Winter Bicycle Commuting
Written by Kyle Schmitz, Sheboygan Active Transportation Member
Rising gas prices, increased environmental awareness and greater awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles are just a few of the reasons behind the increasing numbers of people choosing to commute by bicycle in the past few years. However, one of the biggest obstacles keeping many from transitioning to a fully car-free lifestyle - especially here in the midwest - is winter time. However, with the right preparation, winter cycling is very easy - and fun! - to do. Let’s take a closer look at what it takes.
The foremost rule about winter cycling is to try your best not to take any days off! Of course, there will be days where it isn’t appropriate, or you may simply not need to go out on a given day. But cycling every day, throughout all the changes in the weather, is the most sure-fire way to develop an understanding of what you do and don’t need to be successful and have an enjoyable commute. Let’s put this another way - if you stopped commuting in October, and then decided to start again in January, you probably won’t stick with it - the change in your commuting conditions will be radically different. However, if you stick with it every day - or at least, every week - the changes in the weather become much more gradual.
Conversely, however, it is important to note that there are some days where commuting by bike simply won’t be feasible. Blizzard conditions can bring on snow accumulations that are impossible to traverse by bike, and wind-chills can bring deadly temperatures. It is up to you to decide what your threshold is. Luckily, the city of Sheboygan does have a robust public transit system, complete with buses equipped with bike racks, so transitioning to a car-free lifestyle is a quite viable solution, even on those days where bike commuting isn’t an option.
Combined with trying to bike as often as you can, one of the other major keys to success with winter commuting - especially in your first year or two of your journey - is to keep a journal. Yes, this might seem like a quaint idea, but it pays huge dividends! Write down the day’s temperature (along with any other conditions of note - precipitation, wind, etc) along with how you dressed, and how well it worked. After doing this for a winter you will pretty quickly be able to look at the day’s forecast and know exactly what you will need to wear for success. This practice is especially important because there is no one-size-fits-all solution for dressing for winter commuting - everybody’s needs will be different. However, with that said, let’s take a look at some winter clothing gear that you should consider.
The two most important considerations for winter cycling are 1) wind-proofing and 2) layering. As much as possible, attempt to seek out wind-proof (not merely wind-resistant) winter gear. The concept here is simple - if the cold air can’t get in, you won’t become cold. The genius part of this is that the very thin combination of a wool sweater and a windproof hardshell jacket are actually a much better choice than a big, bulky jacket! Beyond this, be mindful of the fact that you will become much warmer than you start out. Whereas when you commute passively (ie, by vehicle) you usually want to just be as warm as possible, after the first mile or so of your bike commute you will warm up considerably! So either dress to start out cold and/or dress in layers so you can easily adjust your body temperature accordingly (getting too sweaty can actually result in you feeling colder). Windproof gear considerations include shoe covers, wind pants and jacket, gloves, balaclava/hat and of course, goggles to cover your eyes. The selection of winter commuting gear available is truly staggering, and outside the scope of this blog post, however we will go into greater detail about options available (along with product demonstrations) at our presentation and workshop at Paradigm on Thursday, December 1st, 2022.
Your next consideration is your bike. The most important consideration in areas such as the midwest, where snow and ice accumulations are highly likely, is a set of studded tires. While a bit of an upfront investment, studded tires afford you a significant increase in peace of mind while biking over patches of ice. Additional considerations include fenders (both to keep you clean of snow/slush, as well as to keep your bike protected from all the salt used on the roads in the winter time) as well as quality lights, as the days are significantly shorter, and visibility to drivers is that much more important. Also note that bike maintenance will need to be more frequent, as you don’t want all of that salt from the roads wreaking havoc on your bike! While it is by no means necessary, many cyclists have a dedicated “beater” bike that is used exclusively for winter commuting, so as to keep their primary commuting bike in top shape for the rest of the year.
Your final consideration is your commute itself. The biggest consideration here is that you *will* have to allot more time for your commutes. This is yet another benefit to consistently commuting throughout the changing seasons is that you will develop an idea as you go of how much extra time you need to budget for. You will be allotting for increased time to change in and out of winter gear, possibly navigate trickier terrain, and possibly deal with unforeseen circumstances (strong headwinds, etc). That being said, you will likely arrive at your destination much more energized (and warm!) than you would have if you had commuted passively. The second consideration is what routes you will take. Consider not only what roads are most bike-friendly, but also what roads get plowed the best, and allow for both bikes and vehicles to safely co-exist. Roads marked “snow route” are often good choices. If you know anyone else that commutes in the winter, they could be an excellent resource to help you plan a safe route to and from your destination.
Winter bike commuting is a great time and there is so much more left to be said about it than what can be contained in this short blog post. So if you are interested in learning more, we encourage you to join us at Paradigm Coffee and Music at 6:00 on Thursday December 1, 2022. Both seasoned winter commuters and novices alike are welcome. We hope to see you there!
