Learning To Bicycle In The Winter
Schwalbe Marathon Winter bicycle tire
A few weeks ago, Pocatello, Idaho experienced a fairly heavy snowfall of about 6 inches or so. This was followed by temperatures ranging from -10 F to 15 F for several days after. None of the snow melted for an entire week, which made all the roads turn into snowy chocolate mousse (see this icebike.org page for a better description of this). I had recently purchased some better studded snow tires for my mountain bike in an attempt to improve my winter cycling experience. However, this turned out to be only one part of the formula for making it from point A to point B on snowy roads. The other part of the formula being practice, practice, practice. :-)
The Monday morning after the heavy snowfall weekend, I set on my studded tire mountain bike. Wobbling and slipping around in the thick, partially-packed snow for a few feet made me quickly re-think my decision. I wussed out, put my bike away, and began sweeping the snow off my car, feeling defeated.
The next few days of that week were terribly cold with morning temperatures regularly hovering around -10 F. After looking at the bus routes on the Pocatello Regional Transit web site, I found that there was a very convenient route within 5 minutes walking distance of both my house and my workplace. So I rode the bus the rest of the week. Driving your car to work is just wasteful, inconvenient, and bad for the environment. It’s also expensive if you work for Idaho State University, which charges employees for parking. :-(
Merrily Cycling Through The Snow!
A week later, temperatures were back up to normal levels, and so my buddy, Travis, and I decided to practice our winter cycling around town that weekend. Travis is a lot more confidant riding on snow and ice than I am, so I was really interested in taking note of his techniques. I was secretly hoping to see him wipe out, which might make me feel less like a goof. :-) Cycling to Travis’ house by myself was a bit nerve wracking, but after a while I was getting the hang of it. Travis joined me at his place and we headed out to Sacajawea Park near the West Bench area of Pocatello. This park trail had plenty off snow on it in several places which proved to be a pretty big challenge. This ride, and Travis’ coaching, taught me several things about bicycling on snow:
- You aren’t going to wipe out unless you do something stupid like turning sharply. Your body automatically corrects your balance as you slip around on uneven snow, chocolate mousse, etc.
- Cycling in fresh snow is a piece of cake. It is much easier than riding on trodden snow, which is the tricky part.
- Keep your gear low and spin. Take your time, there’s no rush.
- Keep your hand off the front brake. Use your rear brake, especially while descending a hill. Your front wheel needs to remain moving and as straight as possible.
After about 15 miles of riding around town in all kinds of different consistencies of snow, I was actually feeling good about riding in snow and enjoying myself. The next Monday, I got up, hopped on my bike, and cycled through the chocolate mousse with glee! I actually purposely plowed through some thicker snow just to put a little excitement into my ride since, by then, there was plenty of bare pavement to ride on.
Winter cycling isn’t for everyone. But if you’re looking for an alternative winter transportation method and some serious fun, buy a good pair of studded snow tires and get out there give it a shot! But, beware, it really does take some practice to get over your initial nerves, or at least it did for me! But after you get past that, you gain a lot of confidence and you get a feel for it. Several sources online claim that winter cycling improves your overall cycling stability and confidence on all kinds of terrain, and I can definitely see the truth in this.
Here are some useful and interesting winter cycling links!
- Icebike.org – Lots of great information on how to dress, cycling techniques, etc.
- Winter Cycling According To Pete – A humorous account of how Pete Hickey commutes by bicycle in the winter.
- Jill’s Subarctic Journal – A woman in Juneau, Alaska who rides a Surly Pugsley. Very inspiring!
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