black ice.
Our friends at Rivendell Bicycle Works wrote a great article on the benefits of use platform pedals called "the Shoes Ruse". I use platform pedals on all my bikes and all year round, including my long distant tours of hundreds and thousands of miles, much on gravel roads.

In mild dry cold weather I now prefer wearing wool is possible: trousers, underwear, socks, sweat, shirt, hat, gloves, neck gaiter, with a good tough boot. When wet, the one piece of high tech clothing is my Transit Jacket from Showers Pass it is hard to beat for functionality, made by cyclists, for cyclists. A little pricey at $160US, but considering the benefits, well worth it. Also great for Walking, hiking, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, running, anything outside in winter. The Adventure Cycling Association has some great gear options for you

SWEATING?
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!

EXTREMES?
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...AS LONG AS YOU ARE PREPARED!

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  and stay warm,

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



Letter from a Carfree woman for life!

"Hi Mr Poindexter:                                                                                      

I was reading the blog called car-free American and saw your wonderful article from December 2012. I have never owned a car in my entire life, mainly due to economics.

 I am a single black woman living in Columbus, Ohio. I work as a home based data entry operator and telephone customer service agent. I have had various office jobs over the past 20 years and have always used mass transit. I have been lucky to get jobs that were close to the bus lines. I never liked driving and did not really take any driving lessons until I was in my late thirties. I took some driving lessons at one of those driving schools and hated every minute of it. I was in a student driver car and the other drivers were so nasty and rude. If you drive at the proper speed limit, they get really mean and nasty. They will blow their horn at you and give you dirty looks. I took these lessons for about a few months back in 2002, but never did get my driver’s license because I could not pass the parking part of the road test. I decided to give up driving altogether and stick with walking and using mass transit. 

The bus system in Columbus, Ohio is called COTA, which stands for Central Ohio Transit Authority. I have been riding COTA for over 20 years.

 I do not regret being car free, especially in the last 5 years as gasoline prices have gone way up. Back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s,

 I used to get teased mercilessly at work and looked down upon because I did not own a car. Some times I would ignore these people and other days I would get depressed.  In the last few years, since gasoline is well over $3 a gallon, I don’t get teased as much as I used to. I think that the last recession brought many people to reality as far as over consumption is concerned. Now, I see many more people ride the COTA buses to work, school, grocery shopping, etc. COTA has recently expanded the bus routes and added newer, more efficient buses that run on biodiesel, natural gas and hybrids. In the downtown of Columbus, new bike racks have been installed. 

Many people of all income levels are either biking or using mass transit.

It was refreshing to read about someone like you who seems well-off, affluent and successful, ditch the car and go car-free. Now I see more people who are way better off than I am go car free or car lite.

 I am a single woman who makes less than $30,000 per year and a car would put me into bankruptcy. I only pay $62 per month for a local bus pass that allows me to travel all over Columbus. My condo is only a 5 to 10 minute walk to the bus stop. I also can walk to the post office and to the nearest shopping mall. I can take one bus to a really nice mall called Easton Town Center, which has everything.  Sorry for the long email, but I just needed someone to talk/write to that can relate to my situation. I also plan to get a bike sometime in 2014. I still will use the bus for most of my transportation needs, but want a bike for the exercise. 

Take care,

Sharon Lewis

sharonartiste43232@peoplepc.com"

What a great note Sharon! Thanks so much for sharing! You an inspiration.

Bill Poindexter aka Mr. Carfree American 

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/