Winter Is Coming - Biking in Cold Weather

C

ColeWorld

Member
Region
USA
Here in the Chicago suburbs, cold weather is just around the corner. This will be my first winter owning an ebike and using it as my primary method of transportation. I bike my son 3 miles to daycare every morning and also bike for general errands, grocery runs, etc. I won't need to do long rides when it's really cold, and I do have access to a car when there's too much snow on the ground. I'd appreciate any tips to prepare for winter riding!

Prepping my bike:
  • I have the stock Specialized Pathfinder Sport tires that came on the bike. Should I get knobby tires for winter? Would it even be safe to do that while pulling a trailer or should I just drive the car when the roads are snowy?
  • At what temp should I start taking my battery inside vs. leaving in the bike in the garage? I'm thinking temps below 40F?

Keeping warm:
  • My hands get cold super easily. I'm planning on getting the Bar Mitts Extreme cold weather
  • I have a lighter winter coat and am thinking I'll try just using that with layers underneath. Any recommendations for base layers? Or should I go for a super warm coat?
  • Any recommendations for warm pants?
  • Recommendations for keeping my face and ears warm? Maybe a ski mask and cycling winter hat under my helmet?
  • I have a rain cover for the trailer which will block the wind. That coupled with a winter coat and a blanket should keep my son plenty warm

bike setup 1.jpg
bike tire1.jpg
 
I love winter riding on sunny days!

Does that trailer have a vinyl cover for the front because you will kick up snow, rocks and dirt?

I would be leery of taking a child in a trailer on slick roads at anything but very low speed with no traffic. I do take my dogs in my trailer even in winter but not far and not fast. I also have a sturdy wood hauler sled they ride in behind the ebike.

Yes, you need knobbies for snow riding. I put on my snow bibs, insulated boots and a balaclava and I have heated Kemimoto coat, gloves and socks. Get ski goggles or glasses that are designed to prevent snow blindness.

These are the trails I ride in winter:

 
Last edited:
ColeWorld said:
Here in the Chicago suburbs, cold weather is just around the corner. This will be my first winter owning an ebike and using it as my primary method of transportation. I bike my son 3 miles to daycare every morning and also bike for general errands, grocery runs, etc. I won't need to do long rides when it's really cold, and I do have access to a car when there's too much snow on the ground. I'd appreciate any tips to prepare for winter riding!

Prepping my bike:
  • I have the stock Specialized Pathfinder Sport tires that came on the bike. Should I get knobby tires for winter? Would it even be safe to do that while pulling a trailer or should I just drive the car when the roads are snowy?
  • At what temp should I start taking my battery inside vs. leaving in the bike in the garage? I'm thinking temps below 40F?

Keeping warm:
  • My hands get cold super easily. I'm planning on getting the Bar Mitts Extreme cold weather
  • I have a lighter winter coat and am thinking I'll try just using that with layers underneath. Any recommendations for base layers? Or should I go for a super warm coat?
  • Any recommendations for warm pants?
  • Recommendations for keeping my face and ears warm? Maybe a ski mask and cycling winter hat under my helmet?
  • I have a rain cover for the trailer which will block the wind. That coupled with a winter coat and a blanket should keep my son plenty warm

View attachment 134206View attachment 134207
Click to expand...
For us in the UK, we have found that layers are better. Start with a very good base layer and go from there. Gore products are very good with a lot if them being wind proof as well as very thin. Started off wearing cheaper, but bulky clothing and after a while upgraded to the better gore stuff. As they say, buy cheap, buy twice. Gloves wise I use the Gore Lobster mittens, these have an inner pair of gloves, but work very well.

Use a Gore skull cap under the helmet which is windproof, but you can get balaclava versions also.

Remember that batteries are less efficient in the cold when using them, so your range will go down. We have a heater in the shed where we store the bikes, which keeps the temperature around 6-10oC which helps when charging.

It’s a judgement call when not to use the bike in winter, we only don’t when there is ice outside.
 
Keep safety in mind. Some conditions lead to reduced visibility for drivers, especially the ones that don't completely clear their windshields, mirrors and rear windows. They may not see you. Then there's road conditions that affect traction, such as ice or sand.
Where I live, it's very hilly, the roads we ride are heavily sanded, often have packed snow or ice, and generally are a bit scary to bike in the snow months, so we park our bikes and bring the batteries in the house from December to February. We use a trainer (Wahoo Kickr) those months, not with our ebikes...

To summarize, think safety as much as cold protection. Winter riding poses its own set of challenges.
 
  • for face and head get a good fleece balaclava the will fit well under your helmet and cover your face with goggles that cover and protect your eyes.
  • For pants I like Goretex rain pants over heavier fleece pants.
  • For gloves a pair of High Vis Road Crew gloves really work
    https://www.emergencyoutfitter.net/blauer-hi-vis-flicker-gloves/
  • For shoes nothing beats a pair of Lake Winter insulated cycling boots...expensive but cold feet will ruin your ride
    www.backcountry.com

    Lake MXZ304 Mountain Bike Shoe - Men's - Bike

    Buy the Lake MXZ304 Mountain Bike Shoe - Men's online or shop all Bike from Backcountry.com.
    www.backcountry.com www.backcountry.com
 
ColeWorld said:
Here in the Chicago suburbs, cold weather is just around the corner. This will be my first winter owning an ebike and using it as my primary method of transportation. I bike my son 3 miles to daycare every morning and also bike for general errands, grocery runs, etc. I won't need to do long rides when it's really cold, and I do have access to a car when there's too much snow on the ground. I'd appreciate any tips to prepare for winter riding!

Prepping my bike:
  • I have the stock Specialized Pathfinder Sport tires that came on the bike. Should I get knobby tires for winter? Would it even be safe to do that while pulling a trailer or should I just drive the car when the roads are snowy?
  • At what temp should I start taking my battery inside vs. leaving in the bike in the garage? I'm thinking temps below 40F?

Keeping warm:
  • My hands get cold super easily. I'm planning on getting the Bar Mitts Extreme cold weather
  • I have a lighter winter coat and am thinking I'll try just using that with layers underneath. Any recommendations for base layers? Or should I go for a super warm coat?
  • Any recommendations for warm pants?
  • Recommendations for keeping my face and ears warm? Maybe a ski mask and cycling winter hat under my helmet?
  • I have a rain cover for the trailer which will block the wind. That coupled with a winter coat and a blanket should keep my son plenty warm

View attachment 134206View attachment 134207
Click to expand...
My winter biking is in Mexico or Nicaragua. I am taking my 24 y.o. Cannondale F900 down this year and leaving it for good. CN
CN
 
retiredNH said:
Keep safety in mind. Some conditions lead to reduced visibility for drivers, especially the ones that don't completely clear their windshields, mirrors and rear windows. They may not see you. Then there's road conditions that affect traction, such as ice or sand.
Where I live, it's very hilly, the roads we ride are heavily sanded, often have packed snow or ice, and generally are a bit scary to bike in the snow months, so we park our bikes and bring the batteries in the house from December to February. We use a trainer (Wahoo Kickr) those months, not with our ebikes...

To summarize, think safety as much as cold protection. Winter riding poses its own set of challenges.
Click to expand...
Yeah, safety is definitely a concern and one of the things I'm trying to decide: should I get knobby tires to ride in light snow, or should I just drive the car if there's any snow on the road? I bike mostly residential suburban streets with a 25mph speed limit on the way to drop my son off at daycare, but the streets are pretty well-trafficked. I do have a vinyl cover for the trailer that I will use, so kicking up debris won't be an issue.

Thanks everyone for the gear recommendations - will definitely get a balaclava and some warm base layers.
 
ColeWorld said:
Yeah, safety is definitely a concern and one of the things I'm trying to decide: should I get knobby tires to ride in light snow, or should I just drive the car if there's any snow on the road? I bike mostly residential suburban streets with a 25mph speed limit on the way to drop my son off at daycare, but the streets are pretty well-trafficked. I do have a vinyl cover for the trailer that I will use, so kicking up debris won't be an issue.

Thanks everyone for the gear recommendations - will definitely get a balaclava and some warm base layers.
Click to expand...
I'm in New Jersey and we don't consistently get the extreme cold and snow that Chicago and the Upper Midwest can get. But still, when we get those arctic fronts that come from out your way; or if we get a coastal N'oreaster blizzard, it can be bad enough.

Using my own area as the measuring stick, no, no way at all would I be trailering my child around traffic of any kind whatsoever. It's not about your ability to stay upright and avoid your front tire giving way under ice and snow (which is going to happen, bet on it); no, it's about the people around you in cars and trucks. It's not worth encountering that one person who loses control of his/her vehicle while in your company. It's not worth the risk of your child's (and yourself, too) safety.

Besides, with the amount of calcium chloride, sand and other nasty brines, your drive train is going to be trashed by the time spring rolls around.

FWIW, I ride a fat bike with premium Schwalbe Jumbo Jims, 26 x 4.0 wide. It's one step above worthless in the below pics I took in a couple NJ snow storms; both N'oreasters that ended up dropping about 1.5-2 feet of snow on us. For snow and ice conditions, you need studded tires if snow and ice are a common occurence.

100_3045.JPG

Days like this is when the Haibike sits in the garage. No way am I venturing out on a surface that has been brined with a liquid calcium chloride; followed by whatever winter storm dumps on top of. The bike lane is still under snow and there is just no chance I would "share the lane" with any motorist.

100_2924.JPG

December, 2017 N'oreaster storm with blizzard conditons and I wanted to try out my new Bosch Heated Jacket. In the high heat position, you have over an hour or so of heat. Worked pretty nice. Balacava and my old military issue extreme cold hat with ear flaps. No, no helmet. I thought it better to stay warm.

100_2937 (1).JPG

Same storm with conditionings worsening. I was headed home, some 4.5 miles away. The white line and the little 2 feet of riding shoulder space is snow covered. What with the salt build up on my drive train and the bike overall and the close proximity of traffic around me, 2017 was about the last year I willfully rode the Haibike in traffic.
 
Mike TowpathTraveler said:
I'm in New Jersey and we don't consistently get the extreme cold and snow that Chicago and the Upper Midwest can get. But still, when we get those arctic fronts that come from out your way; or if we get a coastal N'oreaster blizzard, it can be bad enough.

Using my own area as the measuring stick, no, no way at all would I be trailering my child around traffic of any kind whatsoever. It's not about your ability to stay upright and avoid your front tire giving way under ice and snow (which is going to happen, bet on it); no, it's about the people around you in cars and trucks. It's not worth encountering that one person who loses control of his/her vehicle while in your company. It's not worth the risk of your child's (and yourself, too) safety.

Besides, with the amount of calcium chloride, sand and other nasty brines, your drive train is going to be trashed by the time spring rolls around.

FWIW, I ride a fat bike with premium Schwalbe Jumbo Jims, 26 x 4.0 wide. It's one step above worthless in the below pics I took in a couple NJ snow storms; both N'oreasters that ended up dropping about 1.5-2 feet of snow on us. For snow and ice conditions, you need studded tires if snow and ice are a common occurence.

View attachment 134260
Days like this is when the Haibike sits in the garage. No way am I venturing out on a surface that has been brined with a liquid calcium chloride; followed by whatever winter storm dumps on top of. The bike lane is still under snow and there is just no chance I would "share the lane" with any motorist.

View attachment 134261
December, 2017 N'oreaster storm with blizzard conditons and I wanted to try out my new Bosch Heated Jacket. In the high heat position, you have over an hour or so of heat. Worked pretty nice. Balacava and my old military issue extreme cold hat with ear flaps. No, no helmet. I thought it better to stay warm.

View attachment 134263
Same storm with conditionings worsening. I was headed home, some 4.5 miles away. The white line and the little 2 feet of riding shoulder space is snow covered. What with the salt build up on my drive train and the bike overall and the close proximity of traffic around me, 2017 was about the last year I willfully rode the Haibike in traffic.
Click to expand...
Great pics! No chance I would be riding in that. I expect only 5-10 days a year where we will have that much snow on the roads. In those cases, I will certainly drive. I'm mainly thinking about when there is a dusting of snow or some remaining brown slush on the road.
 
snow and ice don't usually last here. so its not worth the hassle to set a bike up for it. Christas eve morning it was 33 and rain
IMG_3719.jpeg
 
I don’t believe that the OP is planning on riding in extreme conditions as some others here do. It really depends on his level of comfort and whether or not he’s willing to venture out in snow or on slick ice. In that case, appropriate winter/studded tires would be beneficial. As @Mike TowpathTraveler suggested, I would also think twice about heading out in wintry conditions while trailering a child and dealing with road traffic. Proper front/rear lights are also vital as the days become shorter. Plenty of great winter apparel suggestions from the members here and as always, layering is key. Clothing doesn’t have to be cycling specific but wearing a breathable outer shell is a good start.

I realize that the cold season will eventually arrive up here but I’d rather think about making the most of what’s left of the summer/fall riding season. That being said, I just dress appropriately for whatever comes my way and load up on carbs!

Frozen Spaghetti.jpg
 
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