Winter Cycling – Shifter

The most important things your city can do to make it better for winter cycling

by Tom BabinCities January 24, 2021January 24, 2021Comments are Disabled

We often think of winter cycling as a personal thing, but there’s a lot a city can do to encourage more people to ride a bike year-round. Here are three things that a city can do to make bike commuting and transportation cycling easier in winter. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Follow Tom Babin on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Medium. …

Why I don’t use a fat bike for my winter bicycle commute

by Tom BabinWinter April 9, 2020April 9, 2020Comments are Disabled

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 …

My perfect winter bike has been upgraded – is it better?

by Tom BabinBikes February 21, 2020February 21, 2020One Comment

My winters changed forever with a smiling dude with curly hair standing behind a bike in the lobby of a conference centre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was an early edition of the Winter Cycling Congress, an annual event that brings winter bike lovers from all over the world together to discuss their favourite misunderstood transportation …

Add lights to your bike for the Christmas season

by Tom BabinBikes December 16, 2019Comments are Disabled

I’ve always wanted to do this, but never quite got deep enough into Clark Griswold mode to get it done. But this is the year I decorate my bike with Christmas lights. This is mostly for fun, but being more visible on the roads during the dark winter months isn’t a bad thing! Check out …

Some good (and bad) parts of winter cycling in cities around the world

by Tom BabinWinter March 8, 2019March 8, 2019Comments are Disabled

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 …

What the polar vortex taught us about winter cycling

by Tom BabinWinter February 25, 2019February 25, 2019Comments are Disabled

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 …

How to dress for winter bike commuting

by Tom BabinWinter January 7, 2019February 24, 20194 Comments

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 …

More tips for keeping your feet warm while riding a bike

by Tom BabinBikes April 3, 2018July 5, 2018Comments are Disabled

My blog earlier this winter offering tips for keeping your feet warm on a bike prompted some questions, so I thought I would expand a bit in video format. So here it is: Five tips for keeping your feet warm on a bike: the expanded edition. For more videos like this, susbscribe to our YouTube channel. …

We built an ice-bike to ride on frozen ponds. And it’s amazing

by Tom BabinBikes March 20, 2018Comments are Disabled

It’s been a long, cold winter for many of us, so it felt like the perfect time to add a little bicycle fun to the world. The challenge: Build a bike that will smoothly roll over ice. The result: Success! Mostly. Check out the video to see more. Follow Shifter on Youtube, Facebook or Medium. Follow Tom Babin on Twitter, Facebook or Medium. …