Winter Cycling Tips

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I have cycled through the past eight winters while living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The bus system here generally sucks, so a cyclist must ride through the winter if he/she wishes to travel any distance in a reasonable amount of time. If the city did not plow the snow off the roads, skiing would be more appropriate, but since my tax dollars fund an operation I do not support, I am stuck riding.

I do not entirely enjoy winter riding, (at least in the city or when it is very cold), but it can be enjoyable when it is only -10 or above and the weather is nice. On these days, I might go out for a pleasure ride, but generally the winter riding is reserved for getting from one place to another. Although I have not done so for several years, I used to enjoy mountain biking down skidoo trails and frozen creeks. Winter opens up a whole new world of trails.

I have compiled here some tips for riding through the winter based on my own experiences. If you have any additional tips, please email them to me and I may add them to the list. Note: All temperatures are in degrees celcius.

Bicycle Equipment

Type of Bike

Salt will corrode everything, so heavy tubes will take the punishment. I have been riding the same bike every winter, and although it is very rusty, the tubes are so thick I do not have to worry. I ride a mountain bike to accomodate wide tires, fenders etc. but a hybrid or touring bike should work almost as well. Whatever it is, the junkier the better.

Update: The bike mentioned finally did rust out in 2001 after 11 years of service. I discovered a fairly large hole in one of the chainstays while trying to overhaul the bottom bracket. It has been replaced with a heavy Norco Kokanee mountain bike.

Tires

There is some debate about tires between almost anyone. There are basically two schools of thought on this. One is that a narrow (road bike) tire is better because it will push through the snow to contact the pavement underneath. The other is that a wider knobby tire will give traction on rough ice and hard packed snow. I use wide hardpack off road tires. These have a close lug spacing so they roll relatively easily on pavement and grip well as long as there is some roughness to the surface. They will tend to float and wash out on loose snow surfaces though, so I have to be carefull. Snow clearing is good in Ottawa. We are a city full of government employees who ensure that the streets are clear so that they can drive to work easier. Within 24 hrs of any snowstorm, the major roads have been cleared of loose snow and all that is left is rough ice and packed areas. I occasionally take shortcuts down trails which have been packed by walkers. I get some traction on the packed snow. Cutting across a parking lot usually results in rough ice which the knobbies will provide some traction.

Drivetrain

Lots of people tell me that indexing does not work for them in the winter. For years I used some Deore XT top mount indexing shifters and had no problems. I keep my bike indoors when at home, so the ice build-up melts off between riding. Unfortunately those shifters died and last winter I rode with Shimano's next generation of junk (STX rapid fire plus). These worked fine, down to -15. At that temperature, the ratchet would not always engage while down shifting. In addition the return spring for the rear downshift stopped working this summer (Only about 4000km on it). I think there may be some grease that is thickenning up inside in the cold. I may try to wash it out with WD40 this winter and see if that helps. These shifters also become non-functional after parking in freezing rain. The ultimate for winter riding I think, would be a 5 or 7 speed internal hub. I have not tried one though, and cannot comment on their long term durability. See other comments on internal hubs.

Pedals

I use standard cage pedals with Powergrips. These allow me to wear heavy boots to keep my toes warm, while still providing a connection to the pedals. This product seems to be increasingly difficult to find, which is unfortunate, as I believe these are one of the best inventions for riding with regular footware. My commuter bike is always outfitted with these as I then do not have to worry about wearing cycling specific shoes.

Fenders

A must. The fuller the better. Lots of clearance because crap can build up underneath them. I find that knobby tires helps push junk through and keep the fenders clear.

Lights

It gets dark pretty early around here in the winter. A good lighting system is required. Note that max burn time will be less with cold batteries. I use a 10W Vistalight with a $14 lead acid battery meant for starting small recreational vehicles. This is bolted behind the seat tube and rests on the rear fender. I get about 2 hours burn time out of a full charge when warm. About 1 hour when it is -25.

2006 Update: I am still using the Vistalight, however the bulb burned out and I could not find a replacement. I ended up converting it to an LED system. See the full page here.

Clothing

Layers are warmer than bulk. Windproofing is almost more important than warmth as you generate a lot of heat when riding, and keeping the wind out will keep the heat in. The longest I will ever be out riding in the winter is an hour. After this, the moisture build up in your clothes can become a serious problem, especially if you are required to stop. I will go through, what I call my maximum wear. I have dressed like this and ridden confortably for 45 minutes at -32. All flesh is under several layers of fabric.

Feet

Thick wool socks with a pair of thin socks underneath. Over this is a pair of Canadian Forces combat boots, These are a double layer of leather, are waterproof, have room for a thick insole, and have a heavy lugged sole which provides good traction and can also be used as a second line of defense when your U-lock fails.

Lower Body

Windproof pants, over jeans, over long-johns, over cycling shorts. This is warm and windproof. The butt pad in the cycling shorts gives some comfort, and adds some extra frontal insulation to the important parts.

Upper Body

Cotton military shell, over leather jacket, over sweater, over t-shirt. The leather jacket provides, windproofing and warmth, while still allowing breathability.

Hands

Ski gloves over a thin pair of long wool gloves. The sweater overlaps the inner glove and the outer glove overlaps the sweater. The two jackets overlap the wrists of the outer glove. This provides a leak free interface. Make sure your keys are accessible in a large outer pocket!

Head

First I pull on a neck tube and tuck this under my jacket. Next comes a thin neoprene headband to protect the ears which is followed by a close fitting toque. My winter helmet (An old Bell V1 hardshell) goes over this. Next I put on ski-goggles to protect the eyes. The upper edge of the goggles overlaps the headband. This next item may seem a little weird, but it is almost essential below -20 for a ride longer than 30 minutes. I use a diving snorkel with a flexible neck which is attached to a rear helmet strap. The mouthpiece goes into my mouth and then I wrap the rest of my face with a long scarf. A portion of the scarf goes underneath the lower edge of the goggles. My head is now completely insulated. There should be no exposed skin. The snorkel lets me breath without causing the goggles to fog up, and prevents moisture accumulation in the scarf which otherwise ends up freezing into a solid mass of fabric. Besides, having a tailpipe makes you look cool. Unfortunately you cannot yell insults back at motorists.

Weather Conditions

Although I know lots of people who pride themselves for riding through all types of weather, (AKA couriers), I usually do not bother riding if there is loose snow on the road. I use wide tires so they tend to float on loose snow, and they work much better after it is packed down by other traffic. I would ride if it was not for the morons spinning around in their cars, but it just is not worth the risk to me. Snow clearing in Ottawa is reasonably efficient, so the major roads are cleared in about 24 hours after a snowfall. During that 24 hour period, I will resort to the bus if I am going far (eg. to work) or walk if it is only a few km. Unfortunately pedestrian facilities in Ottawa absolutely suck during the winter, so often it is faster and safer to walk down the middle of the road.
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