Solid Block of Ise

I’ve decided to try to bicycle all year and not chickening out and riding the bus. This means biking in snow and by most peoples measure quite cold climate. I’ve decided to write down some of my experiences with this so far, a kind of attempt at a legacy or something. On-going theme, whatever.

Here’s some tips so far on how to bike in sub-zero and snowy conditions:

* Check your brakes. Replace your brake-pads BEFORE snow is falling. In fact, before every winter, replace the pads regardless of their wear. This is something I need to do soon, since my ancient dried-up pieces of crap that I’ve used for way too long aren’t up to the task. Adjust them, lube them up and make sure they work without creaking or other annoyances.

* Find a freeze-resistant and water-resistant lubrication oil and use it on your gears and derailer. If not, you’ll have the odd experience of it freezing in place after the slightest bit of moisture has gotten into the mechanics and then frozen. It’s quite annoying and semi-dangerous not to be able to shift properly. Thus, you need something to keep things smooth yet doesn’t freeze when the temperatures drop. This does not apply if you have a somewhat warm storage for your bike when not in use.

* Check your tires. Invest in some large, round donuts that have a low pattern but aren’t smooth. I found out that the ones I invested in earlier this year actually are quite good at biking in snow with. They have good grip, yet roll easily. Keep the pressure in them relatively low, for good grip and roll. Accept that you’ll have to pedal more - believe me, this is completely worth it. High-pressure tires and snow will mean you’re falling flat on your ass or face at a much more regular interval than you might like. My experience with tires are that the typical high-rough-offroad-style mountainbike tires are crap for snowcycling - they don’t have enough ground-pressure.

* Dress lighter than you might do if you’re walking. This is kind of dependent on your body, but I’ve found that if I dress in heavy overcoats and jackets when it’s cold will mean I’m huffing and puffing like a house on fire after a while. Riding a bike engages my body in a way that walking doesn’t and it heats up quickly. Thus I’ve found that dressing slightly lighter than you expect when biking means you keep an even and more comfortable body-temperature. Do not skimp on nice gloves or a good scarf to keep your throat warm when it’s cold.

* Keep a close eye on the surface you’re riding on. Is it icy? Slow the hell down! Learn that a smooth surface is treacherous and keep your speed at a controllable level. If you feel a slide coming on, slow down or be ready to kick out a leg to counter it. Learn your bike, hone your balance and reflexes. Learn the differences between different surfaces and keep in mind that even though snow looks soft, there might be ice underneath it - i.e. it might look grippy but might be incredibly slippery and only covered by a thin layer of powder.

License

This work is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 Sweden License.