3 Ways to Conquer Winter Bike Commutes
As we approach the switch to Daylight Savings Time in the US, I was inspired to write about biking in the winter. Even though it will soon be lighter in the evenings, here in New Hampshire we still have at least another month of cold temperatures and snowy/icy/slushy conditions.
I love bike commuting, opting for my bike instead of driving my car, but even the most diehard commuters among us need a little motivation to continue biking in the winter. By this point in the season, I’m typically finding it harder and harder each morning to jump on my bike, knowing that the frigid cold awaits me outside. And as Strava Metro data shows, I’m not alone! We see this seasonality throughout the world as well (and sometimes we see the inverse, with warmer latitudes having more bike activities in the winter and fewer in the summer). Check out the seasonal patterns of bike rides in New Hampshire from our Strava Metro data:
One of the best ways I find to stay motivated is to make sure I have good gear and clothing for the season. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway to the office when it’s 5 degrees Fahrenheit and discovering that you should have worn a warmer shirt and a second pair of socks. This year, I made a few improvements to my winter gear to keep me biking all year long. Those additions, paired with a few of my tried-and-true pieces of winter bike gear, will help me make it to the Spring thaw.
- Upgrade to a belt drive bike
The first addition was rather unexpected — after my old winter commuting bike finally broke down (literally — the frame cracked) I needed to get another bike that would be okay to ride in the snow and the salted slushy streets that come along with that. I decided to branch out this time to see what new technology existed since the last time I bought a bike, and discovered that belt drives with internal gear hubs were the way to go. So far, the new bike is working great, and with the belt and internal gears instead of the standard chain and cassette, there’s much less road grime mess to clean to keep the bike in working order throughout the season.
2. Light up your whole self
Up next, I acquired additional lights. Here in Hanover, it gets dark at about 4pm in the winter and there are few street lights between here and where I live, so I like to make myself as visible as possible. I have the standard (very bright!) front white light and a red back light, but I also have two additional lights that stand out a little more than the typical bike lights. The first I’ve had for a few years — it’s a bank of LED lights that are attached to a spoke on my front wheel and can be programmed to make different designs — like flowers, hearts, and puppy paw prints. New to me this year is a light vest! It’s lightweight with multiple colors and blink modes — I like to opt for the one that gradually changes colors rather than a harsh blink so that I don’t distract other road users. While it’s hard to get a photo of those lights, I think this picture is a pretty good indication of how I like to keep my commute entertaining:
3. Put those ski goggles and helmet to use on the road
Finally, I like to make sure I have adequately warm clothing to get through the commute, but without overheating on the 200ft climb in the middle. While I’m always extra careful to make sure my hands and feet are sufficiently warm, from a safety perspective I most often worry about my eyes — when it’s in the single digits Fahrenheit, even cycling glasses won’t keep the cold air out, and it becomes nearly impossible to keep my eyes from watering. Any day that’s below 20 degrees, I make sure to wear my ski helmet and goggles. This has the added benefit of keeping my ears toasty as well.
What do you do to stay motivated and keep biking through the winter? Let us know in the comments!
