Cycling safely in the snow

While many choose to leave their bicycles at home when the snow comes, we actually enjoy cycling in our cities when the roads are a bit quieter. Snow and ice do make the streets a little bit trickier to maneuver so we have put together a couple of tips to help you!

Accept that you will be cold and layer up

Acceptance is the first crucial step here – it’s winter, it’s snowy, it’s beautiful but it is going to be cold. Once you know this, you can dress appropriately. Layering up is the best advice we can give for you to stay warm. That way you can keep your core warm without overheating – yes, cycling can make you sweaty, even in winter, so you want to have the option of taking a layer or two off.

Chad Sparkes

Be visible!

This one is so important! Windscreens are going to be fogged up and visibility is going to be poorer than usual. Have a good set of lights on your bicycle and wear the brightest jacket you own. Making sure that other motorists can see you is crucial.

Majority of our Donkey Bikes in the network will have dynamo lights. If you find one that doesn’t have working lights, you can report it to our team through the App and we will get on it as soon as we can.

Lower your tyre pressure

Less air in your tyres will mean that your wheels have more surface area in contact with the ground. More contact means more traction and will make you more stable. It will mean that you will be travelling more slowly than with fully inflated tyres, but speed is not your friend during these conditions. Leave the house 15 minutes earlier and enjoy your city under the cover of beautiful white snow.

Avoid ice where you can and use popular bike routes

If conditions get a bit wetter and colder, the likelihood that you will encounter ice patches on your cycling path is high. Where possible, go around them so that you don’t end up doing a slip and slide. A good tip is to choose a route that is more popular or next to a main road – while it won’t be the scenic route, it will likely be less snowy and icy.

Give your ride a clean down

Slushy snow and road salt can cause serious damage to your gears. So just as you get home and change out of your cycling gear, give your bike a little wipe down after being outside. Pay attention to the gear, chain and wheels – all these bits tend to catch all sorts of grim.

Of course, if you are using a Donkey Bike then you don’t have to worry about this last step, we will be giving our fleet some love this winter too.

Stay safe out there!

‍

‍