Perhaps the most common question I get from winter cyclists these days is simple: Why don’t you ride a fat bike for your winter commute? It’s true, I don’t. I ride a built-for-winter commuter bike that has non-rusting parts and skinny tires. But fat bikes are pretty amazing winter machines, and I’ve ridden plenty of …
Read more “Why I don’t use a fat bike for my winter bicycle commute”
As the days get darker, it’s important to be well lit on your bike commute. So I’m testing three lights to see which ones stack up the best. The new Biolight PowerLight Mini. The Beryl Laserlight, my favourite light from last season. And a $15 wraparound handlebar light. Which one is best? Thanks to both …
I asked some winter-cycling friends from around the world to tell us what they love and, in some cases, hate about winter cycling in their cities. Bike lanes, plowing, bike parking, and reams of people riding in subzero temperatures: Here’s what they had to say in Winnipeg, Montreal, Minneapolis, Tilburg, and Oulu. Please subscribe to …
Read more “Some good (and bad) parts of winter cycling in cities around the world”
In the midst of the polar vortex, where frothing meteorologists competed over cold weather hyperbole, I had my most memorable bike rides of the season. My home city of Calgary recently hosted the 7th annual Winter Cycling Congress, giving me a week of bike-focused learning and activity. The congress touched on myriad aspects of winter …
Read more “What the polar vortex taught us about winter cycling”
Lime launched in my city of Calgary this week, and something unique is happening: Winter. Well, winter isn’t unique, but having a bike-share program run through a cold Canadian winter is unique, and the company is treating the situation as a bit of an experiment in winter bike-share survival. So I talked to the Lime’s …
Read more “Can Lime’s bike-share program survive a Canadian winter?”
When the temperature drops, riding a bike to work gets a tad more complicated. Especially in North America, where bike commuting is sometimes viewed more as an athletic pursuit than a simple transportation mode. That’s why, in this video, I look at two ways of dressing for bike commuting. Version 1 we’ll call Dress for …
Ski towns have a secret: They also tend to be fantastic bike towns. They are usually small, so distances are short. They are populated by outdoor-lovers, fit and keen to enjoy the fresh air, which makes the towns partial to cycling. Come summertime, many convert into havens of mountain biking as ski resorts keep their …
Read more “Hey cities, steal this idea: Subsidized winter-bike tires”
There are plenty of challenges to riding a bike in winter, and sometimes they threaten to overwhelm its enjoyableness. But one thing that will always give the season a unique pleasure: Snow. Once you get past the fear of slipping and falling (more on this later), snow offers an experience unlike any other you’ll have …
It didn’t strike like lightning. It was more like a subconscious feeling created by its absence until one day I finally noticed. Hey, I thought. My feet aren’t cold. That was a good day, as have many since then. It seems a small thing, and I didn’t realize it until I realized it, but toasty …
Read more “How to keep your feet warm while cycling in winter”
Riding a bike is only the best thing ever, so of course you want to do it all winter long. But you’re frightened. All that cold, snow and ice is intimidating. But after more than a decade of riding through northern winters, I’ve learned a secret: Those are not the things you should be afraid …
Read more “This is the one thing you should be frightened of while riding your bike in winter”