Winter Biking

Today was a tough day to commute.  The morning news had low temperatures at below 0 with the wind chill factor and fresh snow had fallen the night before.  On top of that I had a long day of work scheduled which had me leaving the office at 9pm.    I’ve been a 4-season Chicago rider for several years now and every year I learn a few new tips, but for the most part I’m dialed in.

– Get full fenders.  It keeps both you & your bike dry & clean.
– Keep a set of clothes at work.  I do this year round, but it is nice to know if you get wet you have something  to change into.  Especially socks & shoes.
– It get’s dark early so bring a red blinky light.  I have one attached to both my bag & my bike
– If you ride fixed, go free.  Some people may argue that a fixed gear will help you maintain traction & that there is less to go wrong than on a singlespeed and I won’t say they are wrong.  I will say that it is nice to be able to wear a big bulky pair of boots and that if you are taking a turn being able to coast & stick your leg out in case you slide out is clutch.  I go singlespeed so there isn’t too much else that can go wrong mechanically.
– Trade out your clipless pedals & cages/straps for some platforms.  Mine have the bonus of having reflectors.
– Good wool socks will last a long time & are usually enough to last a 30 minute commute.  I wear SmartWool which are pricey, but are really high quality (they don’t fall)
– Look for a snowboarding helmet in the spring on closeout.  Or get a skateboarding helmet and for extra warmth tape up the air vents.  I got my Giro snowboarding helmet for $30 at REI.  Buy a bit bigger so you wear a hat underneath even if you do end up looking like Dark Helmet.
– Use a front light!  It is against the law to ride without one.
– Use wider tires & lower pressure.  Again some will say that thinner high pressure tires cut through snow to the pavement.  I find that in slick or ice situations it helps to have more contact to grip the road.  Also you can roll over cracks with a lot more confidence.  Especially those crazy steel grated bridges.
– Know your route.  Does the kinzie bridge freak you out?  Take the sidewalk.  What about the Chicago ave bridge?  Don’t forget about the stairs on one side.  Michigan ave is great as long as you remember the tire sized gaps that start & end each bridge.  Remember those giant potholes on Milwaukee you’ve been dodging all summer?  Well now they are hidden by a layer of slush
– When you get home from your commute be careful not to grab your bike with your bare hands.  That stem has been out in the freezing cold for 8+ hours already.  Getting frozen to your bike sucks.