Cycling in winter doable, says man who regularly bikes from Elmira to UW

On frigid days when many people bundle up with tuques, mittens, scarves and parkas to stay warm on their walk to the car or bus, it's not unusual to find Brendan Lowther getting his bicycle out to ride to work.

He is regularly seen cycling from his home in Elmira to the University of Waterloo, even in the middle of winter.

"There's a lot of factors involved in being considered crazy or not," Lowther said in an interview with CBC News about the reactions he gets from others when they see him riding on icy days.

To get to work, he bikes up Arthur Street in Elmira and through St. Jacobs. The scariest part of his ride is right in the middle— the stretch between St. Jacobs and the farmers' market where the speed limit is 80 km/h and there are no bike lines— but as soon as he turns right at the farmers' market, it's much easier riding to the university.

"People at work, they generally sometimes they think I'm crazy but for the most part they've come to expect that it's a healthy part of my lifestyle, it's what I like to do," he said.

Bike to work in winter

Friday was International Winter Bike to Work Day. Participants, including about five people from Waterloo Region and Guelph, signed up on the event's website to indicate their intention to ride.

"Riding a bike is way more fun than sitting on a school bus! And you're always guaranteed a seat," one person from Ayr, who said it was their first year riding year-round, said on the website.

"A bicycle is the first real freedom you experience as a child, and can only lead to bigger and better freedoms," a 20-year all-season rider from Cambridge wrote.

'Get out and give it a try'

Lowther, who is a member of the Woolwich cycling advisory group, said people don't need a special day to get out and try winter cycling.

"Most people put away their bikes in the fall and they don't bring it back out until the spring which is unfortunate because there's a lot of good riding weather. If you look at the last couple of weeks it's been cool, but it hasn't been freezing cold, there hasn't been a lot snow. I've seen a lot of cycling people out there on the roads getting their rides in because why not go outside when you don't have to be on your winter trainer or whatever," he said.

"If you just get out and give it a try, try your layering, go out on a cold day and see what you can do."

Winter cycling tips

Want some tips for winter cycling? Lowther's got a few.

For his bike, Lowther has studded winter tires, but he said that's not necessary. A wider tire is good, like those on a mountain bike, and letting a little air out of the tire is a good idea to give the bike tires more traction on slippery roads.

Cyclists also need to maintain their bikes more regularly in the winter because sand and salt from roads can be hard on the frame and chain.

But it's also about dressing for the part.

"For winter cycling, it's all about clothing and making sure you're comfortable enough to ride in it but not necessarily overheating or too cold. So that can take a little bit of getting used to," he said.

He has lists of what to wear during certain temperatures. What he wears when it's 5 C is different than when it's -5 C.

On a really cold day he will wear: thermal fleece pants under another pair of riding pants that block wind, padded cycling underwear, thermal socks, cycling shoes with winter booties that cover the shoes, upper body layers under a cycling jacket that is highly visible, a balaclava, a headwarmer around his ears, cycling helmet with a rain cap over it to help keep heat in, goggles to protect his eyes and gloves.

"Gloves are obviously super important too because that's where the wind hits you the most and your fingers can get really cold," he said.

He reconsiders riding if there is extreme cold, like temperatures below -15 C, or when it's really windy.

"One of my biggest things is not about the snow or anything to do with temperature, it's actually about the wind. If it's really windy, I'm not riding. It's not fun," he said.

Last but not least, winter cyclists need confidence.

"Cyclists should be confident in riding in all weather conditions. Confident in their skills as a cyclist, confident in their bike and confident in working with traffic and managing situations," he said.