As much as cyclists love to ride in perfect, sunny, warm weather, there can be great joy and satisfaction when riding in more challenging weather conditions. Admit it: we all get a certain feeling of pride when you are the only rider tough enough to brave the coldest conditions. But just being cold is one thing. Snowy, subfreezing temperatures can be something entirely different, especially if icy, slippery conditions have to be considered. 

Cycling in the snow can be a joy, but you have to be smart about it, prepared with the right equipment, and understand that sometimes, turning back when conditions become too severe is the best policy. 

How to cycle in the snow and ice

Some of our most memorable rides have been in the snow. When the conditions are right, snowy rides are noteworthy for how silent they can be – if the snow is deep and packed, all sounds seem to be muted, and car traffic at a minimum. But it’s important to recognize the limitations of your equipment, depending on how bad weather and road conditions may be. Be certain that you have your bike equipped with adequate tires and wheels to deal with the road conditions, and dress appropriately for the cold weather. 

Riding a road bike in the snow

If it’s the end of autumn and you are thinking of going out for a road ride even though sleet or even snow has been forecasted for the day, keep in mind that you will have to adjust your riding speeds to the conditions as they deteriorate. Even if the sleet or snow starts while you are riding, the residual heat trapped in the ground will likely prevent the snow from sticking to the ground for quite a long time. 

However, we would generally advise that it’s time to take a shortcut home once the snow starts sticking to the ground. You’ll notice it first sticking to the grass, and then shortly after that the road surface will likely start getting white. If the temperatures are plunging at the same time, you will want to be aware of ice developing and adjust your speed and turning trajectories accordingly. 

Road bike tires have been trending towards 28 mm and wider for several years now, and these wider tires will help a great deal with traction, especially if you are running tubeless and can keep the tire pressure lower. However, once slush and black ice start forming, you will be in great danger of slipping out even when riding in a straight line. We’d highly recommend not pushing the limits of your skill and equipment too much. What’s it worth to you? Risking a broken collarbone, or worse, damaging your expensive road bike?

You should keep in mind too, that road rides after most of the snow has melted can be at least as dangerous. Shady spots could harbor black ice for much longer, even while the rest of the road is clear and dry. Always take care when approaching shady areas that look moist. It might just be water, or it could be a treacherous layer of black ice. 

Snowy rides made better by gravel or mountain bikes

Knobby tires and a good deal of tire clearance can extend your outdoor riding opportunities even in the depths of the snowiest winter. Wider tires with tread will be able to handle a wide range of snow road conditions, though you should be aware that there is a narrow sweet-spot of conditions where 40-ish mm gravel tires or even 2-inch mountain bike tires will be able to transform a snowy day into an adventurous, high quality workout. 

You want the snow to be deep enough to have a hardpack but not to have turned too mushy by cars or icy by a melt/refreeze cycle. If you are lucky enough to live near a nature reserve, then you should be able to snow ride safely, but if you have to ride through snowy city streets, you inevitably will be forced to ride more in the traffic lane since it’s entirely likely that the bike lane or road shoulder will be piled high with snowbanks caused by the snowplow. 

Invest in a fat bike for long winter’s fun

Fat bikes have been hovering on the periphery of cycling fads for many years now. Though some people might find pleasure using them as beach cruisers through the sand in the summer, for our money, fat bikes really come into their own during the snowiest part of the winter. With the super wide, chunky tires they allow you to float over even powdery snow that would cause a normal mountain bike or gravel bike to sink and come to an immediate stop. Hiking a bike in subfreezing temperatures might be good exercise, but is it fun? We’d say, no, not really. Fat biking through the conditions, on the other hand, can be a real joy.

Of course, if you live somewhere that you will seldom see that level of snow, then investing in a fat bike might not seem worth it for the handful of winter rides you could potentially use the hyper wide tires. But if you live in the mountains or in a region of the country that gets heavy snow several times a year, you might be surprised just how often you are grabbing out your fat bike.

Don’t forget to dress properly while cycling in the snow

As with any outdoor activity in challenging conditions, it will be very important for you to wear the right type of clothing to keep from getting too cold, or paradoxically too hot, while cycling in the snow. The key to winter comfort is layering properly. When choosing your layers, make certain that each layer will communicate well with the next layer so that sweat gets wicked away before building up. Moisture management and the various layers’ ability to evacuate sweat away from your body and move it to the outer layer where it can evaporate without cooling you off prove to be the two key features. 

Start out with the best winter baselayer you can find. Something that will insulate but breathe as well. For super cold days, make sure it has a higher turtleneck collar to prevent cold air from sneaking down your neck. Then an insulated long sleeve cycling jersey can be used as a mid-layer before you put on a proper cycling insulated jacket. The outer layer should also provide wind and rain protection. And we never leave the house without a cycling wind/rain vest tucked into our back pocket, just in case you have to ride home into a biting wind. 

Proper gloves and foot protection as well as head protection and even a balaclava should not be overlooked, since the extremities get cold fastest. If you let your hands get too cold, you may even not be able to control your bike or brakes properly.  

Conclusion – enjoy snow rides; just be prepared

Cycling in the snow can be super fun and a great way to mix up the usual winter training routine. But it’s important to recognize the dangers and mitigate any potential ill-effects. Use the right sort of bike and tires for the conditions. Be aware of the road conditions and avoid slippery situations that could just end in tears. Invest in the type of clothing that will allow you to exercise outside in comfort. And never be too stubborn to turn around when conditions really deteriorate. 

Use your common sense and please make certain you are well-equipped both in terms of bike type and protective clothing before you get too deep in a two-wheeled winter adventure. 

Be sure to also check our article on how to replace a bike chain.