Winter biking

Cold-weather biking is the use of a bicycle during months when roads and paths are covered with ice, slush and snow. Cold weather cyclists face a number of challenges. Urban commuters on city streets may have to deal with "[s]now, slush, salt, and sand", which can cause rust and damage to metal bike components. Slush and ice can jam derailleurs. Some cyclists may bike differently in winter, by "...slow[ing] down on turns and brak[ing] gradually" in icy conditions. Gaining traction on snow and ice-covered roads can be difficult. Winter cyclists may use bikes with front and rear fenders, metal studded winter tires and flashing LED lights. Winter cyclists may wear layers of warm clothes and "ea[r], face, and han[d]" coverings may be used. Specialized winter bikes called fatbikes, which have wide, oversized tires that are typically inflated with low pressure, are used in snow trail riding and winter bike competitions.

Cold-weather biking is also called "winter cycling", "winter biking", "snow biking", "fatbiking" or "ice biking." "Ice biking" often refers to biking that takes place on ice-covered lakes and rivers.

Winter cyclists may use a cheaper bike for winter biking, because "[s]now, slush, salt, and sand" causes rust and damage to metal bike components. The Ottawa Bicycle Lanes Project (OBLP) states that bikes used in winter will be "...bombarded by the road salt", which can cause rusting; as such, some cyclists ride a different bike than the one they use in warmer months, such as a used bicycle or an inexpensive bike. Another Ottawa biking website concurs with the statement that winter cyclists do not "...ride [their] best or expensive bicycle in winter", but adds that riders do not ride a poor-quality "...piece of junk [bike]", as this type of cycle will be "...slow, heavy, uncomfortable and continually breaking down"; instead, a "...used ‘mid’ level bike" is recommended. An Ottawa biking website states that some winter cyclists use a "...mountain style bike...[because]...the frame geometry, wheels and components are design for less than ideal riding conditions such as mud and dirt", which means that the bike is better able to handle snowy and slushy conditions.

CBC news states that winter cyclists may choose to not use multi-speed bikes with derailleurs: "[a] single-speed bike...means fewer moving parts and it's less likely to freeze up" in icy conditions. According to the OBLP, bikes with an internal gear hub, in which all the gears are enclosed in a case (as opposed to being exposed to the elements) will "kee[p] gears clean and ice/salt free". On bikes used for winter biking in urban environments, the road salt may cause the chain to become rusty, which can cause problems with its functioning (e.g., links seizing up or chain links rusting through). To avoid chain problems, some winter bikers use a belt-driven bicycle, which uses a rubber belt similar to those used as timing belts in automobile engines. Steel components in bikes can be rust-damaged, including steel frames and metal brake cables and shifter cables; for this reason, some winter bikers use bikes made of non-steel materials, such as aluminium.

...
Wikipedia