So You Want to Be A Winter Cyclist?

When I started commuting by bike more frequently, probably about 4 or 5 years ago, I really enjoyed it but did not do any winter cycling until about 2 years ago. And oh boy.

I don’t think the city or the social media is being dishonest when they push winter cycling, but winter cycling in Edmonton is very dependent on where you are in the city. My personal experience is that it’s a mixed bag. 

I have to rely on a mix of shared pathways and residential streets to get where I have to go for the most part. I live amongst the suburbs in the northeast side of the city and the snow clearing is inconsistent on residential streets. The only major accident I’ve ever had while cycling (in general) was skidding on ice and crashing into a snowbank.

Trying to ride a bike on this is not fluid, efficient, or safe. The only bike that I can see navigating this efficiently is a fat tire bike and those aren’t cheap. And I don’t know if anybody has noticed, but we had a lot of snow in the past month. After heavy fresh snowfall, it’s hard to get places with a car, much less a bike.

And remember, you are sharing the road with people like this:

The city does a better job of clearing out bike lanes and shared pathways which is good. If you have a bike commute composed primarily of these two types of paths, I can definitely see how it can be enjoyable.

And outside of all these weather conditions, snow clearing and infrastructure stuff, you still have to invest in having the proper bike equipment such as studded tires, fenders, lights, and the right clothing. With most bikes, you are going to have to regularly clean the drivetrain to avoid rust, as well.

Yeah, so I know that as students in Planning and Human Geography we should be pushing cycling for all its health, environmental, and economic benefit. The reason I continue to cycle in the winter is to feel some sort of satisfaction in accomplishing a difficult task, as well as the moral righteousness you have over people as a bike commuter in general. So if you know any vain masochists in your life, you should convince them to give winter cycling a shot.

Written by GAPSS media committee member Raymond L.