Tips for Winter Cycling
Poor street conditions and reduced visibility make winter riding more dangerous. These tips will help you stay safe while cycling in cold and snowy weather — and all year round.
View Longmont’s Bicycle Snow Routes
Be seen: Use front white and rear red lights, reflective tape and light-colored clothing to make sure you can be seen from the front, side and rear. A large number of vehicle crashes that involve bicycles happen in the dark. Just because you can see motorists, doesn’t mean they see you.
Know the Hazards: The streets are slickest when it first begins to rain or snow. Manhole covers, leaves and metal bridges are particularly slippery when wet. All ice can be upending. Beware of everyday hazards like potholes, cracks and railroad crossings. Your awareness of these hazards will help you anticipate and navigate them safely.
Know the Tricks: When it is wet or icy, ride more slowly, pump the brakes, lean into turns and keep your weight on the back wheel. When it snows, follow the ruts created by cars and avoid the ridges which can deflect the front wheel and cause a spill. If you do start to fall, try to lean away from traffic and resist putting out your hand to brake the fall. It’s better to take the impact flat along your forearms. There’s no shame in walking your bike through rough patches.
Know your Options: Many of us often take the same route to a given destination but it may be beneficial to consider alternate routes during snowy weather. An un-ploughed side street where cars are moving slowly is safer than an icy and busy street where cars are moving much more quickly and the bike lane is buried under plowed snow. Know your options and be flexible. View Longmont’s Snow Routes and Priority Bicycle Snow Routes.
Be predictable: Anticipate what other road users, including pedestrians and other cyclists, might do. Help them anticipate your movements by signaling when you are going to change positions or turn. Learn to look behind you without veering off course. Signal before stopping by extending the left arm straight out and bending it down at a 90-degree angle, with the palm facing backward.
Be assertive: Don’t hesitate to take a lane when necessary; it’s your legal right. When it’s no longer necessary to take a lane, you’re required to move to the right-hand side of the roadway as soon as it is safe to do so. Also, stay to the left of right turning traffic lanes at intersections. You’ll be more visible to oncoming traffic and right turning traffic won’t turn into you or cross your path.
