clump@lemmy.catoBicycles@lemmy.ca•Who plans to ride this winter? If so, share your gear and tips.
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1 year ago- winter tires (no studs—they might be nice on those very icy days, but I didn’t fancy changing tires)
- ski goggles, with a very light tint since it’s often dark (sunglasses won’t do, they fog up too easy)
- helmet liner (down to -10C), or balaclava on colder days
- regular gloves (above 0C), izumi lobster gloves (ok down to -5C or -10C), or ozero long-sleeve ski/shoveling mitts (colder days). I’ve thought about pogies, but with the bike parked outside I didn’t want to have to take them on/off the bike every time. Mitts make it harder to reach shifter and brake, but the ice/slush build-up limited the gear shift to just a few options anyway, and slow, planned braking works better on ice.
- waterproof shell/pants. Not only to stay dry and keep clothes clean, but it cuts the wind too.
- thermal underclothes (only on colder days)
- scarf to cut the wind on my lower face (less cold days), or switch to a full balaclava on very cold days.
- waterproof winter hiking boots
- hose and wipe down bike as needed
- also planning on carrying lock deicer this year, as last year the bicycle lock almost wouldn’t open a few times after sitting outside in the weather all day.
Yes, they are all kind of bulky, but as long as they don’t interfere with a helmet and give good peripheral vision I figured that was just an aesthetic concern. I went with “ZIONOR Lagopus Ski Snowboard Goggles” (B-clear blue lens, 60% cloudy/night). They have been comfortable, don’t fog up, and aren’t too dark (could’ve gone for a bit darker for daytime, but in the winter I’m often cycling at dusk/dawn). On the down side, there’s still some minor distortion in the lenses (not enough to bug me, but sometimes noticeable), and they tend to press on the bridge of my nose a bit more than I would like (causing a tendency to mouth-breathe). If you can try some out in a store then that would probably be better.