Can you ride a bike in winter? Sure, but the combination of bike + winter is certainly not everyone's thing, many bikes are sent into a months-long winter sleep from autumn. Actually, that doesn't have to be the case, because there are now many accessories that help you make winter a biking season. Here you will find plenty of tips to help you get through cold, ice, and snow on two wheels. There are bike parts that adapt your bike to the requirements of winter weather, and you should also have the right cycling clothing in your closet.
This is how winter on the bike becomes totally relaxed (instead of dangerous)!
The conditions that prevail on wintry roads are at first glance... rather suboptimal for cyclists. It's wet, it's slippery, and it gets cold on the fingers, feet, and rear end. Reason enough to leave the bike standing? No, with our suggestions you can do training laps or ride to work even on winter days.
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Here you get an overview of our recommendations and ideas. Many tips are detailed again in further posts, you can simply click on them directly. |
No lighting, no mudguards... to ride this bike in winter, a few parts are still missing! Image © Lifecyclemedia
1. Your bike needs light in winter!
From autumn, it gets dark earlier. Especially when the clocks are set to winter time, some cyclists ride to work and home in the dark. Therefore, in winter it is absolutely life-saving if your everyday bike is well lit. Even if you do training laps on dull days or go mountain biking, you are harder to see. So make sure your bike has good lights in winter! Whether you get a bike with dynamo lighting or equip your bike for wintry light conditions with battery lights to make it shine, it doesn't really matter. Any bike lights are better in winter than no lamps at all, and both have been legal for a while.
The side light strip is not a design gimmick, it makes your bike visible from the side in winter! Image © Sigma
This is how you buy the right lights when you want to cycle in winter:
- The “better” the lights, the safer you are on the road. Better means for bicycle lights: Brighter! So pay attention to a high lux number. More lux means brighter light and therefore better visibility and being seen better.
- A large range of the light beam is also important, so you can illuminate a large area in front of you.
- Don't worry, you can easily adjust the light beam of the bicycle headlight a little higher or lower with a small twist, so you don't dazzle oncoming traffic.
- If you are cycling in the difficult lighting conditions in winter, you should definitely ride with daytime running lights even during the day. If you want to buy bicycle lights with a battery, a long battery life is particularly important, because the best bicycle lights won't help you if they constantly run out of power! Many lights have daytime running lights combined with a power-saving mode, so the lights last long enough for winter bike tours!
- Many modern bicycle lights not only shine forward, they have a glowing stripe on the side. This is a great invention, so you are well seen from the side too!
- Reflectors on the wheels are also absolutely indispensable, especially in winter, because they make you visible from the side.
- Whether winter or summer – if your bicycle lights come with a TÜV approval, you are also legally on the safe side!
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Our tip: If you occasionally wipe reflectors and lights, your bicycle is excellently illuminated – because only clean lights and self-illuminators are easy to see. Moist air and splash water with road salt form a film on the lights that acts like a dimmer. |
✅ Bicycle lights for a safe winter ✅
Bicycle lighting battery| Bicycle lighting dynamo | Reflectors
➜ More info in the Bike Blog: What does a roadworthy bicycle need?
2. The right clothing for a safe cycling winter
What does clothing have to do with safety in winter and cold? It's very simple: Your health is important, and you don't want to constantly catch a cold in the wind on the bike or e-bike, right? But that's only half the battle!
Cold muscles react sluggishly!
When your hands, arms, and legs are really cold, they can no longer react quickly and smoothly. This increases the risk of accidents and falls. It is therefore important that you wear suitable clothing in winter that keeps you warm and dry on the bicycle.
For many cyclists, cycling gloves are one of the most important accessories in winter. Even when it gets cooler in autumn, windproof gloves are often worn because the hands get a lot of wind and cool down quickly.
High-Vis Clothing
A major problem in bicycle winter: Drivers recognize cyclists too late in fog, darkness, rain, or snowstorms. If you wrap yourself in bright cycling clothing, you will simply be seen better. You don't have to immediately put on a high-visibility vest (although many cyclists do this to be better detected). There is more and more high-vis clothing (High Visibility = high visibility). These bright or reflective garments and bags can be worn by cyclists in winter or in bad weather to avoid being overlooked. At the very least, your cycling clothing should have bright prints or zippers. These details are also available on bike bags or backpacks.
And of course, the bicycle helmet is mandatory on slippery roads!
Cycling in winter becomes safer when you are easy to see! This jacket reflects incoming light. So you won't be overlooked. Image © Biehler
▶ Warm cycling clothing for winter ◀
Thermal jackets | Winter shoes | Winter gloves | long underwear
➜ More info in the Bike Blog:
Cycling clothing for winter
3. The right bicycle tires for enough grip in winter
If you can't resist cycling even in winter, you should definitely equip your bike with the right tires depending on the model and area of use!
Mountain bikers and road cyclists already differentiate between tires for dry and wet conditions, especially in races. Even for the gravel bike for leisure use or for the daily commute to work, it's worth taking a look at the tires.
In general, you should consider the following for your bike tires in winter:
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Is there still sufficient tread left, or is the tire worn out? The tire tread is crucial for grip (= hold) on the ground and thus essential for a safe ride. If your tires are worn out, you should definitely put on new ones before winter! |
- Is the rubber compound of the tire soft or rather hard? Soft, "sticky" rubber compounds are better suited for slippery conditions than hard tires.
- There are all-weather tires that can be sufficient for occasional rides in nice winter weather.
- If you regularly cycle in winter, you should put on special winter tires. Manufacturers then use a special rubber compound that promises good grip. Additionally, the tread is designed for wet conditions.
- The wider the bike tire, the more contact surface and grip it offers. So, in winter, it can help to mount a tire that is wider than an all-round tire for summer, even if that means a bit more rolling resistance.
- The less air pressure you ride with, the higher the grip. But beware: less air pressure in the tire means more rolling resistance, which in turn increases the risk of punctures. Observe the minimum pressure recommended by the manufacturer.
- If you ride in areas with a lot of snow and ice, it might be advisable to mount a tire with spikes on your bike for the winter to always have sufficient grip everywhere.
Even when the roads are covered with ice and snow in winter, bicycle tires with spikes bite through. Image © Schwalbe
➜ Here you can find grippy, new bicycle tires!
❗If you need more information, you can read the article “Do you need winter tires for your bike?”!
3. Mudguards – to keep the snow under the bike in winter!
Dry, cold winter days are no problem for most cyclists. However, it gets really nasty when it’s wet. A wheel becomes a vicious cycle here. You need a good tire tread so that your bike has good grip on the winter road. But a lot of tire tread can also 'tank' a lot of water and throw it at you at the highest point. In the worst case, the flying dirt can even impair your vision. Therefore, you should definitely have mudguards on the bike in winter to catch water, slush, and grit before they fly into your face and onto your back.
Depending on the rear construction, mudguards that are attached with Velcro fasteners even work on a full MTB. Image © Topeak
Which mudguards are the best if you ride your bike more often in winter?
If you regularly get on your bike in winter, or even rely on your bike for the daily commute to work, it definitely pays off to install more stable mudguards for a few months.
If you prefer to wait for the winter sun to show and the roads to dry, you should still have mudguards at home just in case – and maybe even take them in your backpack.
- If you notice at the beginning of winter that your bike needs mudguards, you can look for the mounting eyelets on the frame. If they are present, you can retrofit fixed mudguards with side struts.
- If the mounting eyelets are missing on your bike, you can fall back on mudguards that are attached to the frame with Velcro straps or clamps or use clip-on mudguards. If your bike is only supposed to have mudguards for the winter, this is a viable solution.
4. Are your bike brakes ready for winter?
A bike with old brakes + winter is not a good mix! A wet road and slipperiness make braking more difficult and the braking distance longer. If your brake pads are worn or the brakes are poorly adjusted, it becomes really dangerous. So, it’s worth checking the brakes before winter bike trips!
Before winter begins, you should renew the brake pads if necessary, whether you have disc brakes or rim brakes. Maybe your bike also needs an additional brake service? Then you should plan this before the winter slush really hits!
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And attention! There are also different material mixtures for brake pads that are suitable for different weather conditions. |
Brake pads can also be adjusted to weather conditions. Image © Kool Stop
By the way, it can happen that your bicycle brakes freeze in winter! You can also find tips for this in the Bike Blog!
➜ Bicycle brakes frozen – Tips & quick help
5. Bicycle in winter? No problem!
With our previous tips, you will surely get through the winter well on your bicycle. The right equipment and adapted cycling clothing are a good start. But lastly, we also want to recommend a regular bicycle wash, as it is particularly important in winter. Wetness, ice, and grit are poison for your bike, but with a little extra care, you can get through the cold season well and without unnecessary wear. And a well-maintained bicycle is also a safe bicycle – and especially in winter, that is your life insurance! We also have instructions for this under “Cleaning your bicycle in winter”.
Here in the Bike Blog, there are more articles on the topic "Safe cycling through the winter", so keep reading:
Title image: Lifecyclemedia
