Winter weather cycling

[k8srd]

What's the verdict on winter weather cycling?? HAve jsut started cycling to work through my works cycle 2 work scheme and hoping to be able to cycle all year round excluding the snowy days of course

Many thanks

 

[Theseus]

Cold, wet & windy but better than sharing a bus with steaming strangers.

 

[k8srd]

Cool thanks i thought as much.

My main concern was sticking to the road? I have bought a boardman hybrid and wasn;t sure if the tyres were a bit to skimpy for our scottish weather?

 

[Trevrev]

Don't wimp out on the snowy days....!!! LOL. Just take each winter day as it comes.
Lashing down with freezing rain that feels like it's cutting through you like a knife. Frosty mornings where you're skidding about for fun...........PMSL. It all adds to the excitment of commuting by bike. I've been doing it for 2 and a half years now and nothing has made me take the car.......I hate windy days, but i look at that as extra excercise. I use Bontrager racelite hardcase tyres all year round. Very slick tyre and a bit slippy in the iceier conditions. All good fun., Just don't think about the weather too much, open the door, step out and go.

 

[GAVSTER]

If it's icey then I would say it might be better to use another form of transport but if there no ice then it's good to go.

I'm not keen on massive winds - particularly going over Forth Road Bridge - but it only slows you down not stop you.

I have Marathon Plus's on my commuter and they are not exactly aggressively treaded but apart from ice i've never felt them be slippy.

Always be aware of decaying leaves tho'

 

[jonny jeez]

What's the verdict on winter weather cycling?? HAve jsut started cycling to work through my works cycle 2 work scheme and hoping to be able to cycle all year round excluding the snowy days of course

Many thanks

You would be surprised. I arrive home on the pushbike dryer and warmer than when I take the motorbike (even in worse rain).

Cool days are actuallty better for riding (in my opinion) but the wind can be tiresome.

The dark seems to make me feel as if I'm riding faster somehow but I have yet to complete a full winter myself.

Still feel better than I do when I arrive after a 1-1.5 hour train journey or a 2 hour car "drive". and it only takes me around an hour on the pushbike.

Good luck

 

[Trevrev]

Always be aware of decaying leaves tho'

Acorns !!!! Bloody things !!

 

[snorri]

My main concern was sticking to the road? I have bought a boardman hybrid and wasn;t sure if the tyres were a bit to skimpy for our scottish weather?

Your clothing will probably be the deciding factor as to cycling or not during the winter. A good jacket makes all the difference, but these do not come cheap.
Regarding sharing the road with motor vehicles in icy conditions, it's not worth the risk, no tyres are skid-proof.

 

[4F]

The only thing I won't cycle on is ice, every other weather condition is down to wearing suitable clothing.

 

[Theseus]

... and cycling on ice is down to tyre choice

http://www.suomityres.fi/winter.html

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

From the dizzy heights of one winter's worth of experience ...

- Fresh snow was lots of fun: I used an MTB with knobblies on and it was .. just watch out for hard packed snow on estate roads where ham-fisted cagers have been slithering out. And especially watch out that one of them doesn't slide into you. (I got off the bike and pushed it across the road, walking along on the path there to avoid a bus that I could see was gonig to have hassles - he did, and slid straight into where I'd have been).
- The ice that the snow turned into overnight was a non-starter.
- Fog was also something that bothered me.
- Frosty days are fine. Just make sure you've got appropriate clothing on and watch out for icy patches in shaded areas and so on.
- Rain is not a problem.
- Wind is a chore, but survivable.

Think that's about it.

Edit to add: it's worth surviving "adverse" conditions just for the look on your colleague's faces when you nonchalantly say "course I did" to the inevitable, "you didn't ride in today, did you?"

 

[Jane Smart]

This is going to be a test for me, as I only started cycling in June of this year, but I fully intend to go out in all weathers.. .. ..

Watch this space .. .. ..

 

[DJ]

Every morning when I wake up I do a little weather check, first the window is it raining? Then the thermometer in the kitchen, how cold is it? Depnding on that information I then attempt to dress accordingly, number of layers etc, I dont always get it right but usualy I do and it makes for a much more comfortable ride.

Options are, Shorts/short sleeve shirt

shorts/base layer/short sleeve shirt

As above plus gloves and cap

As above plus light weight jacket

For when it gets really cold I add a fleece type jacket and perhaps a scarf although the scarf often gets ripped off half way to work. Also of course longs instead of shorts on my legs in the winter.


Oh and I also love the comments at work about how cold it is, I nonchalantly reply "Is it" heehee

 

[XmisterIS]

As long as there's no ice or rain, no problem!

We don't get much ice down here on the South Coast, but the rain can be a sod.

 

[Trevrev]

I love cycling in the rain.......!!! No matter how cold. It just does something for me.