Chill Out

An article from Bicycling Magazine (www.bicycling.com) January/February 2010
Written by Alan Coté

RIDE ALL WINTER LONG BY OVERCOMING THESE COMMON COLD-WEATHER OBSTACLES

If you cycle year-round, you've probably logged plenty of solo miles in the winter, when attendance at group rides drops and the number of excuses for staying inside hits an all-time high. Next time you riding buddies try to bow out, offer this advice.

Traction
Obstacle: Snow ice and slush reduce the friction between your tires and the road. Salt and sand, the highway crew's remedies, contribute to the problem.

Solution: Consider storing your road bike after winter's worst snowstorms. "Most of the year I'm on a road bike, but a mountain bike is much better in the winter," says Carter Vaughn, a bike messenger in quintessentially snow-cloaked Buffalo, New York. "The knobby tires bite better on slick stuff, and the brakes have more clearance." The more upright position of a flat-bar mountain bike provides more stability, while the wide range of gears is ideal for dicey roads.
Be cautious on bridges, manhole covers and other metal surfaces. Street iron is inherently more slippery than asphalt, and the temperature-conductive properties of metal can cause it to ice over more quickly.

Visibility
Obstacle: The cold season brings overcast skies, dwindling daylight hours and a low sun that creates shadows and flat light. Plus, snow banks narrow the roads. "My biggest concern in the winter is traffic", Vaughn says. "Cars have less traction, their windows are up, drives are distracted by the weather and the last thing on their mind is bikes."

Solution: A few simple wardrobe and gear swaps will make you markedly more visible to motorist. Clip a flashing LED light to your seat bag-the smallest blinkies are about the size of a wristwatch, making them unobtrusive-and also mount a handlebar light. Resist the urge to wear fashionable black clothing, and instead opt for brighter colors with reflective trim. A University of Chicago study found that, from a distance, the human eye sees yellow best.
You'll also want to optimize you own vision for winter riding with cycling sunglasses. Polarized lenses eliminate the glare created by the low sun, a problem that can be exacerbated by a fresh coating of snow. Choose frames with vents so your body heat won't fog the lenses while you're stopped at lights.

Filth
Obstacle: Fresh powder quickly becomes slush on the streets, then combines with dirt and sand to turn into a gritty paste that plasters you and your bike. And in regions that use road slat, the sludge abuses your bike's metal parts and corrodes your clothing.

Solution:  Fenders jeep the shower of toxic road spray off your body and reduce the amount of grime that reaches your bike. Plus, you'll stay much drier and warmer-no more squishy chamois and soaked shoes from splashing through puddles. To prevent the salt from reacting with metal, you'll still need to clean your bike after every ride. The endless muck is another great reason to have a beater bike for winter use.-Alan Coté