The annual Spoke-n-Sport New Year's Day Ride is coming up this Saturday.
This is the 35th year of the ride. One change is that we're starting from the new Tuthill Park location. We roll at 1 p.m.
Not sure what to wear? This should help....
Fall and winter can offer some of the best riding out of the year. Nothing beats the serenity you find pedaling your bike with snow gently falling around you. It’s something everyone should experience. Not all winter rides are guaranteed to be calming. Winter conditions can also change drastically so you will need to be prepared for changes in either direction of the thermometer. This can affect your clothing as well as the mechanical parts of your bike. With some planning and the right gear it’s more likely you’ll have a great time. Below is a list of gear and clothing you should have for successful winter trips by bike.
Clothing Plan
We are going to be talking about clothing in terms of a rider that’s between a commuter and a 1 to 2 hour weekend trail rider. That’s the biggest market in this area. If you’re planning on doing Iditabike or Arrowhead 135 this info may just be scratching the surface. Also, cycling gear is the best for cycling but that doesn’t mean you can’t use running or skiing equipment on the bike. What you’ll lose out on is longer flaps on the back of jerseys and jackets for when you’re holding your handlebar, longer sleeves for turning or a reinforced crotch for abrasion wear.
What I want everyone to do is lick your finger. Wave your finger around until it’s dry. You probably feel some coolness. What is happening is moisture is evaporating off of your finger. That process is a cooling process. Not imagine that at 10 degrees. If you actually waved your hand around you simulated another risk when riding in cool weather. That’s the wind. Although the air temp is the air temp and it’s not going to get any cooler, wind will determine how quickly your body temp will lower. I’m often reminded of the wine chiller at the liquor store. I don’t know what those run at for a temp but they work by spinning the bottle and it’s contents in cool water exposing as much of the internal fluids to the coolness of the outside of the bottle and the good conductor of glass between them. You can chill a bottle in under a minute.
Dangers of Riding in the Winter
Too hot: too much moisture
Too cold: dead
Breakdowns: hard to fix things with gloves on. Gloves off...too cold...die
Crashing: Dying
Temps: Too cold die
Know when to stop.
Ok, so you’re ready to go. But you need to be aware of when you are ready to stop.
Unfortunately this is not always easy to know. Biology conspires against you. One of the really insidious things about cold weather is hypothermia.
It’s not that it sneaks up on you. You will know you are getting cold. You will be shivering. The next thing you know you have your hat off, your jacket unzipped and you think you are too warm. You don’t seem to care about the cold anymore.
The bad part is by that time you may be too far gone to recognise the problem. You need to pay attention to the EARLY warning signs, those in the first two rows below. And watch your riding partners too.
Eat and drink. It takes energy to fight the cold. Don’t go on long treks alone unless you are well prepared.
Systemic Hyperthermia
Make a Plan
Plan your gear. Create an excel file that you can log your clothing and riding gear. Add to it on every ride and use it as a gauge for planning future rides. If you do other activities outdoors use it for that as well. Here are a couple things to keep track of: Date, Temp, Time of Day, Wind, Forecast (sun / no sun), Distance, Head, body, legs, feet, hands. How did I feel
Try on your gear before you go. Don’t just stand in front of a mirror either. Put on your gear and jump on your bike. Is blood flow restricted anywhere? Are areas of skin exposed? Lower back? Ankles? Remember that your spring coat may be a great windproof piece but will it fit over your baselayer? As you add more layers your arms may be tighter in the sleeves which can cut off some circulation. We’ll talk about this more with shoes and helmets.
Manage Your Effort
Layering is the most common way to dress when riding in cooler weather. It does have its disadvantages. If you’re riding trails or varying terrain your effort is going to increase and decrease as you ride. Taking off and adding layers is time consuming. Weather conditions change drastically in the mornings and evenings as the sun drops. Carrying all that extra gear may prove difficult. Managing your cycling effort may be an option to manage your comfort in the cold weather. Or maybe neither layering or managing your effort are the best but using both methods together will enable you to stay comfortable on your ride.
Baselayers
Sweating is a cooling process. It removes heat from our body as it evaporates. So it is imperative that we reduce this as much as possible. We do this with our baselayers. A base layer is a fabric that is going to be worn against your skin. It will pull moisture away from your body so you don’t get cold. Imagine putting on a wet cotton t’shirt when it’s 20 degrees out. You’ll want to avoid cotton. My favorite is a wool polyester blend. The most important place to have this is your upper body. It will pull the moisture away via capillary action. If it has a bit of spandex in it, it will conform to your body as you move.
Mid Layer
This is where your clothing guide is going to come into play. Your insulating layer can be as thick as a down comforter (please no) or as light as a long sleeve jersey. This may also be your outside layer if it’s cool enough out. It really depends on your conditions. One of the best options is going to be using the natural properties of wool to stay warm. Wool can be a lot more expensive and certainly doesn’t last as long as some of the other fleeces or micro fleeces that are on the market. A key to this layer is its ability for moisture to travel through it. You don’t want to wear something waterproof as mid layer. This layer can be long sleeve or just a vest.
Outer Layer
Breathability is key with this layer. Waterproofness will depend on the conditions. If it’s sloppy out or raining, you may need waterproofing. Water vapor coming from inside your personal biome needs to evaporate and move through this layer. Water vapor is a smaller molecule than drops of water on the surface. Which allows for the fabric to be waterproof in one direction (water drops) and breathable in the other direction (smaller vapor molecules). Effectiveness of a breathable waterproof jacket can change as the jacket gets more wet on the outside or as the temps drop and moisture on the inside freezes when it hits the air. This restricts its breathability. When the temps drop there is less chance for rain and an increased chance of snow. Having something that is windproof but can still breath from the inside will be beneficial. Be conscious of outer layers that have venting options. Pit zips or vents in pockets that will allow you to “dump” a lot of heat if you notice you’re over heating or know you have an increased pedaling effort coming up (aka a hill).
Headware
In fall and spring it’s easy to slip a wool cap underneath your helmet to keep you warm. There are even thin windproof caps you can wear. As it gets colder consider a helmet that has extra insulation for warmth and even vents that can be opened and closed to manage heat / moisture. Be careful of having too much between your helmet and your head. These can create additional pressure points. That pressure can ruin a ride. Pressure can also be increases as you lean forward and tilt your head back. Since most winter riding helmets are made from ski helmet molds, there is often a lot of helmet material on the back of the helmet. As you tilt your head back you can create a pressure point at the neck. The risk is elevated if you have a coat that has a hood or maybe even a hidden hood or you’re wearing a neck gaiter or balaclava. Consider a helmet that has goggles that integrate into the fit. It seems eye protection is hit and miss. Some insist on it. Some don’t.
Face Covering
Balaclava or a neck gaiter can help cover the face. Something to keep you covered on the coldest of days. The simplicity of the neck gaiter make it easy to pack. It’s a tube of fabric that can be pulled up under the helmet or just worn around the neck as the temps drop. They are thin and fairly easy to breathe through. When choosing something for your face consider the helmet / goggles and other accessories you’ll be wearing.
Hands
Gloves are obviously a covering that’s needed for winter riding. Keeping warm in really cold temps can be a challenge because the thicker the glove the harder it is to use your bikes controls. Mittens usually prohibit use of controls as well. Lobster claw gloves (three finger) do provide extra warmth by keeping fingers together to keep them warm. When in sloopy weather consider a waterproof glove. Another option is a pogie. A pogie is an accessory that you attach to your handlebar. It provides an insulated pocket around your handlebar and controls. With a pogie you can wear a thinner glove that gives you more “feel” of your controls while keeping your hands very warm. Some pogies have closures at the top so you can “close” it so falling snow doesn’t enter.
Footwear and Socks
The most common mistake made with winter cycling footwear is using a cycling shoe that was designed to be comfortable and cool for winter use. The venting will cause your foot to cool faster as the cool air comes in through the venting. The second mistake is wearing extra socks within the same shoe. Added material makes the shoe fit tighter which restricts blood flow and can lead to discomfort or frostbite. If you are going to be biking a lot in the winter the best option is buying a shoe that is made for winter cycling. Winter specific shoes usually have measures to help combat the cold regardless of clipless or not and offer the best warmth. If you are using a traditional cycling shoe look for a good wool sock and or a windproof sock. There are also booties which are most often neoprene covers that “windproof” your shoes and offer a level of insulation to keep your toes warm. If you will be riding in deeper snow, you may want to consider gaiters to cover the space between your shoes and your pants or tights. These will also come in hand if you find yourself doing any amount of hike a bike on powdery trails.
Riding Conditions
As more and more snow falls and gets scooped to the “gutter” of the street, our roads become narrower. Taking your lane will be even more important in these conditions. Keep a watchful eye for ice. When having to navigate an icy road, move forward off of your seat and slide one foot off the pedal and prepare yourself to use your free foot to stabilize you if your bike slides out from under you. Always take corners carefully.
Maintenance
Whenever you are done riding in the winter, take the time to brush the snow and ice off of your bike. If you bring your bike indoors consider where that moisture will go as it melts. Will it run down into your frame and start to rust key parts and components. What is going to happen to that moisture when you head out for you next ride? Will it freeze in your cables? Will it freeze other key internal parts? Odds are it will. It may be best to keep your bike outside in the cold or if you can’t do that have a very thorough cleaning process.
With all the chemicals on the roads in the winter there is more maintenance that needs to be done. Cleaning your bike weekly / monthly will be important. Consider switching to a wet lube that will offer a little more protection from the snow and ice.
Bike
Fenders
Use front and rear fenders when possible to keep snow and slop off your bike. In that slop is also the chemicals they use on the roads to melt the snow. These chemicals can corrode some of the parts on a bike. The most susceptible part of the bike is the front derailleur and bottom bracket area. You don’t want moisture leaking into your bottom bracket and ruining your bearings. You don’t want the pivots of your front derailleur to rust and corrode either (an advantage of 1x systems). Full wrap fenders are the best option but don’t always work when tires pack up with snow. Some tires (esp w/ studs) have too much lug to clear full wrap fenders. There are clip on fenders that are easy to install but don’t have as much coverage. You trade convenience for protection.
Bags
When taking gear with you in the winter ask if it needs to be waterproof. Pulling out that dry mid layer may not be a reality if it was in a saddle bag on a sloppy winter day. If commuting consider a backpack or messenger bag. With backpacks consider the heat generated by wearing it. Messenger bags sit lower on the back and tend to get less hot.
Pedals
When setting up your bike think about how cold or heat will conducted through your gear. For example if you are using a metal pedal it will conduct cold and heat very well. Meaning that if it’s cold out, your pedals will be cold. That cold can be transferred to your feet. It gets a bit colder quicker when you are using clipless pedals in the winter. The cold will transfer from your metal pedal, to your metal cleat to the metal in your boot / shoe and ultimately to your foot. Clipless typically means metal. There are lots of companies that do a composite platform pedal. Be sure to use your choice of boot and pedal together to figure out your best set up. Check out the section on footwear to get more clarity.
Tires
Tire selection is going to be determined by the bike and wheels that you are riding. Even though a specific wheel size may have a multitude of tire width options, frame clearance may limit you. Front tire is the tire that holds you in a turn. If you’re going to run one tire that is more aggressive (studs or wider) the front might be the one to replace first. The back tire is going to be your traction to move you forward. Too narrow and you’ll spin. A wider tire with lower pressure usually gives the best traction in the winter. Tire studs are an option for most tire sizes and they do give you traction on ice. They are harder to pedal on pavement. Staying upright on ice is likely more important than speed. Some studded tires have replaceable studs. Some do not. Some companies have offered bike snow chains for better traction. Continental makes their Winter Contact tire. It’s a non-studded tire that has a specific winter traction. Tubeless in winter usually works well. One concern to consider is in extremely cold weather, you may want to run a tube. It’s possible for a tubeless set up to burp out some or all the air. If you have to replace the tube what is the risk to stopping and taking off your gloves to reinstall a tube? Frostbite? Just like tires for other temperatures it’s important to consider the casing and how many TPI it has. Higher thread counts are usually a lighter tire that is more supple. The suppleness allows it to roll over things much easier. Things like ice and chunks of hard snow.
Hydration
In the winter, just like the summer, you have to stay hydrated. That’s a challenge. Keeping your water liquid is also a challenge. Keeping water flasks or hydro packs close to your body can help keep the water from freezing. Placing a bottle in a cage or “feed bag” upside down will keep the top of the bottle from freezing since water freezes from the top down. In colder temps or longer rides these tips may not be an option. Consider putting a bit of vodka in your water to keep it from freezing. Not an option for everyone.
Nutrition
Riding in the winter can burn a lot of calories. Most of those calories may be burned while just trying to get all the gear on and ready for your ride. Throw something in your chest pocket just in case. Keep it near your body if you can so it doesn’t freeze.
Lighting
Not necessarily a cold weather accessory but because of the time of year we deal with cold weather, we’re also dealing with less sunlight. At the very least keep a charged headlight and taillight handy for when you get caught out later than expected. If riding in traffic at any time of the day you should use a daytime running light. Staying visible this time of year is important as seeing a cyclist riding in the snow may not be something that’s expected.
Hydraulic Brakes
This may get a little too nerdy but your hydraulic brakes performance will change with the temperature. Most For example hydros that use mineral oil will feel a little more sluggish the colder the weather is. It’s not necessarily the fluid but the seals needed to keep your brakes a closed system. The Mineral Oil seals stiffen up pretty quick as the temps drop. If you are riding below -15 degrees C you should consider DOT fluid. If it’s going to be colder than -30 then use mechanical brakes.
E-Bike Batteries
The battery is the most sensitive component of the eBike. It can lose capacity at low temperatures, which in turn can limit the bike's range. During winter use with temperatures below zero you are advised to remove the battery, store it at room temperature and replace it on the bike shortly before your next journey. When you return, you should ideally store the battery indoors at temperatures between 60° and 70°F. The same applies to charging the battery: the lithium-ion cells should be charged at room temperature.
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