Bike commuting in the winter

Biking in the winter is just like any other alpine sport. I think of it like skiing. Kind of.

What do you do when winter approaches and you’ve been biking to work? If you started biking around the city in the spring, you probably didn’t have to worry much about temperatures affecting your ride. You may have even stuck it out in the heat of summer when it got in the 80s and 90s-- at least in Boston. But what the heck do you do in the winter when there’s snow, slush, and ice on the ground, and the wind chill is in the teens or worse, in the negatives? Fortunately, it's more than possible to bike commute in the winter; it does require some extra preparation and clothing layers, though!

Pick clothes based on your ride

How long or strenuous is your ride? The longer you ride, the more heat your body will produce. So you actually need fewer layers for longer commutes, and will need to dress more warmly for shorter rides. Figuring out exactly what to wear based on the current temperature and your ride will likely take a bit of trial and error. It’s a fine line between keeping warm enough while avoiding arriving at work a sweaty mess! Keep in mind the next step, however.

No skin exposed = happy ride. (note I forgot my helmet before taking this pic)

Bundle up your extremities

If you haven’t noticed already, your toes and fingers are the quickest to start turning into blocks of ice while you’re out biking in the cold. This will happen even more quickly on windy days. Keeping those areas warm and dry will go a long way in keeping you and your commute happy! You don’t necessarily need expensive bicycle-specific gear, either. On cold days I wear wool socks, my trusty hiking boots, my favorite scarf from the Gap, and a knitted hat under my helmet.

I also have a few different glove combinations that I pick based on just how cold it is outside. If it’s moderately cold, in the 30s or 40s, I’ll wear a thin pair of regular gloves over my fingerless biking gloves. If it’s in the 20s or below, I’ll pull on my amazing lobster gloves, and sometimes even wear my regular gloves as linings inside the lobster ones. I might be going a bit overboard on the “perfect” glove to wear for the temperature, but I hate having my hands either be freezing a quarter of the way to work, or making the insides of my gloves sweaty.

Fingerless cycling gloves, thin knit gloves, lobster gloves.

Plan your clothes changing strategy

Figuring out where and how to change your clothes once you get into the office is one of the trickiest parts of bike commuting. If your office has workplace showers you’re pretty much set. Also, if you can become a member at a nearby gym, it will give you the chance to shower up and head into the office fresh and clean. But if all you have to work with are bathroom stalls, you may need to be a bit more strategic. When you’re changing from biking to workday clothes, bringing in a small towel to wipe down sweat will help in feeling less gross. Also, when the weather is rainy or snowy, I’ll often toss in an extra pair of socks, or even bring a separate pair of shoes to change into. It’s not a perfect system, but it gets the job done, hopefully without offending any of my coworkers.

These are just a few tips that I keep in mind while biking in cold weather. What winter biking strategies do you use when riding around in the cold months of the year?