Tights? Check. Two pairs of socks? Check. Ridiculous amounts of clothing on? Check. And so, your ready to head out on the snowy streets in below freezing temperatures for what was once a peaceful, warm bicycle ride. Now, your winter riding.
In the New England area, we have a thing called winter. It lasts a while, and it gets pretty cold. And snowy, often both. For many, this means that there is a “season” to riding as bicycle. Probably sometime from May until October. But what about the rest of the months? Where do you store your love of riding during those months? Well, for the few, its on the saddle where it belongs. It’s called winter riding.
Those who consider themselves knowledgeable of the finer details that make winter riding what it is, can and do have varied opinions regarding gear, tires, clothing, etc. Of course, these same people have these same varying opinions about biking no matter what part of the year, so really, it best to just ignore them all together.
As there are such fewer bikers on the road in the winter, it lends itself well to each biker creating their own style, their own preferences of how to best proceed in the winter landscape. There are really two main areas of concern for the winter biker. The road and the fear of freezing to death. Let us examine the road.
Normally, the road is dry (or wet) and hands out traction like it was kittens at a shelter. Even if it rains, the tires you have are most likely already prepared to handle it. But, dear reader, the winter road is paved not in sugar snaps and childhood dreams, but in slush, black ice, snow drifts, disgusting dirty snow, hidden bike lanes, salt and dirt. That once peaceful bike lane has become a mousetrap of hell for you. The bike lane is gone. The slippery slush makes your back tire spin out of control, sliding left and right as your grip becomes ever tighter hoping to regain what little control you had. Your turns mimics of turtles not knowing if that shiny patch is ice. Your bike is covered in what one could only describe as modern post colonial Dada-esq neo art. That hill you normally shift up to conquer like the hero you are, nope. Derailleur is frozen. Downhills become cathedrals full of prayers that your brakes will work, oh please oh please…
Whew! You made it to the coffee shop. You locked up your bike on top of three feet of piled snow, and walk inside. Oh..my..god..its 1,000,000 degrees inside!! This leads us to the second concern of the intrepid winter biker: Clothing.
Before embarking on your trip, you are warm but have devils dances in your head of the cold awaiting. Some wear “performance” clothing, crafty creating layers according to instructions. Others, have three long sleeves shirt that when worn all at once mimics what they mean by the word warmth. Regardless, once outside, for several minutes, the bone chilling cold and winds reduce your temperature to a laugh of what it once was. Ahh, but that varied terrain is much harder to bike in, and your blood starts squirming, your head starts a rolling and before you know it, you are warm. Pretty much. Your exposed face is nearing frostbite, you realize that your plumber’s crack is getting tickled by the cold, but more or less, you did it! You are braving the cold! Warm and confident, you pull along side the coffeehouse, silently mocking all those poor bastards not riding their bikes,. Leaving the best parking spaces available for you. So you walk in, prepared for applause and tinker tape, when the heating system set at nuclear levels, hits your layers, sweating, bike hot body. In a tizzy, you dance your self out of layer upon layer of clothing that at one moment was all that was between you and instant death, and now mocks you by threatening to boil you alive.
Coffee. Its so good. A mug, a friend, some comics and maybe a game of Othello and its time to part. Ahh crap, all your cloths are a bit wet form the snow and ice that froze to them during your ride only to defrost during your enjoyable coffee. Oh well, you re-don your chilly damp gear, smiling nonetheless, as you know that you are a winter biker.
In the New England area, we have a thing called winter. It lasts a while, and it gets pretty cold. And snowy, often both. For many, this means that there is a “season” to riding as bicycle. Probably sometime from May until October. But what about the rest of the months? Where do you store your love of riding during those months? Well, for the few, its on the saddle where it belongs. It’s called winter riding.
Those who consider themselves knowledgeable of the finer details that make winter riding what it is, can and do have varied opinions regarding gear, tires, clothing, etc. Of course, these same people have these same varying opinions about biking no matter what part of the year, so really, it best to just ignore them all together.
As there are such fewer bikers on the road in the winter, it lends itself well to each biker creating their own style, their own preferences of how to best proceed in the winter landscape. There are really two main areas of concern for the winter biker. The road and the fear of freezing to death. Let us examine the road.
Normally, the road is dry (or wet) and hands out traction like it was kittens at a shelter. Even if it rains, the tires you have are most likely already prepared to handle it. But, dear reader, the winter road is paved not in sugar snaps and childhood dreams, but in slush, black ice, snow drifts, disgusting dirty snow, hidden bike lanes, salt and dirt. That once peaceful bike lane has become a mousetrap of hell for you. The bike lane is gone. The slippery slush makes your back tire spin out of control, sliding left and right as your grip becomes ever tighter hoping to regain what little control you had. Your turns mimics of turtles not knowing if that shiny patch is ice. Your bike is covered in what one could only describe as modern post colonial Dada-esq neo art. That hill you normally shift up to conquer like the hero you are, nope. Derailleur is frozen. Downhills become cathedrals full of prayers that your brakes will work, oh please oh please…
Whew! You made it to the coffee shop. You locked up your bike on top of three feet of piled snow, and walk inside. Oh..my..god..its 1,000,000 degrees inside!! This leads us to the second concern of the intrepid winter biker: Clothing.
Before embarking on your trip, you are warm but have devils dances in your head of the cold awaiting. Some wear “performance” clothing, crafty creating layers according to instructions. Others, have three long sleeves shirt that when worn all at once mimics what they mean by the word warmth. Regardless, once outside, for several minutes, the bone chilling cold and winds reduce your temperature to a laugh of what it once was. Ahh, but that varied terrain is much harder to bike in, and your blood starts squirming, your head starts a rolling and before you know it, you are warm. Pretty much. Your exposed face is nearing frostbite, you realize that your plumber’s crack is getting tickled by the cold, but more or less, you did it! You are braving the cold! Warm and confident, you pull along side the coffeehouse, silently mocking all those poor bastards not riding their bikes,. Leaving the best parking spaces available for you. So you walk in, prepared for applause and tinker tape, when the heating system set at nuclear levels, hits your layers, sweating, bike hot body. In a tizzy, you dance your self out of layer upon layer of clothing that at one moment was all that was between you and instant death, and now mocks you by threatening to boil you alive.
Coffee. Its so good. A mug, a friend, some comics and maybe a game of Othello and its time to part. Ahh crap, all your cloths are a bit wet form the snow and ice that froze to them during your ride only to defrost during your enjoyable coffee. Oh well, you re-don your chilly damp gear, smiling nonetheless, as you know that you are a winter biker.
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