Winter Commuting in the Great White North! | Thread profile

Thanks for all the great advice. I guess I better just put as many miles in as I can and get used to the craziness on the winter streets.

A good person for snowy advise would be Machka, a long distance rider from up in the middle of the Great White North. -20 C. was my limit when I had to ride in the cold. Other here talk of going much lower with things like vapor barrier layers and moon boots. A high tech sort of company in Calgary or Edmonton has an annual winter commuting contest with bonus points for degrees below C during the commute. They welcomed outsiders last year and...

There's a lot of info in the Winter Cycling forum. I've been using an Electra Rat Rod with Nokian Freddies on it. The plus side is it's almost impossible to tip over, and it rides very well over smooth ice, packed snow and light snow. The down side is it doesn't do as well as a mountain bike in heavy chop or deeper snow. But for in-town riding esp. over icy residential street's it's AWESOME. Rides like a boat on...

Maybe Tequila Joe can help answer your questions for he commutes in the same city. Most times I find in the winter I'll take streets less travelled just to stay out of motorist's way. Sure I have a right to be there as well, but I feel no need to pi$$ them off anymore than required.

Originally Posted by Anna W Hello Everyone, If anyone can share any tips about winter commuting - especially how to behave next to big cars, I would totally appreciate it! Biker Annie Equipment tips- studded tires and full fenders make winter commuting with snow much more plesant. Keep yourself warm, but not too warm. Cold hands make biking clumsy, and freezing or being way overdressed (suprisingly common) aren't good either. Lighting is...

As far as safety goes, the previous post covered it very adequately. +1 on all comments! I believe in staying warm. Biking isn't fun if your hands, feet or face is cold. Get some ski mittens, with glove inserts. On very cold days, I like to wear wool socks with some nylon booties (I picked these up at a hunting supply shop) over them. If it's warmer, I'll skip the booties, or if the forecast is precipitation, I'll wear the...

I'm originally from upstate NY. I remember riding to a girlfriend's house on my 1970s Motobecane LeChampion race bike (complete with sewups) at 1AM in January over icey roads. Man, it was worth it though!!!

In addition to the suggestions above, for equipment, I would also ensure that you are seen from the side. Reflectors on your wheels and reflective tape on the bike & helmet would help if you don't have them already. MEC has a kit for like $5. I have a lot left over if you want some. I also take the secondary roads in the Foothills Industrial Park as much as possible but they've been icy as of late. Studded tires would help...