crossposted from Docudharma ... Bike Blogging on Docudharma today: Innovate or Die
Uhhh ... how do you do it? Anyone know?
I started this cycle commuting in Newcastle, Australia, where there is no winter, in the Northeast Ohio sense of the word ... and restarted it at the end of May here.
So I have some vague ideas, but no firm knowledge.
Waddya reckon?
According to the editor at BicyclingLife.Com:
- It's not unpleasant
- It's not cold
- It's not dangerous
It's Not Unpleasant.
The same person who will ask you if you're crazy (a common theme) if you arrive somewhere on a bicycle on a snowy winter day will be just itching to get their ski gear out and head for the mountain. Per hour spent, skiing must be hundreds of times more dangerous than winter cycling.
Winter riding is a great form of exercise, and very enjoyable. The air is crisp and clear (except when it is snowing and everything is soft and rounded). The countryside is white and pure, and even SUV drivers give you wide clearance.
It's Not Cold.
Contrary to your expectations, the biggest problem with most winter cycling is not keeping warm. The hard part is keeping cool enough. Cycling in any weather generates a great deal of excess heat. The first mistake of those new to "ICEBIKING" is to dress too warmly.
Dressing so as to get rid of excess heat and sweat is "The" principal learning curve to master for enjoyable winter cycling. It took me a year, but that was before the advent of web sites like ICEBIKE where this information is consolidated.
It is only when temperatures dip to below Zero (F), (-20C) that being warm enough requires some planning. Even then, most winter cyclists keep right on riding until (-20)F and some to (-40)F. I will address this below.
It's Not Dangerous
Many folks expect winter cycling to be fraught with peril. After all, they know how hard it is to control their car on icy roads. Yes, slipping and crashing on ice can happen, but you learn to handle your bike so as not to induce sliding, and Studded bike tires provide awesome traction.
There are the occasional crashes but because of extra clothing and a slippery surface to land on, these usually result in less injury than would be sustained by a bare limbed cyclist on dry pavement. Road rash is just about unheard of.
In the winter of 98/99 the ICEBIKE site conducted a survey of winter cyclists with an automated web based survey instrument. One of the questions asked about the worst accident that respondents had experienced while cycling in winter. The results were surprising.
Only slightly over 4 percent had ever required medical attention for a winter cycling accident. Fully 70% had never been injured at all! Not so much as a sprain.
The main site appears to be ICEBIKE.
The keys seem to be studded tires, if snow is on the road, warm shoes, and not too warm clothes.
But ... well, any experience?