Comments on: Who plans to commute through the winter?

By: Fabian Rodriguez

Fabian Rodriguez — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 03:39:59 +0000

I just had a great (mild) first week in Montreal.

I plan to put my 2 yr. old BionX to the test. I’m thirsty for road and snow! I’ll be blogging about it in french, if anyone has questions about the BionX+winter lemme know.

By: Yangmusa

Yangmusa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:35:52 +0000

I commute all year round. But living in San Francisco, I can hardly claim the weather gets harsh But it does rain very hard in winter sometimes.

Gear:
- waterproof panniers (Ortliebs & Nashbar)
- bright yellow rain gear
- Pearl Izumi gloves (not waterproof, but warm)
- Neoprene booties keep my shoes dry, mostly

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:18:53 +0000

I’m going to try using my xtracycle this year. I’m not sure if I should replace my Fat Frank’s with some good old knobbies. We’ll see what SW Michigan deals me over the next few months…

By: biketrekking

biketrekking — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:36:33 +0000

Second year cycling through winter in Buffalo, NY. No biggie. Though we get quite a bit of snow, the temp usually hovers in the high 20′s or near freezing. The snow comes heavily, then often melts within days.

I carefully cover all skin and alter my route to stay off main roads, where I fear if I go down, someone too close will drive over me.

In Buffalo we have what we call “beater” bikes; it is a bike we won’t cry about if it gets ruined by salt. I use a mountain bike with wide knobby tires- no studs. It is better to not bring the bike inside, for when the snow melts, this is when the salt does its worst.

I wear a bright yellow bicycle raincoat with pit zips to control sweat and carry enough cash to call a cab or hop a bus if something goes wrong. If desperation strikes, I can use the cab to get to an ATM. I also have a U-lock and cable lock, so if I need to abandon my bike temporarily I can be assured that it will most likely stay put until I return.

Lastly, safety glasses are cheap, don’t look to bad and provide a mounting point for my mirror.

Life is good- bring it on.

By: xcskimt (Robert)

xcskimt (Robert) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:11:14 +0000

Jake. I am in Green Bay. Keep your bike clean and lubed after a ride is important. When it snows and the salt trucks are out the first thing I do is take the bike into the basement and clean most of the grit and lube anything that might need it. I have a friend that just sprays down his bike with WD40 and wipe clean. I have an issue with that method. Granted all my bikes are steel so I normally clean them off after wet rides. Then in Spring I bring the bike into the shop for some tender loving care.

By: kale

kale — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:36:06 +0000

I’ll try to. I did every day in Portland, but now in NYC, I’m not too sure what to expect. The rain’s not a problem, though it sucks, I’m worried about black ice and shitty winter drivers more than the cold.

We’ll see…

By: jake

jake — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:03:38 +0000

I live about an hour west of Chicago, I am planning to Commute all winter by bike. Its a bit over 11 miles. This will be my first year doing so, all of the information in this post has been helpful.. Mostly the only thing I worry about is the wear and tear on my Bike, Any suggestions on what should be done to keep my bike in top shape, what things to watch out for??

By: locus

locus — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:11:16 +0000

Yet another DC year-round commuter. Quite frankly, this whole riding in winter is relatively new to me (transplanted Southern Boy). I’ve only done it for the last two seasons. It took some time to work out all the kinks. I don’t ride when there’s frozen precip.

Start with a good base layer of longjohns/liner socks. Then comes the work clothes layer. If it’s brutally cold, add a vest or fleece pullover. Finish it off with a heavy long wool coat (long enough to cover my thighs). A warm scarf is a must to protect the neck. Good gloves are also important. Since I wear glasses, my eyes are relatively protected. However, the most useful item I discovered were the wrap-around earmuffs called 180s. They go around the back of the head like some newer style headphones and fit well around the helmet straps and hardware.

By: Jamie Fellrath

Jamie Fellrath — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:33:43 +0000

Count me in – this will be my third winter commuting in balmy Columbus, OH. I’m fortunate to have covered parking for my bike – though not as fortunate as last winter when I was actually able to bring my bike inside.

By: Jewell

Jewell — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:56:01 +0000

This will be my second winter commuting in Grand Forks North Dakota and I couldn’t be more excited.

I checked out the site and it does have some nice information, but I’d be careful not to over analyze winter biking. It doesn’t take rocket science to ride in the winter, dress in layers (three or four even), wear two pairs of socks, find the right gloves, wear a mask when needed, and wear appropriate shoes. It’s all about what works for you.

If you don’t know where to shop for warm apparel, check out any store that sells to skiers, snowmobiles, construction workers (great place to look for socks, gloves, masks), and for camping.