What You Need to Know: Cycling in Cold Weather

Cycling in Winter: Tips and Recommendations

Cycling is one of the most preferred sporting activities during the summer months. When used with the necessary equipment, a bicycle, which serves as an alternative vehicle for transportation, touring, and sports activities, can be comfortably ridden even in winter. We have compiled all the recommendations and tips you need for winter cycling.

Choosing the Right Clothing for Cold Weather

Do not dismiss the idea of cycling in winter. Many cycling enthusiasts today use their bikes for both transportation and exercise during both summer and winter. With the right clothing and gear, you can also comfortably ride your bike in cold seasons. Choosing the right clothing is an important detail to consider when cycling in cold weather. Moreover, you don’t have to suffocate yourself with thick, bulky clothing while doing so.

Jackets with softshell-type semi-soft coverings and waterproof features protect your core areas—such as the abdomen, chest, and groin—from wind and cold. Having an extra layer that absorbs moisture and dries quickly, keeping the body dry, will significantly ease your winter cycling experience. A thermal base layer or thin thermal clothing, which retains heat while effectively ventilating sweat vapor, is also beneficial.

Instead of wearing thick clothing, opting for multiple layers of thin garments allows you to maintain high mobility during the ride and offers better protection against the cold. You can choose specially designed winter cycling gear for your feet, legs, upper body, and head. Consider a fully protected winter outdoor shoe or a winter cycling shoe. You can wear single or double-layer thermal socks inside closed-type shoes. For your legs, opt for thermal, windproof, and full-length tights or pants. You can also use additional equipment designed for winter, such as gloves, hats, glasses, snow gaiters, and veils, along with your other clothing.

Prepare Your Bike for Winter

Bicycles with versatile use options, such as cross-trail, mountain, touring, and city bikes, can be comfortably used throughout all seasons. Mountain bikes, known for their wide tires, provide excellent grip on icy and snowy surfaces. Deep treads and long channels on the tire assist in successful water drainage.

Suspension systems attached to the front fork and frame of the bike absorb shocks from the terrain, making it easier to ride safely in challenging weather conditions. Reflective bike equipment and lighting systems added to the front and rear areas of the frame and handlebars also increase your visibility in foggy and overcast conditions.

What to Do to Prepare Your Bike for Winter

By taking the following precautions, you can ride your bike with peace of mind in winter:

• Start by preparing the tires for winter. Choose two high-quality, soft compound bike tires that will keep you on two wheels on slippery roads affected by snow, mud, water, and ice.

• Since the air in the tires will change more rapidly in winter compared to summer, remember to check the tire pressure frequently.

• Having a pump that shows air pressure in bar units will greatly ease your task when inflating the tires. (For road bikes, 90-120 psi is sufficient, and for other bikes with thicker tires, 50-80 psi will be adequate.)

• After completing the tire change and pressure check, move on to the brakes. If you are using hydraulic bike brakes, check if the calipers, discs, hoses, and fluid reservoirs are suitable for winter use. You can easily verify if the product is resistant to water and cold conditions by checking the symbols on the main components.

• If your brake system is not suitable for winter use, switch to parts and materials that are rust-resistant and adaptable to temperature changes.

• If your bike has a traditional brake mechanism (pad V-brakes), replace the existing brake pads with soft and flexible ones. Brake pads attached to the mounting brackets with small screws can be easily removed and replaced with new ones.

• After finishing the general maintenance of your bike, you can also add extra accessories and equipment such as fenders, racks, and lighting systems.