Can you ride a bike in winter? Sure, but the combination of bike + winter is certainly not everyone's thing, many bikes are put into a months-long hibernation starting in the fall. Actually, it doesn't have to be that way, because there are now many accessories that help you make winter a cycling season too. 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 demands 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 on wintry roads are, at first glance, rather suboptimal for cyclists. It's wet, it's slippery, and it gets cold on fingers, feet, and the backside. Reason enough to leave the bike standing? No, with our suggestions you can also do training laps or commute to work on winter days.
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Here you get an overview of our recommendations and ideas. Many tips are detailed 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 back home in the dark. Therefore, it is absolutely life-saving in winter if your everyday bike is well lit . Even if you do training laps on cloudy days or go mountain biking, you are less visible. So make sure your bike has good lights in winter! Whether you get a bike with dynamo lighting or make your bike shine with battery lights for winter lighting conditions, it doesn't really matter. Any bike lights are better in winter than no lights 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 lamps if you want to ride a bike in winter:
- The "better" the lamps, the safer you are on the road. Better means for bicycle lamps: Brighter! So pay attention to a high Lux number. More Lux means brighter light and therefore better visibility and being seen.
- 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 turn, so you don't dazzle oncoming traffic.
- If you ride a bike in the difficult lighting conditions in winter, you should definitely ride with daytime running lights during the day. If you want to buy bicycle lamps with a battery, a long battery life is particularly important, because the best bicycle lamps won't help you if they constantly run out of power! Many lamps have daytime running lights in combination with a power-saving mode, so the lamps last long enough for bike tours in winter!
- Many modern bicycle lamps not only shine forward, they have a glowing strip on the side. This is a great invention, so you are also well seen from the side!
- Reflectors on the wheels are also absolutely essential in winter, as they make you visible from the side.
- Whether winter or summer - if your bicycle lamps have a TÜV approval, you are also legally on the safe side!
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Our tip: If you occasionally wipe the reflectors and lamps, your bike is excellently illuminated - because only clean lamps and self-illuminators are easy to see. Moist air and splash water with road salt form a film on the lamps 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 traffic-safe 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 quite simple: Your health is important, and you don't want to constantly catch a cold in the wind while riding your 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. Therefore, it is important that you wear suitable clothing in winter that keeps you warm and dry on the bike.
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 are exposed to a lot of wind and cool down quickly.
High-Vis Clothing
A big 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 put on a high-visibility vest right away (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 bicycle 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 are guaranteed not to 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 give up 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 distinguish between tires for dry and wet conditions, especially in races. Even for gravel bikes used for leisure or daily commutes, it's worth taking a look at the tires.
In general, you should consider the following for your bicycle tires in winter:
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Is there still sufficient tread or is the tire worn out? The tire tread is crucial for grip on the ground and thus essential for a safe ride. If your tires are worn out, you should definitely replace them 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 quite sufficient for occasional rides in nice winter weather.
- If you ride your bike regularly in winter, you should mount special winter tires. Manufacturers use a special rubber compound that promises good grip. Additionally, the tread is designed for wet conditions.
- The wider the bicycle 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. Pay attention to 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 winter to ensure sufficient grip everywhere and at all times.
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 not a 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 a good grip on the winter road. However, 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 fenders on your bike in winter, which catch water, slush, and grit before they fly into your face and onto your back.
Depending on the rear construction, fenders that are attached with Velcro fasteners even work on MTB fully. Image © Topeak
Which fenders 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 it for your daily commute to work, it is definitely worth installing more stable fenders 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 with you in your backpack.
- If you find at the beginning of winter that your bike needs fenders, you can look for the mounting eyelets on the frame. If they are present, you can retroactively install fixed fenders with side struts.
- If your bike lacks mounting eyelets, you can resort to fenders that are attached to the frame with Velcro straps or clamps or use clip-on fenders. If your bike only needs fenders 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 bike trips in winter!
Before winter begins, you should renew the brake pads if necessary, whether you have disc brakes or rim brakes. Maybe your bike also needs a brake service? Then you should plan this before the winter slush really hits!
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And beware! There are also different material mixtures for brake pads that are suitable for different weather conditions. |
Brake pads can also be adapted to weather conditions. Image © Kool Stop
By the way, it can happen that your bicycle brakes freeze in winter! You can also find tips on this in the Bike Blog!
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 last but not least, we also want to recommend a regular bicycle wash, as it is especially important in winter. Moisture, ice, and road salt are harmful to your bike, but with a little extra care, it will 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 a guide 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
