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How to stay safe, warm as a cyclist in the winter

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

The weather is changing, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid bike paths

Now that stores have started playing Christmas music, the arrival of winter is inevitable. Don’t let cool temperatures and flurries signal the end of your cycling season. Pedalling around in the bitter cold and snow can actually be a good time.

Yet, before heading out into the great white north, there are a few factors to consider. A good way to ruin winter cycling for yourself is by being underdressed and underprepared. Following a few simple steps will help you avoid frosty misery.

Dressing properly is the foundation of winter fun on your bike. Fingers and toes are the first to freeze on a cold day, so pay particular attention to gloves and socks. A wind and waterproof glove with an insulated liner is the ideal choice but can be expensive. A frugal alternative is to wear nitrile or latex disposable gloves underneath any winter glove, as they provide a fairly resilient waterproof layer.

Thick socks are a no-brainer for staying warm, but don’t go overboard. A tight shoe will feel colder than one that doesn’t constrict your foot, regardless of how cozy the socks are. I have the best luck with a pair of regular socks underneath thick wool ones. The army surplus stores on St-Laurent Street sell the classic red-striped wool numbers at an affordable price.

Rosey red cheeks may be cute, but they hurt when pedaling around the city on your bike. So wrap up your face. A cycling balaclava is a good investment, as it is breathable and provides great coverage from wind and snow. A frugal alternative is to use a cheap neck gaiter that’s long enough to pull up over your ears and around your face. Whatever you wear, make sure it is thin so that the fit of your helmet is not compromised.

Layering keeps me comfiest on a chilly day. A bunch of thinner shirts and sweaters under a windproof jacket feels warmer than a big, puffy parka, especially on a bike. Also, the mobility of thinner layers is a huge plus when cycling in challenging conditions. By wearing multiple layers, you can regulate your warmth. As soon as you start sweating, it’s going to be really tough to stay warm. Having wet clothing in sub-zero temperatures means you’re going to get really cold. Layering is a great way to avoid this frosty fate, as you can remove certain pieces of clothing when you start getting warm.

When it comes to your bike, it’s best to make sure that it’s durable and comfortable. Buying a new set of brake pads is a great way to welcome the winter. While a wet chain lubricant might make a bit of a mess, it’s worth it because your chain will stay protected from salty road spray. It is also super helpful to spray your bike down with WD-40—a common and cheap penetrating oil—after every sloppy, winter ride as the spray displaces water and stops your bike from rusting.

Riding in the snow is challenging, but you can set your bike up for success. Lower your seat a little bit so it’s easier to put your feet down if you’re in deep snow. If you don’t have big, knobby winter tires, it doesn’t mean the snow is impassable. Take a little bit of air pressure out of your tires, especially the front one, for a little more grip. Lastly, pedal in an easy gear. Having your feet spin around with little resistance means your back wheel is less likely to slip.

Enjoy the snow and bundle up, because Montreal is a great city for cycling in the winter. The Maisonneuve bike lane is plowed daily, and most smaller lanes are sanded to keep the road’s grip. Make use of a city that supports winter cycling, and enjoy it.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth 

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Cycling safely down busy city streets

Highlighting the ways cyclists can feel more comfortable riding in Montreal

It terrifies me to read about a cyclist getting killed in Montreal. I ride my bike everyday. Actively dodging car doors and avoiding vehicles turning right without signaling make it crystal clear how easily a daily ride could be my last.

Unfortunately, it all went wrong for a 61-year-old cyclist on Sept.14 when she was hit and killed by a school bus, according to CTV News. This tragedy reignited calls to increase the number of bike paths in Montreal, many of which were established after a series of fatal cycling accidents in the summer of 2016. News outlets like CBC ran stories highlighting the dangers of cycling in Montreal, citing studies showing rising cyclist fatality rates and running interviews bemoaning the current state of the city’s bike lanes.

Here’s what most outlets didn’t mention.

Over the past eight years, the number of cyclists in Montreal has increased by 50 per cent, according to Vélo Quebec, a non-profit organization that collects cycling information. One million Montrealers ride their bikes at least once a week, according to the same source. This spike in cyclists inevitably leads to more deaths and injuries, a correlation explained by an SPVM official in a CBC article covering the incidents during summer of 2016.

Blaming recent cyclist deaths on a lack of infrastructure is not fair or accurate. Since 2009, Montreal’s total kilometres of bike lanes has grown from 90 km to 750 km, according to City Lab, a digital news organization. Montreal has the most bike lanes separated by a median of any Canadian city, as well as the longest on and off road bike paths in the country, according to a report by the non-profit think tank, the Pembina Institute. As cycling infrastructure expands, so does the interest in cycling… and the frequency of cyclist accidents.

Instead of the cycling community focusing on what they don’t have, Montreal cyclists should make the most of current bike lanes to ensure they stay safe. The best person to ensure your safety is you. Riding a bike is a method of transportation, a way to socialize and a whole lot of fun. By choosing to cycle, you choose to better your health, see the world around you and usually get to your destination faster than you would using public transportation.

However, this choice involves accepting and addressing the risks of cycling in a metropolitan area. Not that these risks are particularly high: for every 100,000 cycling trips in Montreal, two result in an accident, according to the Pembina Institute report.

I’m not a perfect cyclist, but I’ve been cycling daily for seven years in both Toronto and Montreal and have yet to be involved in an accident. Below are some techniques I feel have kept me safe and happy on the roads.

Being able to ride with one hand allows me to signal turns and stops. Observing car wheels is important, as they most clearly show the vehicle’s speed and direction. Looking at a car’s sideview and rear-view windows helps me avoid getting doored—if you see a head moving inside a car or a face reflected in side-view mirror, slow down and give the car plenty of space. Passing right-turning cars on the left hand side keeps you out of their blind spot. The car can turn sooner and you won’t have to stop and wait. After passing the turning car safely, move back across the lane to the curb side.

Another important technique is to make the most of your space. According to Quebec’s Highway Safety Code, motorists are obliged to give cyclists 1.5 metres of space on roads where the speed limit is more than 50 km/h, or one metre if the speed limit is less—so make them do it. It’s better to be a bit in front of a car and get honked at than to get pinned between parked and moving vehicles. And last but not least, ride a lot. Practice makes perfect. Take different routes home, turn off your GPS and get lost on your bike for a while.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth 

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News

Biking in a winter wonderland

Photo by Sarah Howell
Photo by Sarah Howell

The sudden arrival of winter weather in Montreal means that many students have had to swallow another metro fare hike and escape into dingy metro stations to commute to and from Concordia.

However, the number of bicycles waiting outside several classes point to an increasingly popular alternative mode of winter transport: winter biking.

Kelly Pennington, an urban planning student, commutes to and from her classes at Concordia by bike.

Sporting lobster-claw-styled cycling gloves, she enthuses that the rewards of a brisk and refreshing winter commute to school easily surpasses any challenges she faces riding in less-than-ideal circumstances.

According to a recently published study by civil engineering and applied mechanics researchers at McGill, the amount of people using their bikes to get around in the winter per day numbers in the hundreds and has been increasing steadily over the years.

Community bike co-ops catering directly to students have sprung up across the city, like Le Petit Vélo Rouge at Concordia, The Flat Bike Collective at McGill, Université de Montreal’s Biciklo and BQAM at UQAM. They sell and fix bikes, as well as offer workshops specifically centered around the problems cyclists may face when riding around Montreal in the snow.

Nonetheless, many winter cyclists face challenges beyond the cold weather.

“One issue is that drivers don’t see this as positive, they think it’s stupid,“ said Pennington, who also works as a bicycle courier. She explained that long stretches of designated bike paths are often not cleared of snow during the winter, and drivers are not only annoyed but also scared at having to share narrower roads.

When the snow is cleared it gets dumped onto the sides, usually spilling over onto the bike paths and forcing cyclists to share the streets with drivers. Pennington said she gets honked at more during these winter months.

Balancing on the seat of her locked bicycle in front of the JMSB building, Karine Imbeault mirrors this experience. She commutes from the Plateau area and says she often gets yelled at.

Both Pennington and Imbeault said that the best way to deal with exasperated drivers is to not be distracted by the honking and name-calling but remain defensive while riding. Remaining visible to drivers becomes even more important as it gets darker earlier so avoiding dark clothing and affixing bicycles with battery-operated lights is advisable.

Imbeault points out that batteries die faster in cold conditions so she finds herself spending more money on them during the winter.

During this season, the type of bicycle used and the unique maintenance required takes on a life of its own. Here are some tips to help you pedal your way through the winter months:

– Modify the handle bars to point towards you. This has the benefit of not only being more comfortable but also allows for proper weight distribution onto the rear wheel which prevents sliding on slippery surfaces.

– Get a single gear bike. All movable parts of the bike will freeze. Having a single gear reduces the potential damage caused by the constant freezing and thawing and reduces the maintenance required. The brake system and the brake pads against the wheel will freeze when left for hours outside classes so you may have to gradually loosen them by periodically squeezing them.

– Let a little air out of your tires when riding over icy or wet surfaces. This allows the tires to better retain their grips on the roads.

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