Frozen brooklets, a marvellous silence and the entire cycling path all for yourself: some people are really longing for the winter months to come. Still, cycling in winter time is not something to look out for. It is getting colder, wetter and the wind too is giving us a hard time. But let that be no excuse at all. O2o is here with some tips for cycling in winter time.
Keep your lease bike in top condition
In winter time, the maintenance of your lease bike needs extra attention. Mud, small stones and branches of trees, salt, … after a couple of hours of cycling a lot of dirt sticks to your bicycle. Try to clean it a little after each ride, so to keep it in technical shape and to protect the lacquer of your dream bike.
During winter your brake-shoes will wear out more quickly than usual. So be attentive to that and replace them when necessary.
Put a new set of winter tires on. Just like with cars, they will offer better resistance against harsh weather conditions and have a better grip on the slippery road surface. Lower the tire pressure and your bicycle will be winter proof.
E-bike? Think of your battery
If you are riding an electric lease bike or a speed pedelec, then pay extra attention to your battery. Cold temperatures make them run down more quickly. Keep your battery on room temperature and avoid complete or “deep” unloading. Take your time and do also read our other tips to get the most of your battery.
Choose your routes
A lot of bikers have their preferred routes, but all these routes are not equally comfortable the whole year through. Tracks through the woods get slippery due to the many leafs on the ground, whereas asphalt roads may quickly turn into ice-tracks due to the cold temperatures. So, do not systematically go for the quickest or shortest road, but give priority to the safest one.
Dress in layers
Our last tips to get through winter with your lease bike concern your clothing. In rough weather conditions it is sometimes difficult to choose the right and appropriate cycling outfit. Before all, try to dress in layers. If its getting too warm, you can easily take one out. Moreover, the air between layers works as an insulating factor and gives extra warmth between two layers. Two birds with one stone.
Wear gloves when cycling; the keep your hands warm which makes operating brakes and gears a lot easier. So, don’t buy them too thick! In order to avoid loss of temperature, also wear a (thin) cap under your helmet.
To make things a lot safer still, you can also add some fluorescent accessories to your outfit, especially when you have quite a distance to cover, greater part of it in the dark. Therefore, read carefully the blog post “bicycle safety in traffic”.