Comment 73038

By moylek (registered) - website | Posted January 14, 2012 at 17:23:35 in reply to Comment 73032

At best a small minority of riders are going to brave the cold and that number decreases as the road conditions worsen or staying dry becomes problematic

That needn't be true. Most of us already have what we need brave the cold: scarves, boots, gloves, toques, coats.

Granted, heavy rain and really biting wind (say, when it gets below -20 with the wind chill) are a bit much and would require special clothing: a poncho; a balaclava. I'm not one for resorting to extraordinary clothing in order to ride my bike, so there are a very few days when the cold or rain keeps me off of my bike (maybe four days per year).

Now, I must confess that I'm being a little bit coy here. Riding one's bike in the winter does require special clothing if you ride a sport bike: you're exposed to road spray without fenders; extended arms expose your wrists; a hunched posture can expose your back and strain your seams; an upturned head interferes with some warm hats. But if you ride upright - think an old-style CCM or Raliegh or European city bike - then normal clothing works just fine.

TnT references my article from last year, Winter Cycling in Hamilton in One Easy Step, in which I discuss the simplicity of riding a normal bike in normal clothes over moderate distances (let's say up to about 8 km).

Comment edited by moylek on 2012-01-14 17:29:07

-- Kenneth Moyle Hamilton, Ontario

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