Tips for Riding your Bike this Winter

November 1, 2010 By Joe T. 3 Comments

This chilly morning proves it… winter is on the way to Toronto…

To help get Toronto Cyclists ready for it (especially if you’re thinking of biking through winter for the first time)… we’ll start with this collection of links for you:

Winter Biking in Toronto

tips from the City of Toronto – They’ve posted a handy-dandy brochure (PDF) to help those new to winter cycling get into it.

5 Ways to get You and Your Bike Ready for Winter

Winter cycling may sound hard and/or crazy… but here in Toronto it’s surprisingly easy and enjoyable… helped by the fact that we have milder winters than most of Canada.Here are some tips to get you out on two wheels easier and safer:

Forum Topic: How To Bike in the Winter

Forum Topic: Winter Cyclists – how do you clean the salt and grunge off?

Illustration from the City of Toronto

Filed Under: how-to Tagged With: how-to, weather, winter

http://www.theurbancountry.com James

It’s too bad that photo from the City of Toronto makes winter bicycling look so overly complicated.

For me, it’s pretty easy. I wear what I would have worn if I was simply walking outside. The only additional clothing item that I wear on my bike in the winter is the waterproof pants (I wouldn’t wear those if I were just walking outside).

Everything else is the same (winter boots, toque, winter gloves, scarf, warm jacket, etc.)
misslynx

I agree with James’s comment – you don’t really need a lot of special stuff. The main differences between what I wear when biking in the winter and when walking are just:

* Balaclava over my face
* Lighter clothing, as you generate a fair bit of heat biking
* Sometimes, warmer gloves/mittens, since your hands can get colder than the rest of you.

I do also have a pair of cold-weather cycling tights, but I don’t think you really need those – they’re nice, but not essential.

Of course, a certain amount depends on exactly what kind of winter weather you’re cycling in. Cold and wet is different from cold and dry.
Rob

I enjoy winter biking. We spend so much time indoors during the winter, it’s a nice break to be outside (and to avoid the subway!).

Like the two posts above, I agree that you don’t need a lot of specialized clothes. I’ve got a balaclava, which I recommend, and a pair of wind/rain pants. Once it gets really cold, I wear two pairs of gloves, or mitts over gloves. Other than that, you do generate a fair bit of hear once you get pedaling, so staying warm isn’t a big issue.

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