Winter Bike Commuting: 12 Ride-Safe Tips

By Stephen Regenold

Rating: *****

The article I have chosen is a list of 12 different things you can do to ride safely during the winter months.

The article says that things you can do to ride more safely in the winter are to follow the plows, who will remove all the ice and snow, to use the roads which are plowed and salted to reduce slipping on snow and ice. The author also suggests to use an old bike that is outfitted with lights, fenders and studded, fat winter wheels, so as not to ruin your good road or mountain bike and get better traction on the snow and ice. The article also says to be even more alert for cars and to keep your bike in a garage to reduce the ice build up on your gears and brakes by keeping the bike at the same temperature. It also talks about the keys to layering your clothing to reduce sweating and to help keep your body warm, as well as the items to use for properly layering your clothing.

This article is very relevant to my life. I like biking in the winter, but it gets hard sometimes. This article has reminded me of some of the keys to winter biking that I needed a refreshment on, such as the essentials you need to layering your clothing, as I have to bike up a hill and often start to sweat, which is bad, as you will get very cold when the sweat hits the cold air. I also learned about how keeping your bike in the garage is good because it keeps the bike at a close temperature to what it is like outside, therefore reducing ice buildup on your gears and brakes. The author also made me think about how I am using my good road bike to bike through slush and snow. I do not think I will change this though because bikes are expensive and my bike did very well in the snow last year. This article has inspired me to think a little bit more about what I am wearing before going outside and getting sweaty. I hope to use more of these techniques in the future of my winter cycling career.

Regenold, Stephen. 'Winter Bike Commuting: 12 Ride-Safe Tips'. Gearjunkie.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.