Winter Cycling Has Its Own Rewards

Winter Cycling Has Its Own Rewards
By TERRENCE PETTY
Associated Press Writer
Posted: Feb. 12, 2008 at WRAL.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — Studded tires for bikes? Sure. You can also get chains if you want to join the intrepid cyclists who commute to work on two-wheelers during the winter, or who just want to have fun in the snow.

"I've been riding a bicycle for my main transportation for over 30 years. It's a force of habit," says John Schwenker, a 51-year-old aerospace engineer who lives near Boulder, Colorado

He rides four miles to his office and four miles back, even in the snow.

"It's a matter of going slow in the stuff," he says.

Bikes aren't just for sunny summer weather. There are those across the country - whether for environmental reasons, fun or fitness - who so love cycling that they ride year-round, pretty much regardless of the weather.

It may sound masochistic, letting sleet, rain and snow lacerate your face while you try to stay upright on a bike. But there's something weirdly liberating about hurling yourself into the elements - as long as you're smart about it.

WHAT TO WEAR:

Beware hypothermia. Wear layers, and clothing that breathes. It may be cold outside, but as you pedal through snow and cold rain you are going to heat up and sweat. Invest in a good foul-weather cycling jacket. Some riders wear heavy-duty cycling tights. Some wear snow pants. For the base layer - the clothing closest to your skin - stay away from cotton because it will feel wet and cold. Synthetics are better, and cyclists are rediscovering wool. Check with local cyclists to see what works in your conditions.

For footwear, some swear by the same style of "clipless" racing shoes they use during the fair-weather months - the kind of shoes that lock into the bike's pedals. If you go that route, get some neoprene booties to wear over the shoes and help keep out moisture and cold.

In colder climates, consider wearing regular winter boots for warmth. Use them with platform pedals, rather than clipless ones.

For gloves, look for something that will keep out the moisture and cold but also let your skin breathe. One option is the "lobster glove," so called because it looks like a big claw. You could also use weatherproof "bullwinkles," or "pogies," which resemble oven mitts and go over the handlebars. You slip your hands into them.

Besides a helmet, you'll need something over your head to keep in body heat. A balaclava would be a good choice.

RIDE SAFELY:

Make sure you are visible to motorists. Get a headlight that can be seen from a distance, and a blinking taillight that's also bright. In fact, consider getting more than one taillight. Put one on the back of your helmet and attach others to various places on your bike. Light yourself up like a Christmas tree.

Slow down. In snow, sleet or rain, it will take longer to come to a stop than on a dry road. If it doesn't feel safe, stay off the bike.

When you come to an intersection, make eye contact with motorists getting ready to pull into the street to be sure they see you.

Adapt your speed and riding style to the conditions. Powdery snow can be easy to ride through, but it depends how much there is. If there's ice beneath it, the going can be really tricky. Snow packed down by a snowplow can be fun to ride on, but again, be on the alert for ice. Riding through accumulations of wet snow can be exhausting. Gear down and spin through it.

YOUR BIKE:

Winter is brutal on a bicycle. If you want to ride on a regular basis in bad weather, acquire a "sacrificial bike," something cheap that you won't weep over when it's become mechanically useless.

Riders in the Pacific Northwest have "rain bikes" for winter's long rainy season. Some of the bikes have old steel or aluminum frames, come from a junkyard or were bought for a song. Some are sturdy mountain bikes or bikes built for cyclocross.

A rain bike needs fenders. Without them, rainwater and wet muck splashes all over your back - and into the face of anyone riding behind you.

In regions where winter is more snowy than rainy, foul-weather riders also tend to choose old clunkers, mountain bikes and others that can take a beating.

In Green Bay, Wisconsin, for instance, Mike Gerke rides every day of the year. The 50-year-old operates a pedicab; uses a bike for his office-cleaning business; and also just rides for the fun of it - racking up between 8,000 and 12,000 miles a year.

During the winter, Gerke sometimes uses a "fixed-gear" bike, a stripped-down variety with fewer moving parts to break or get gunked up. When snow is beginning to accumulate, he might ride his mountain bike instead.

"The wider stance of the mountain bike, with wider tires, helps give you stability," Gerke said.

Schwenker, of Boulder, rides a cruiser-style bike with braking mechanisms on the hubs of both wheels, rather than rim brakes, which can clog with snow and are less reliable in wet conditions.

Whether you are riding in snow or rain, choose a durable tire because in the winter there's more junk on the road that can slice a tire. Many riders choose mountain bike tires for snow because of their knobby tread. For added traction, you can buy them with studs. Sometimes Schwenker wraps chains onto his tires.

THE PAYOFF:

In Portland, there's a hard-core group of riders who can't wait for winter. For them, riding out into farm country while clouds nudge against the Cascade foothills and rain pours down can be nearly mystical.

Todd Gee of Chicago also knows the feeling. A 37-year-old computer programmer, Gee takes part in snow rides in the Windy City. The group meets early in the evening, then rides to the lakefront or some other pleasant place.

"One of the nice things about snow rides - it's very quiet," said Gee. "Snow deadens the constant noise of the city."

Funny thing... this article was written for a Portland, Oregon audience, appeared on a web site for a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina, and features 2 people we know -- Mike Gerke (gike) in Green Bay, Wisconsin and John Schwenker in Boulder, Colorado. It's a small world after all!