If you think that the fact that the campus bike racks are buried in snow or that the snowbanks encroaching on the city’s bike lanes is Nature telling you to forget about your bike until spring, you are sorely mistaken. Winter riding is a fantastic way to keep in shape, get around quickly, and build skills for summer riding, in addition to showing motorists how much fun they could be having. There are a few things to consider to optimize your winter riding experience.
Your ride
You can really ride any style of bike in the winter, so long as you don’t care about it too much. Road salt is about as good for exposed steel as it is for ground water. You will be able to keep it ridable, but it will probably never be as good as it was before. I use an old mountain bike for winter riding because it accepts wider tires, but I’ve seen many people using road bikes as well. Buying a winter tire with metal studs is a very good idea. Just like for cars, there is no real all-season tire. Running a studded tire at least on your front wheel will help you turn, stop, and hold a line on a bumpy trail. They cost around $50.
Clothing
Riding in the winter makes keeping dry a challenge if you get sweaty. You can spend a lot of money on technical garments designed to keep you both dry and waterproofed, but I find it works just as well to wear long underwear or sweatpants under running pants and a thin jacket and sweater. Since Waterloo is a slushy town (slushy in the winter, soggy in the summer), some rain boots and rain pants are a very good idea on certain days. To keep your head warm, most toques fit nicely under bike helmets (unless they are cool and have a pom pom on top), and ski goggles are a big plus when it’s snowing. Mittens or gloves are a must.
Maintenance
Personally, I do not maintain my winter bike whatsoever. It’s a good idea to keep it outside to prevent melting so that there is less salt water running into vital components. If seizure does occur, letting the part soak in light oil before trying to move it again works well. Rusty snow is a surprisingly good drivetrain lubricant.
Courtesy
Just like the rest of the year, cyclists need to be courteous and share the roads and trails with motorists and pedestrians. In the winter, this is even more important because it takes longer to stop, you can’t turn as sharply, and snowbanks restrict where you can ride. Be sure to use hand signals, obey traffic lights, let pedestrians know you exist with a “heads up” or bell, and use lights at night.
Technique
Anyone who has taken PHYS 115 can understand how the friction coefficients at play in the winter make riding a challenge. You need to stop sooner, turn slower, and balance more when riding in snow. All this really builds on your handling skills which will pay off in the summer. For those of you who will be spending the summer in Waterloo, I can highly recommend the Hydro Cut (access from Glasgow Street, west of Ira Needles Boulevard) for great mountain biking!
I hope this humble advice will inspire some of you to rethink your winter transportation and recreation and that the first time you pedal through a fresh snowfall will be as magical as mine. Happy trails!
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