Momentum USA Nov/Dec 2011
snow which turns into rain and then freezes into ice so you have to be prepared for anything To keep the cold and wet o your feet back and bike Beaver recommends full fenders with mud aps A chainguard is especially helpful for protecting your clothes this time of year Less daylight means youll be riding in the dark more often so a white headlight and a red rear blinkie are essential Assuming your city does a decent job of plowing after snowstorms whatever tires you normally use should work ne If you think youll be doing a lot of riding on snow consider switching to wider tires with a knobby tread How you dress is at least as important as what you ride Youre not going to have any fun if youre cold said Beaver But a lot of items the active person may already own are good for winter cycling He recommends investing in a waterproof breathable jacket and wearing several thin layers on your upper and lower body that you can put on and take o as temperatures uctuate Gin Kilgore likes to layer with silk long underwear tops and bottoms eyre warm lightweight wicking and not prone to being stinky she said Polypropylene and merino wool undergarments are also great Its important to pay special attention to keeping your extremities warm Keep your hands toasty with ski gloves or mittens and wear a wool or eece hat or balaclava under your helmet e Power Cap a trim black eece cycling cap with ear aps by Louis Garneau is a popular choice As for feet Kilgore recommends buying waterproof windproof boots one to one and a half sizes too big so that youll have plenty of room for thick socks and toe wiggling Or try NEOS warm waterproof overshoes that you can wear over fancy footwear If your residential street isnt plowed walk your bike to the nearest major street In the saddle remember to ride a bit slower than usual to maintain control in wet conditions and stay seated for maximum traction on snow or ice If you live in a town like Minneapolis where o street commuting paths are maintained during the winter try using these trails as a tra c free alternative And if the weather gets to be too much for you dont hesitate to put your bike on a bus or train for a wellearned ride home Since precipitation and road salt can wreak havoc on bicycles its important that your bike be cleaned and lubricated on a regular basis see our winter maintenance tips on p 29 Consider attending a winter maintenance clinic at a nonpro t community bike shop Otherwise this is a great time to get friendly with the mechanics at your local forpro t store One of the best things about cold weather biking is winter spirit the heightened sense of camaraderie youll have with other bicyclists who choose to ght cabin fever and celebrate the season And while winter cycling might be challenging at rst Kilgore promises it gets easier and more fun with experience Get tips from lots of other people check the websites and embrace the learning curve she advised It might take some time but youll gure it out John Greenfi eld is a regular contributor to Time Out Chicago and Momentum and co founder of gridchicago com covering sustainable transportation issues in the Windy City and beyond A longtime fan of cycling as an anti winter depression strategy he leads cold weather cruises to tropical themed taverns plus the annual Frozen Snot Century ride from Chicago to Milwaukee @ Greenfi eldJohn VISIBLY SAFE WAYS TO BIKE AT NIGHT ANNA BOWEN While being visible to cars is essential when riding on the road at night choosing the right bike lights might not be as obvious Most jurisdictions require by law that bike lights be used after dark a white front light and a red rear light The market is fl ush with different brands and types of lights You can fi nd inexpensive battery powered brands for a few dollars or go to the higher end rechargeable or dynamo models some of which have increased voltage for enhanced visibility Wet set Jeremy Axon of the Urbane Cyclist bike shop in Toronto ON recommended Knog lights because of their waterrepellency and said brighter is better Look for something with multiple LED bulbs suggested Axon so that if one of the bulbs burns out you have a backup Axon uses a Knog Gekko front light and a Blackburn Mars 40 bright blinking rear light that has a rubber gasket to keep out moisture Bright Move Aaron Smith a salesperson at Freewheel Minneapolis Midtown Bike Center the bike commuter hub of Minneapolis Greenway said having something on your head and on your handlebars is a really good idea Helmet mounted lights augment visibility and should generally be used in addition to not instead of front and rear bike mounted lights Smith recommended spending between 50 to 100 on a decent front light that will help to illuminate your path as well as warn cars about your presence Look for red taillights with a fl ashing setting as this will make you more visible to motorists Try a few out in the store to see how bright they are said Smith and look for at least 150 lumens or one watt for winter night riding Dynamic Duo Dynamo lights are in the higher price range but once installed are a convenient option that requires no batteries The modern hub generated dynamos wont slow down your ride either as did the older bottle versions which rolled along the tire sidewall to generate electricity Most dynamos today use electricity generated from a magnetic current to power your bike lights The lights are attached to a dynamo hub with wires so you wont have to remove them between rides Expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 for a hub generated dynamo front light Add to that the cost of a dynamo hub which is often installed in your front wheel The Schmidt Dynamo hub for instance which can produce six volts costs upwards of 200 and will last 31000 miles 50000 kilometers without servicing Dynamos and lights that come with rechargeable batteries will save you money on replacement batteries and reduce waste But as Yvonne Bambrick the founding executive director of The Toronto Cyclists Union said any light is better than no light Bambrick who is presently a cycling consultant and has been riding in Canadian winters since 2003 said I wish more cyclists could see how important it is to use lights at all times She added that cyclists riding in icy conditions should make themselves as visible as possible even when its not snowing because motorists windows are more likely to be iced up In the winter we are basically invisible if we are not lit up in some way I wish more cyclists could see how important it is to use lights at all times YVONNE BAMBRICK Bambrick rides a Batavus with a dynamo headlight but keeps a turtle light on the handlebars for when she stops and the pedal powered light automatically shuts off this is one downside to some dynamos but others on the market do stay on for a minute or two after the cyclist stops pedaling Bambrick also said refl ective vests shouldnt be underestimated For the very chic check out options like Bobbin Bicycles fl attering and naughty refl ective sailor collar and the Miss Bobbin refl ective sash bobbinonline co uk Lights can be fun and fl irty too Spoke lights such as Monkeylectric Monkey Lights which cost around 65 light up your spinning wheels MOMENTUMPLANET COM 31 NOV DEC 11
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