Winter bicycling: How, why--and what to wear

Is it a good time to talk about winter bicycling? [Checks front yard] Sure looks like it! 

Bicycling a snowy residential street
Bicycling a snowy residential street

Why would you want to consider cycling in cold, icy, or snowy weather?  Well, perhaps for all the same reasons you bicycle in pleasant weather:

  • Do you bicycle for transportation?  Ah, then--you probably still need to get to work, school, shopping, errands, and everywhere else even though it just happens to be winter . . .
     
  • Do you bicycle to stay in shape or exercise?  Why get out of shape just because the weather is a bit colder.
     
  • Do you bicycle to help keep the weight off? Most people seem to gain weight over the cold-weather months--maybe because they're not getting their regular exercise in?
     
  • Does regular exercise help your mood and help you deal with stress?  (Because many studies show it helps in many different ways . . . ) Then why give up your depression-reducer and stress-reliever just during the darkest and most stressful months of the year?
     
  • Do you bicycle just for fun?  Guess what? Biking in winter is just as much fun as spring, summer, or fall--and maybe more! And it sure is a lot more fun than hanging around indoors and moping.  

What you need to enjoy bicycling in cold weather months in Missouri is pretty simple:

  • The right bike and equipment--which might just be your regular bike, depending on how extreme you want to go 
     
  • The right clothing--there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing . . . 

    Riding a mountain bike in snow is a lot of fun . . . but most winter cycling i
    Riding a mountain bike in snow is a lot of fun . . . but most winter cycling in Missouri actually doesn't look like this. Most streets are clear almost all winter long and temperatures are in the 30s or above.
  • The right lights, front and back--it stays dark a lot later, gets dark a lot earlier in winter, and dusky times of day seems to last longer--so you'll need good lights, both to see and to be seen
     
  • The right tires--You can probably right a lot more and further than you think on whatever tires you already have. But as snow piles up, something with more tread like a mountain bike tire can be helpful.  In icy conditions - common in Missouri winters! - studded bicycle tires during the cold weather season can give you the confidence to go whenever and wherever you need to, whatever the ice or snow conditions. [Winter & studded bicycle tire guide.]
     
  • The right attitude--riding in winter can be a lot of fun, but it might take some experimentation to figure out how to make it work for you, and what your own limits are

Start out gradually and make gradual adjustments

Start out gradually--for example, push your lower temperature limits down by just 5 degrees. If you're comfortable biking in 50 degree weather, make some adjustments to your clothing and trying 45 degrees.  Once you're comfortable there, make some more adjustments and try 40 degrees.  

Cold weather cycling is MUCH easier if you gradually acclimatize and make gradual adjustments over the course of a season. 

And--plan short rides at first, when you're experimenting with a new temperature range.  If you're used to biking in 60 degree weather, don't try an epic three hour ride in 32 degree weather.  How about trying 15 or 20 minutes instead--at the end of that time, see which parts of you are too cold and which are too hot.  Next time, adjust your clothing to compensate and try 20 or 25 minutes.

What kind of temperatures do you need to be able to handle to bicycle in the winter in Missouri?

If you can figure out the right clothing to be comfortable in temperatures down to 32 degrees or so, you can bicycle most weeks of the year in Missouri--most of the winter temperatures are in the 30s and most streets are clear and dry most of the time.

Bicycling a remote, snowy gravel road
Bicycling a remote, snowy gravel road

For example, if you made the decision to bicycle only when the temperature is above freezing and when roads are clear and dry, you could get in a few rides most weeks of most winter months in Missouri. 

And if you have the right clothing down to 10 or 20 degrees and a bike that can handle snowy roads with the occasional patch of ice--which can be as simple as riding a mountain bike with knobby tires, or purchasing special studded snow tires for your bicycle, which are excellent at handling icy patches--you can easily bicycle pretty much every day all year around.

It took me a few years to figure out the clothing and be comfortable with riding in temperatures down to 32 degrees.  Over the past few years and with a few adjustments, I've become perfectly comfortable riding down into the 10-15 degree range (hint: hand and foot warmers!).  Below that, I'm not sure how to handle the temperatures just because we haven't had them in Missouri--but folks in colder parts of the world often cycle with complete comfort in temperatures well below zero.  It's a matter of experimenting and learning about th right clothing and your own limits.

What to wear at different temperatures

Exactly what clothing  you need to wear to be comfortable at different temperatures is an individualized matter - and one reason it is easiest to gradually work your way down to colder temperatures.

Former MoBikeFed President Rachel Ruhlen published a chart created by a friend, showing the winter clothing she used to ride at different temperatures, that can be a good guide or starting point for others starting to experiment with riding in colder temperatures:

   Rachel Ruhlen's suggestions for clothing at cooler temperatures   

 

Are there any advantages to riding in cold weather?

Cycling in cool and cold weather can actually be a lot more comfortable than bicycling in the heat. In cold weather you can simply add better and warmer clothing until you are comfortable.  In the heat--well, you can only take off so many clothes and remain legal. 

Bicycling a snowy winter trail
Bicycling a snowy winter trail

My own favorite times of year to ride are when the temperatures are in the 30s and 40s.  You can ride almost indefinitely in that temperature range without getting too hot or too cold.

And if you have a case of the winter blahs, nothing helps more than getting outside and enjoying the sunshine and scenery--which is just as beautiful in a Missouri winter as a summer.  

I like to say:  In winter if you're cold, you can always put on another layer and stay warm.  In summer, there are only so many layers you can remove before the police come to carry you away!  (And you might still be overheating, even with all the layers removed.)  In many ways, cold weather cycling is more enjoyable than hot weather cycling, because it puts you more in control of your own comfort.

IceBike's recommendations

The IceBike web site has this to say about winter cycling:

Contrary to popular opinion, the bicycle makes a fairly good winter vehicle. This is not to suggest that care can be thrown to the winds. But with proper skill and technique, the bike provides safe and reliable transportation. It always starts, regardless of how cold it is. There are studded tires that make the most wicked slick ice manageable. It is easy to find a parking space, and it never gets stuck in the snow. Well, almost never.

Much of winter cycling is done on roads that are bare, no ice anywhere. In these conditions, the only concern is the weather. If you would go skiing or play hockey in cold weather, then ICEBIKING is not very different. All it takes is the will, a reliable bike, dressing for the weather, getting out in the snow, and learning a few new bike handling skills.

The hardest part is the first 100 yards. Mother Nature is not your Enemy!

Whether commuting to work, or just out for a romp in the woods, you arrive feeling very alive, refreshed, and surrounded with the aura of a cycling god. You will be looked upon with the smile of respect by friends and co-workers. - - - Or was that the sneer of derision...no matter, ICEBIKING is a blast!

The IceBike web site has recommendations about: 

Cycling on a snowy trail
Cycling on a snowy trail

From MoBikeFed

Related web sites: 

 

 

Bicycling on a snowy trail

 

Working to encourage more people to bike, walk, and use trails more often is one way MoBikeFed helps fulfill our Vision for Bicycling and Walking Missouri. Normalizing winter activities and active human-powered transportation outdoors, and helping people find the tools and techniques they need to be outdoors comfortably in the winter and in varied weather conditions, are ways we help reach that goal in our Vision.

Your membership and generous financial support helps turn our Vision into reality.

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