The Ultimate Guide to Winter Cycling

Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Riding Your Bike in the Winter

Deciding to ride your bike all year round can mean different things depending on where you live, but if you’re located near us, that means being prepared for anything mother nature can throw at you. Here in Calgary and southern Alberta, the weather can go from +20C with clear blue skies to -20C with five-foot visibility in the same week, and sometimes even the same day. With such a wide range of conditions, it can feel daunting to keep the wheels rolling into the winter months, but it can also be gratifying.

No matter if you’re planning on riding every day of the year regardless of the weather, or if you just want to be able to make the most out of a few sunny weekends – having the right gear, the right mindset, and some expert knowledge will make sure you’re getting the most out your experience.

Winter Bike Care & Maintenance: Keeping Corrosion at Bay

Keeping your bike running smoothly through the winter months really comes down to one main goal – keeping rust and corrosion under control. Winter is incredibly tough on bike frames and bike components for a multitude of reasons ranging from moisture build up from snow and ice to constant freeze-thaw cycles, and road-salt. All those things work together to put a beating on your bike and can lead to seized parts and rusted out frames.

Winter Cycling Tires: Get a Grip!

Tires are exactly as important as you think they are. They’re your direct connection to the ground and when that ground is snowy, wet, or icy, making the right choice means the difference between getting where you need to go and picking yourself up after a bad crash. So what is the right choice? Like most things in life, there is no perfect option, and you need to decide what works best for you. The basics of tires is pretty simple though – do you want grip, or do you want efficiency?

Winter Apparel: Staying Warm & The Outdoor Layering System

There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing – it’s a quote you hear from lots of sources but have any of the people who say that tried riding a bike in a 60km/h headwind at -30C? There is some truth to the saying though since being prepared with the proper clothing is one of the most important aspects of an enjoyable, and safe winter riding experience. Most of the time, throwing on your thickest and most insulated jacket and snow pants isn’t going to be the ideal setup for your cold-weather commute.

Winter Accessories: Forget Them at Your Own Demise

The word accessory doesn’t really convey the importance of things like gloves, hats, boots, and lights – they should really be called necessities when it comes to winter commuting. Without them, you might not just be miserable, but you might be actively putting yourself into dangerous situations.