RIDING ON SNOW AND ICE

There’s no need to leave the bike at home because of a bit of snow. Riding in snow is actually easy and a lot of fun. You might want winter tires, the type with metal studs that will bite and give grip through hard packed ice and snow. Don’t forget to let the air out of those tires. Use low pressure; riding them soft you’ll get more grip. Wide tires with widely separated knobs work best on snow – studded tires improve traction on ice.

You’re going to be anxious about the conditions, especially if it’s your first time. Relax your hands and arms and keep your weight back. Steer with your hips rather than your hands. If the snow is crusty, shift more weight to the front so you can stay on the crust without breaking through, if it’s mushy shift to the back for more traction. Make small directional changes with your whole body on the bike, don’t break hard, do your braking early and in a straight line; use the back brake to check the amount of adhesion you have.

Riding through the snow is slower and harder than you think. Focus on the trail. If you’re wallowing in the snow, let more air out of your tires. On completely snow covered roads let your tire pressure all the way down. Shift into a gear that lets you keep a comfortable cadence and allow the front wheel of the bike to go where it wants. Swap clipless pedals for flat pedals, wear warm winter boots and pedal smoothly. If your feet get cold or you’re experiencing poor circulation, get off and run with the bike. A bike isn’t a car yet some winterizing is needed. If you didn’t do it in the fall, now is the time to repack bearings with low temperature grease.

Always wear a helmet, especially in snow and ice, and don’t be embarrassed to bring out that Fat Bike for winter riding. Fat bikes are essentially mountain bikes with low-pressure motorcycle size tires that allow riders to pedal over compacted snow. And speaking of snow, it’s always a good idea to check the weather before taking to the road.

The right equipment is important, so is proper attire. Your physical condition and riding style will determine your needs. Bicycling generates a lot of heat. Clothing should be well insulated and should keep you warm. Dress in layers under your breathable windproof clothing - thermax, capilene, and polypro are said to be some of the best. Try bike pogies for your hands. They let you ride barehanded when you don’t need gloves and let you wear gloves when you need heavy mittens. They also improve your control of the bike.

Being seen is a must. Generator lights don’t work well in wet or snowy conditions. Systems that power both lights from the same battery can leave you invisible to drivers. However rear flashers are very reliable and can run for a year on 2 AA batteries. Clear white reflectors return twice as much light as amber ones and more than three times as much as red ones.

Stay safe, stay warm and enjoy the magic.