Smells Like Green Spirit

The thought of riding a bike throughout the winter in Chicago is a terrifying one to me, but many people do it, and dang it, I want to give it a shot too.

Whatcha Wearin’?

Most roads in Chicago are plowed and salted fairly quickly, so it seems the only necessary component is dressing in layers like one would for winter sports. I hear if you walk outside and only feel mildly chilly in what you’re wearing, soon you’ll warm up on the road. It’s recommended that for a serious ride you wear a “wicking layer” next to your skin and not cotton, but most of my rides would be like to a bar or to work, so I don’t think I’ll need to worry about wicking just yet. Or wiccans. I won’t worry about them either.

If where you are is “cold/wet” like Chicago, (as opposed to “cold/dry” in somewhere like the southwest), a perfect outer layer is a rain suit with ample layers underneath. Don’t overlayer though, or you’ll be drenched in sweat after a couple of miles.

Helmet liners can be purchased at bike stores, and face masks, while scary looking, keep your face warm. My friends simply wrap scarves around their faces.

Make sure your hands are amply protected! You can buy winter biking gloves at bike shops, but heavy wind proof gloves would work fine too.

Pumping those pedals through piles of snow is tiring, probably much like jogging through think sand on a beach. It’s the thought of biking on ice that scares me, though!

Studded Tires

My friends say to remain as still as possible when going over ice, don’t break, and try just to coast. Make sure you have reflectors on and a bike light while riding around at night.

But, apparently there exists something called studded tires that make even the most terrifying patches of ice bikeable. I’ve never used these before, so you should head somewhere else for expertise:

Ice Bike
Commute By Bike
Peter White Cycles
Chicago Bike Blog
Bike Winter
Chicago Bicycle Federation

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