I’ve met several people from York Region who seem to believe that riding a bike in the winter is impossible or unsafe. Evidently, that’s not true. Most of the time, the right all-season bicycle tires will be sufficient.
However, I find a cheap pair of secondhand studded bicycle tires are great for peace of mind for the few days you encounter icy conditions. Just make sure you’re careful about where you put your foot when coming to a stop, since the tires have more grip than your footwear, unless you’ve got studs/crampons there too. Don’t overuse your front brake either, as you’ll likely lose your balance.
Earlier that day, I was walking, and it was like an ice rink. I was wearing my hiking boots and still had to waddle to avoid falling, and I saw many others doing the same.
Anyhow, bike lane maintenance is important in the winter too. Just because the bike lanes aren’t maintained doesn’t mean I’m going to stop riding. I’m just taking a regular lane. Not my problem if some drivers forget how to pass someone just because a bicycle is involved.
Nerdlinger on
You can also get cleats for your shoes, so comparing ice gear against a lackmof ice gear is pretty silly.
Zenigata on
That’s fine so long as you never have to stop and put a foot down.
1MTBRider on
I remember I left the house and was riding into work one morning. I was on the road, residential area with not a car in sight. I had to adjust my balaclava a second, put my foot down and nearly fell lol. Forgot how much grip studded tires have!
4 Comments
I’ve met several people from York Region who seem to believe that riding a bike in the winter is impossible or unsafe. Evidently, that’s not true. Most of the time, the right all-season bicycle tires will be sufficient.
However, I find a cheap pair of secondhand studded bicycle tires are great for peace of mind for the few days you encounter icy conditions. Just make sure you’re careful about where you put your foot when coming to a stop, since the tires have more grip than your footwear, unless you’ve got studs/crampons there too. Don’t overuse your front brake either, as you’ll likely lose your balance.
Earlier that day, I was walking, and it was like an ice rink. I was wearing my hiking boots and still had to waddle to avoid falling, and I saw many others doing the same.
Anyhow, bike lane maintenance is important in the winter too. Just because the bike lanes aren’t maintained doesn’t mean I’m going to stop riding. I’m just taking a regular lane. Not my problem if some drivers forget how to pass someone just because a bicycle is involved.
You can also get cleats for your shoes, so comparing ice gear against a lackmof ice gear is pretty silly.
That’s fine so long as you never have to stop and put a foot down.
I remember I left the house and was riding into work one morning. I was on the road, residential area with not a car in sight. I had to adjust my balaclava a second, put my foot down and nearly fell lol. Forgot how much grip studded tires have!