From the Desk of a Bike Temple Messenger: Winter Riding
The semester is gearing up, and we all lament the end of the holiday season spent with friends, family and loved ones. As we scramble to prepare for a busy spring semester ('spring' in name only) we tend to forget the vehicles we relied on during the warmer parts of the year to get around. I don’t mean our cars. No, the noble steeds to which I refer are the bicycles.
Have you ever thought that maybe they WANT to be ridden in the cold? Once that first frost hits I notice many riders abandoning their bicycles and resume their use of SEPTA and automobiles. However, there are plenty of options that make winter riding completely approachable and even enjoyable! One can acquire accessories from your local bike shop to help combat winter’s icy grasp on your (and your bike’s!) enjoyment.
A great addition to the winter cyclist’s arsenal are metal-studded snow-tires. The metal studs bite into the ice, providing that precious grip that is lost to plain rubber tires. That being said, just because you may have gotten your hands on a beast of a winter bike doesn’t mean that you can now ride with reckless abandon, ignoring the safety of yourself as well as others. The best way to keep cyclists, pedestrians and drivers safe is to follow the rules of the road. Considering that visibility might be particularly low in colder conditions because of snow/rain/hail/etc. having rear and front lights at all times is crucial. It’s more important now than ever to have a bell or horn on your bike to make yourself known both visually and aurally.
As a winter rider you have to take some extra measures so you'll be comfortably warm (not numb). Obviously a wind/waterproof outer layer with layers of insulating wool underneath is always good, but there are some other things a biker has to take into account. You might think that since you have a helmet on, that acts like a sort of hat, right? Not really. Helmets keep your noggin cool while keeping it safe. Conventional biking helmets are quite porous, so if you want to stay warm you need to plug up those holes. Two ways of doing this are getting a helmet cover. It’s similar to a shower cap and fits over the entire helmet. This way your head is still protected and is now warm! Another option is to just wear a hat under your helmet.
Now that your head is toasty, we must move on to the face. Can’t you wrap a scarf or balaclava around it and not have to worry about your nose falling off from frostbite? Absolutely. But how will you see? Even if you leave room for your eyes, the air is dry and cold. Your eyes are being buffeted by this air, losing both heat and moisture. It’s super critical to protect your eyes and keep them warm when riding in colder conditions. I recommend goggles that make a seal around your face. Sunglasses can work, but air can still squeeze between your face and the frames. If you don’t have a pair of goggles don’t fret! I have seen some pretty interesting alternatives. A cheaper option is to use lab goggles. They use them in chemistry and biology labs to protect their eyes, why not for biking? Temple’s bookstore sells full-face lab goggles year-round.
Last but not least, fingers and toes! Windchill will rob heat from your extremities if they are not properly covered and insulated. Wearing 2 pairs of socks is great, but they won’t do squat for keeping your feet warm if you’re wearing cloth sneakers. The first step in keeping hands and feet warm is having the right outer layer. If you don’t have water/windproof shoes you can get or make a cover for them so that at least wind doesn’t get through. Using a thick plastic or rubber covering, you can sew, glue or even rubber band it on top of your shoe. Stores also sell winter accessories known as “gaiters” for both shoes and arms that will act as a detachable windproof outer layer.
If you don’t have suitable gloves for your hands, there don’t exist many DIY remedies. The best option is usually to go out and buy yourself some water/windproof gloves or mittens. I personally prefer mittens for biking because they keep the fingers together, resulting in a warmer hand. Mittens can be cumbersome on a bicycle however, because reaching the brake and gear levers is difficult. Recently, “Lobster” bike mittens have become quite popular. If you’re not familiar with them imagine a glove/mitten that would perfectly encase Spock’s fingers when he says “live long and prosper.” Lobster mittens are great because they allow you to work the brakes and gears just as easily as if you were wearing gloves while still grouping your fingers together to preserve warmth.
Whew! With that, I bid you happy winter riding!
