Find out what skills you need to have to ride a bike during the winter time. In the Scandinavian countries, people ride bicycles all year round. In our country, some people also do not want to leave cycling in the cold season. Today we will try to tell you in detail how cycling in winter differs from cycling in the warm season and how you can enjoy it.
Benefits of Cycling in Winter
- Lack of insects.
- Riding in the snow is still more pleasant than in the rain.
- Light frost is easier to tolerate than extreme heat.
- The bike after the winter bike ride will be much cleaner.
- Reduces the risk of punctured wheels.
- Tires do not wear out as intensely in winter.
- Cycling in winter increases your skill.
How to dress for winter cycling?
Since it is cold outside in winter, the main task facing you is not to get sick. To do this, you need to dress properly. Now we will find out what equipment should be for cycling in winter. Actually, the main principle is one - layering.
- First (bottom) layer. The bottom layer must be thermal underwear. It is made of a special material that is a combination of wool and synthetics. As a result, thermal underwear perfectly permeates moisture (sweat) and at the same time retains heat. Now in the assortment of each known brand that produces sportswear, there are sets of thermal underwear. If you are on a budget, you can find cheaper ones.
- Second (middle) layer. Basically, this is your regular shape that you use in the summer. If it is not a severe frost outside, you can wear a cycling T-shirt and shorts. If it is very cold outside, you can wear a warm fleece jacket.
- Third (top) layer. The last layer of clothing should reliably protect you from the wind. You can use a ski leotard with a windproof front layer and a jacket with a membrane. You can also use a regular windbreaker, and in case of severe frost, wear a ski vest under it.
- A cap. You need to protect your head and you should definitely wear a hat under the helmet. If there is strong wind and frost outside, then use a balaclava. Otherwise, a regular winter hat will do.
- Gloves. The main requirement for gloves is wind protection. You can purchase special gloves or use regular ones. In severe frosts, you can wear two pairs.
- Shoes. As you can see for yourself, everything is quite simple with clothes and you should not have serious problems in this matter. But the choice of shoes must be given special attention. The fact is that through the feet the body can lose about 70 percent of the heat and, as a result, hypothermia is possible.
Features of cycling in winter
Any road that was almost ideal for cycling in the summer can become simply unrecognizable in winter due to the abundant snow and ice. We highly recommend replacing the tires on your bike. Studded tires are only needed for cycling on ice in winter. High tread tires are an excellent option.
There is a thin film of water on the surface of snow and ice crystals. When the air temperature drops, this film becomes more viscous, which leads to an increase in the traction coefficient. Thus, the more frost on the street and the higher the speed of movement in a straight line, the higher the adhesion of the tires to the road.
Since the duration of daylight hours is sharply reduced in winter, it is worth considering installing a headlight on your bike. The rapid onset of dusk significantly reduces visibility on the roads and it is advisable to wear bright clothing to make it easier to see you.
In the cold, the grease loses some of its performance and becomes more viscous. The shock absorbers, in turn, acquire additional stiffness, which you have to take into account when cycling in winter. The situation is similar with the cables, which complicates the operation of the brake and shifter.
Remember, plastic becomes more brittle in cold weather, making it very easy to break reflectors or headlights. When you roll your bike out of a warm room onto the street, the tire pressure drops sharply. The air-oil fork loses its rigidity in the cold and before going outside it is worth pumping a small amount into its shock absorbers.
The humidity index also increases in winter, which leads to an increase in the risk of developing corrosive reactions on all metal parts of the bicycle. First of all, this applies to trips on the road, previously sprinkled with salt. When you return home from a winter bike ride, thoroughly clean snow and water from the bike and wipe it down with a dry cloth. All threaded and contact connections should be coated with a special anti-corrosion grease.
Rules for taking turns in winter on a bicycle
Since the road is slippery in winter, all bends should have a large arc. This will prevent you from leaning your bike sharply and thereby reducing the risk of falling. By transferring power to the rear wheel. You get the opportunity to stabilize the trajectory of movement, thereby avoiding drifts. Continue pedaling while cornering, which is the same as depressing the accelerator pedal in a car.
When cornering, braking is quite risky and you should reduce your speed in advance before you start to enter the turn. It is quite obvious that while driving on deep snow cover you will not have the opportunity to turn sharply. The tread of the tires will not have time to catch on the dense surface of the track, and as a result, you will find yourself in a skid. In conclusion, we note that during the turn, try to avoid hitting with the wheels on lumps of snow, as well as snow slurry.
How to brake properly in winter?
The main problem with braking while cycling in winter is the inability to stop quickly to avoid a collision. When driving on a straight section of road, you can apply both brakes, but be sure to first on the rear, and only after that you should apply the front.
When descending or when making an emergency turn in the snow, you should only use the rear brake to stabilize the trajectory. During the descent, you can additionally apply the front brake, but in this case you need to be sure that the tires grip the road surface.
Let us tell you a little secret on how you can simulate the operation of the car ABS system on a bicycle. To do this, intermittently press the brake lever with high intensity. As a result, the wheels do not have time to completely block, which prevents skidding.
It should also be said that when you are driving through deep snow or breaking through snow drift, the snow will surely fall on the brake disc, as well as the brake track of the rim. This will reduce the adhesion of the pads to the rim, as a water film from the snow forms on them. After overcoming such sections of the road, as well as puddles, you should definitely dry the brakes. To do this, slowly squeeze the brake lever until it works well.
Cycling in winter in the city
Cyclists are allowed to move along the roads from the right edge. However, in winter, on most roads, this part is covered with snow or covered with ice. After each snowfall, the lanes intended for the movement of cars narrow, and an icy track often appears on them. In this situation, cycling should only be done on a secondary road.
If a snowy mess has formed on the road from frequent traffic, then such sections should be bypassed, because it is extremely difficult to pedal under such conditions. Moreover, your speed of movement in such a situation will differ slightly from an ordinary pedestrian, but you will get tired much more.
If you have little experience with cycling, then try to avoid narrow rut. Getting out of it is quite difficult and the risks of falling sharply increase. It should also be remembered that in winter the curbs are covered with snow, and it is difficult to determine their location. Slow down and raise your front wheel when you are preparing to drive off the road onto a pedestrian sidewalk. However, the best thing to do is to dismount and roll your bike onto the sidewalk.
How to get around by bike outside the city?
If the layer of snow is thin and loose, then moving on it is not much more difficult than on fallen leaves. The grip of the tires on such a road will be quite comfortable and you should feel confident. If you need to climb a snowy slope, it is worth standing up and moving the body back and forth to maintain a high stability of the bike.
Braking, making a U-turn, or going downhill on snow is also quite easy and can be compared to moving on the ground after a rain. But it is worthwhile to perform bends near the trees carefully, as there may be holes or heaps of fallen leaves. It is very easy to ride a bicycle along a well-groomed snow path. Moreover, cycling like this in winter will give you a lot of fun.
Cycling in ice-covered areas
Overcoming icy sections of the road is an integral part of winter cycling. Here are a few rules on how to safely navigate these areas:
- Do not turn while sitting.
- Do not pedal while standing on them.
- Do not turn your head, but focus on the road.
- Avoid braking until you overcome the slippery section of the road.
Our tips today are to make your winter bike ride as safe and enjoyable as possible.
For more information on the features of cycling in winter, see here:
