Everything you wanted to know about winter cycling gear, and maybe some things you didn’t know you needed to know!
What do I wear for cycling in winter?
Part of the answer to this frequently asked question depends on what type of riding you will do. If you are commuting to work for as much of the winter as you can, you will probably choose some different pieces than someone who is riding competitively or training through the cold months. That said, the principles are the same…
More and more cyclists are choosing to keep riding through the winter, thanks to better equipment, clothing, and a little know-how.
Good snow clearance on the bike lanes of cycling-friendly cities helps a lot too, but even without that you don’t have to stop racking up the miles, or take to a car, just because it turns cold.
In fact, winter riding can be really fun – there’s great satisfaction in defying the cold to enjoy the outdoors and stay fit.
On the other hand, winter brings some real hazards – some fairly obvious, some not so much – that call for a little preparation and common sense.
Here is a roundup of winter cycling tips to help you stay on two wheels, safely, through the deepest cold of the season.
Hot weather cycling is a lot more appealing than setting out for a ride in cold, gray, wintry weather. Longer days, no restrictive layers of clothing, easier pedaling with relaxed, warmed up muscles. But hot weather brings another set of challenges, and really hot weather can bring real danger.
High temperatures don’t have to stop you enjoying a good bike ride. Just follow these tips and guidelines to stay cool and safe when the mercury climbs higher than Mont Ventoux.
Hills, let alone mountains, are surely the number one obstacle for new cyclists, as they are associated with hard work and pain and all that. This makes climbing hills one of the most daunting and challenging parts of riding a bicycle, especially for beginners who may try to avoid hills at all costs.
On the other hand, conquering difficult climbs on a bike gives you a sense of achievement and success that’s hard to equal any other way. Many times, you get the additional reward of incredible vistas that you feel you have truly earned.
With the correct gearing, technique, and attitude, you can learn to love the hills — to seek them out, challenge them, defy them — because hills can be a vital part of your cardiovascular training program, and that feeling of accomplishment at the top of the climb can be addictive!
This round up of our favorite cycling tips for climbing will help any cyclist ride up hills better. Whether you’re just setting out as a cyclist or you’ve been riding for ages, there’s no need to be daunted by the prospect of those steep hills. These cycling climbing techniques will help you conserve energy and enjoy the uphill ride a lot more.
City cycling tips from Wellness Revolution, plus a bonus tip for incident-free cycling anywhere The skills to ride safely in an urban setting are an important part of what we teach in our Wellness Revolution program, run in conjunction with Blue Cross Blue Shield VT. They are essential for gaining (or regaining) confidence on a […]
Wondering if it’s time to replace your bike helmet? Here are the facts about when to replace your helmet, and the truth about some myths you may have heard. It’s all about your helmet’s ability to meet safety standards, but there are other good reasons to consider. Do any of these helmet replacement requirements apply to you?
Changing and keeping track of clothing for bike commuting can be a logistical challenge, and if you are commuting by bike regularly, you’re going to expect more from your bike to work clothing. Here’s what Terry staff have to say about the best pieces in our line for your bike to work clothing collection
The weather’s warming up and finally the trails and byways are beckoning again – time to give our trusty machines some love to get them ready for a trouble-free season ahead. Here are a few do-it-yourself spring bicycle maintenance tips, plus a couple of bonus tips for the rider…
Nothing else affects your cycling enjoyment as much as finding the right bike saddle – with the wrong saddle the irritation or discomfort can ruin the whole experience. With the right choice, you’ll forget to even think about your saddle at all. Here’s why we think your search for the ideal bike saddle begins and ends happily at Terry:
Your choice of bike bottoms can make or break your enjoyment of cycling. It’s almost as important as selecting the right bike seat, but it’s hard to know how to choose bike bottoms when there are so many that look pretty much the same! We’re here to help with tips and expert advice on what to look for, so you can choose bike bottoms that give you the comfort and performance you need for the riding you will do.
There’s so much more to choosing cycling tops – or bike jerseys – than just finding patterns and colors you like. Finding the right tops for your riding style, comfort preferences and performance needs will make all your rides more fun and enjoyable. We’re here to help you navigate all the choices. Here’s the low-down from the team of experts here at Terry
A short is not a short. Or is it? It can be confusing. Is a $150 pair of cycling shorts going to make you a better rider, or will the $79 pair keep you just as comfortable?
Certainly everything is a matter of degree, but there are distinct differences when it comes to the construction and use of cycling shorts. We suggest that you find yourself below, then evaluate shorts and their features/benefits based on the type of riding you’d like to be able to do.
What to look for when shopping for cycling tights Cycling tights give you full length protection from chilly or freezing weather, or from the sun. Consider the weight of the fabric to suit the range of conditions you will be riding in. To pad or not to pad. Unpadded tights are normally worn over your […]
Good bike knickers give you the best of both worlds Bike knickers are a great solution to a few issues we cyclists often encounter – temperature, sun exposure, and comfort/appearance. Bike knickers help bridge the gap between cool and warmer temperatures, giving the protection we want without overheating. In strong sun they give us more […]
I make rubbings of tire sidewalls and I like to doodle — hence this very stylized tracing of the Schwalbe Durano tire used on my Valkyrie Tour. You can see from this that the maximum recommended inflation pressure for this tire is 115 psi and the minimum is 85 psi. Do you think it’s always […]
When I first started building bicycles for women some 25 years ago, it took only a quick glance at a man and a woman of the same height to see that her legs were longer than his. Her shorter torso was clearly the reason why she felt “stretched out” on a bike and had to […]
Based on a quick review of bike manufacturers’ websites, women’s bikes don’t seem to have gone anywhere, but a little probing shows the industry might to be in retrograde mode. Having made so much progress in the last 25 years, it would be a shame to lose sight of the goal: bountiful offerings for all […]
A recent posting on FaceBook reminded me yet again of what a poor job our industry does of educating the consumer. My small effort to right this wrong is this eLetter, which I hope will clear up the continuing miasma surrounding yet again…wheel sizes! Here’s the gist of the post: “I have a 650 Brand […]
This eLetter is about challenging our perception of the definition of a “good” bike. I thought a visual presentation of how we regard bicycles would be cool way to put things in perspective. So I’ve come up with a grid to illustrate my point. Even if you shun math, I think you’ll find this very […]
One of my favorite cycling publications is Bicycle Quarterly. Now in its eighth year, it began life as Vintage Bicycle Quarterly, but has evolved to cover modern bicycles as well as vintage bikes. It was created by Jan Heine, a German emigrant, avid randonneur and former road racer. He brings his education in mathematics and […]
