Commuting By Bike In Winter Is EASY When You Know This...

Cycling in winter is hard at the best of times, but commuting every day to work in the wet, dark and cold? Now that's tough..or is it? Si gives you the best riding tips so you can stay a little drier, a bit warmer, and even enjoy your ride to work!

00:00 Intro
01:40 Just do it
02:33 Staying dry on the bike
04:40 Keeping your feet dry
06:59 Mudguards for cycling
08:15 Lights for your bike
09:10 Reflective clothing for riding
10:54 Bike maintenance

Useful Links:

How are you finding commuting by bike in the winter? 🥶

Let us know in the comments below 💬

Watch more on GCN...

🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Different Planets - Cushy
Drift - Molife

#gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #mudguard #fender #wintercycling #commuting #bikeride #ridetowork #waterproof #wintergear #cyclingkit

📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency

The Global Cycling Network (GCN) is the largest online cycling channel in the world, bringing together a global community of road cyclists to celebrate everything that’s great about the world of cycling.

Our videos bring fans compelling daily content including expert tutorials, techniques, training, racing, cutting-edge bike tech, unparalleled behind the scenes event coverage, humour, entertainment, and more.

Presented by ex-pro riders, GCN offers a uniquely qualified insight into the world of cycling, and most importantly it’s fuelled by our passionate and enthusiastic fans – everyone who makes up the GCN community. We also bring the latest and greatest tech to your attention, showcase the best places in the world to ride and get exclusive access to events and races.

Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside Cycling

Thanks to our sponsors:

Watch our sister channels:

[gcn]

How are you finding commuting by bike in the winter? 🥶

[tramshackle]

My tip is to lay out all your clothing and kit, pack your bag and have bike ready at the front door the night before (I fetch mine in from the shed before bed). Then when you wake in the wintery dark to rain lashing against the windows it is easier to motivate yourself out onto the road. Si is right, it's never as bad as you think once you're out.

[bikeralemanha]

I also ride in any weather. As a Brazilian livin in Germany it was dificult in the beginning because I was not used to cold and wet weather, but after a while I invested in some warm and water proof clothes and now I do ride every day and in any weather! Even when it is snowing. And I must say I don't change for a cosy warm car stuck in trafic jam!!!

[nerdexproject]

When I see someone commuting by bike even during the "off-season" I respect them immediately! Truly admireable!

[Gabberdore]

Bike commuter in Ontario, Canada here. This advice is fantastic and almost all applies to our slightly colder winters too. Love the cheap hacks like plastic bags to keep clothes dry. One thing I would recommend for anyone commuting is be able to drop a layer mid-ride. If you leave the house feeling warm you'll get too hot halfway through, and if you don't dress warmly enough, you'll freeze the first 10 minutes of your ride. I leave the house too warm and lose a layer midway through and it's the perfect balance.

[monistefmontesdeleon]

The waterproof trousers are a gamechanger. I own the same agu-trousers and since I have them I cycle with any weather. What I especially love about them is that the legs can be openend all the way up to the waist, so I even have to take the shoes off, when I need to put them on.
This winter I rode to work almost every day and the best benefit of it: I haven‘t been sick despite literally everyone around me having colds and influenza.
I have an electric bike for my everyday rides. I love it, it allows me to get to my destination way faster, with less effort.

[chrisfanning]

Full coverage mudguards are 90% of the solution, negating the need for any waterproof gear when it's not actually raining. In winter the roads are wet most of the time but heavy rain in the UK is usually limited to a few hours a week and we tend to get light drizzle if anything in the long gaps between showers.

[tobyarcher]

A decade of commuting in Finnish winters, now a decade of commuting in Northern (ish) English winters. The latter is WAY more soggy and muddy. I use a gravel bike and use traffic free paths where possible, but in winter i sometimes stick to the roads and put up with traffic to avoid the endless muddy and gloopy puddles on the canal tow paths and bridleways. Winter SPD boots more important in the UK, because wet feet get cold faster than dry feet in sub zero temperatures, at least down to sensible temps like -10 celcius.

[rkhayden]

My rule for my commute is that I'll cycle in any two of it being, wet, windy or icy, but not when it's all three at the same time. Getting some good waterproofs that keep me dry in the heaviest of rain greatly improved the pleasure of the winter commute.

[FoundationAfro]

I have another one: batteries.
Batteries are a lot less effective in the cold, so it can be helpful to dim your headlight a bit (but still visible) and keep a Garmin or similar device somewhere where it will be more protected from the cold, like near your body or in your bag.
Depending on the length of your ride and the temperature it can be less of a problem, and they'll get power back in from being in a building away from the cold without actually being plugged in, but it's still something to keep in mind so they don't stop partway through a ride. Headlights might need a recharge just because of two rides in the dark, but the rest should be okay. And unless you have a really bright tail light, they use so much less power that you can pretty much treat them the same as you would in the warmth, maybe a charge a day or two earlier.

[loud]

we recommented a service assessment in sept-oct and then again in mar-apr this allows you the peace of mind that before and after the worst of the winter weather your bike does what you want it too

[projectDEBO]

Agree all around. 40 years commuting year-round in the states through the snows of western NY and Massachusetts and now Maryland (where "winter" seems more like what's in the video i.e. practically nothing). There is seldom a reason to put bikes up completely for the winter unless, as another commenter pointed out, the snow is deeper than your bottom bracket. Then, it's time to grab XC skis or snowshoes and keep on going.

[stevezodiac]

I cycled to work for 25 years, 5 days a week 34 miles per day in all weather. My clothes were a good quality Goretex, seam sealed jacket, under it a normal cycling shirt, long sleeved or short depending on temp, a pair of ron hill tracksters, neoprene overshoes, over normal cycling shoes, no overtrowsers at all because i always rode at full speed, creating heat and ron hills were easy to dry over a radiator at work. A motorcycle under helmet balaclava for cold or wet days, particularly in hail or snow, helmet, glasses and insulated neoprene covered gloves for the wet cold days, lighter ones on better days.
I was lucky, i had a hot shower at work, which was the best thing you could have. I carried a full set of light weight, clean clothes, wrapped in several plastic shopping bags inside my back pack, to stop them from getting wet on route, which also contained tools, innertubes and a spare folding tyre as well as my food for the day. I also carried spare spokes, placed inside my handlebars. All punctured innertubes were repaired at work at lunch time. Punctures were replaced with new innertubes on route, taking a max time of 5 minutes or so, through extensive repetative experience, usinf a full size frame fit hand pump ( a must ) I kept shoes at work to change into.
In the winter, even down to minus 20 degrees c on odd occasions, i used to push my bike off our estate, where i lived, if the snow was too thick, then get in the vehicle ruts in the snow and then ride the rest of the way to work. On the windiest day, with the wind, i rode the 17 miles to work in 28 minutes and on the windiest day against me, i recorded my slowest time of 17 miles in 1 hour 20 minutes. Nothing stopped me, ever ! They thought that i was mad at work, i must have been looking back. This is how this northerner cyclist commuted, southern softies need not apply lol.

[Zzyyxx]

I’m in Edinburgh. I’m almost 30 years into riding to work in winter. Can get Pretty icy up here so I just use an old rigid mountain bike 26x2.1 with mudguards.

Winter running gear tends to be cheaper than cycling. I use a lot of Nike stuff.

Layers and two part jackets are a winner.

Cotton kills.

[kathleenm]

Love this segment Si! I've been commuting by bike for many years. Right now I live a bit outside of rainy Seattle and have just a short commute. I still use the rain pants I bought 30 years ago when I commuted by bike in Denmark. My colleagues think I'm crazy to come by bike in the rain but the fresh air is just the best!

[notlt]

As a year round bike commuter in Boston, MA, USA I'm fortunate to have about three additional ways to get around in case the bike commute doesn't work out. Its always good to have a backup plan, even if bike commuting is your primary commuting mode. My favorite part of winter riding is that I have more opportunities to clean my bike off--its definitely cleaner than in the drier months.

[AdamSolomon]

Really well done video. I'm a year round commuter in the Boston, MA area. If you're in an area like New England with melt/refreeze conditions running studded tires is a good idea. If you have a long commute, having a secondary front light on the bike can save you if the primary light fails for whatever reason. Drivers have also told me that my high viz helmet cover is very eye catching since it's generally visible above the roofs of cars.

[Nova-dyfq]

In really cold climates one amazing upgrade are ski goggles paired with a buff or scarf or balaclava. They keep snow out of your eyes and ensure that almost none of your face is exposed.

[MrYorrik]

Great advice, especially the one about ride as if you haven’t been seen. That’s something I learned during my motorcycling days, especially going round roundabouts, and carried through to cycling. “Ride as if they can’t see you, and as if they can see you and want to kill you.”
Another winter hack is that I use a snowboarding helmet if the weather is particularly bad. Keeps the ears from freezing, plus no need for a hood on your jacket, which I find annoying especially for the lifesafer check behind before changing direction

[brianridley]

Top tip on the plastic bag inside your backpack. When I was in the military I used to always use a heavy duty black bag that doesn't tear easily, inside my rucksack. Kit never ever got wet