The everyday challenges of cycling in New York increase exponentially during fall and winter, when wet and slippery conditions make getting around more difficult for everyone.
The vulnerability of being on a bike exacerbates this situation. Here are tips for how cyclists can increase their safety in the upcoming seasons.
Be more visible
Between the smaller window of daylight hours and weather conditions obscuring drivers’ vision, cyclists should take steps to increase their visibility by wearing brightly colored, reflective vests and having conspicuous caution lights on their bikes.
Avoid unsafe streets and paths
You know them when you see them. If the ground feels too bumpy, mushy or slippery or traffic is hectic, find an alternative route.
Go see the bike doctor
It may seem silly to pay for a top-down tune-up right before riding your bike through two miles of mud puddles and salt, but you don’t want to take a spill because your chain locked up while you were trying to beat a yellow light.
If you plan to bike straight through winter, consider investing in winter tires.
A good tip for preserving your bike’s winter health is to spray it down with your water bottle after an especially filthy commute.
Dress appropriately
Under your reflective vest, make sure you’re protected from the added wind chill of being on a moving bike. Keep in mind the body heat you generate from exertion will help you out.
Your hands will likely be the first thing to feel the effects of the cold. You can buy fancy biking gloves, but budget-minded people should be fine with standard gloves. Mittens are not recommended as they can limit your motor skills on handlebars and brakes.
A helmet should be mandatory, but some people take the extra step of wearing elbow and even knee protection in case a puddle is hiding a slick patch of ice.
Your COVID mask can double as a surprisingly effective face warmer on especially cold and windy days.
Stay alert
Looking at your phone or blasting music on your ear pods is never a good idea on a bike and this is especially true in wet, cold or slippery conditions. You’re not the only thing that can lose control on a wheel-polished patch of ice. Cars and pedestrians will be struggling, too. Don’t contribute to the chaos.
Know when to say no
There are some weather conditions when biking is prohibitively unpleasant or just plain unsafe. Know when to recognize these days and have a back-up plan for getting to your destination.
Talk to the coach
Organizations like Bike New York offer numerous free classes on bike handling and safe winter cycling.
