{"id":188761,"date":"2022-02-23T11:40:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T11:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=188761"},"modified":"2022-02-23T11:40:58","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T11:40:58","slug":"how-to-avoid-crashing-in-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/02\/23\/how-to-avoid-crashing-in-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid Crashing in Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are riding your bike this winter, you should be aware that the cold is probably the least of your worries \u2013 if only because there are relatively simple solutions<\/a> to combatting the cold when you ride. Winter is also the most dangerous of seasons for the cyclist, because of the slick road surfaces and gusts of wind and other sudden changes of conditions. So it is probably helpful to know what the main causes of bike crashes in winter are and how to avoid them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

No need to tell you that ice is a major danger to riding in winter. If you are riding on pure or refrozen ice, any change of direction or increase or decrease in speed could send you into a skid. Chris Carr, a flight paramedic at Eagle County Paramedic Services and first responder to\u00a0cycling accidents, advises<\/a> cyclists to run their bikes at a lower tire pressure than during the rest of the year, at 60 to 80 PSI in a 25mm or 28mm-wide tire that is in good condition.<\/p>\n

\"Cyclist<\/a>
Winter is the most risky of seasons for the cyclist. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carr also suggests being aware of the changing road conditions, as on a twisting road, a\u00a0mountain ride<\/a> or when trees block the sun. \u201cIce melts slower in shadowy areas than in sunny areas,\u201d he notes. \u201cSo, there can be four seasons of different conditions within 100 feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then there is black ice, which forms during freeze-thaw cycles when the temperature drops below freezing while the ground is still wet or if there is dew or fog. It is usually found on bridges, overpasses and shaded spots near trees.<\/p>\n

Beth Shaner, the nursing supervisor at Gunnison Valley Health Mountain Clinic outside of Crested Butte, Colorado, and a certified emergency nurse, said she rides with studded tires in icy conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor riders that deal with more ice than snow and with icy roads, I recommend studded tires<\/a>,\u201d she said. Shaner also reminded cyclists who like riding on frozen rivers to make sure the ice is thick enough to ride on. She has already had to treat a rider for a broken clavicle when he was tossed over the handlebars after the front tire broke through lake ice. Ouch!<\/p>\n

For a final word on ice and slick conditions in general, Dave Hunger, owner of Teton Mountain Bike Tours,\u00a0 suggests feathering or not even using the front brake. \u201cIf you\u2019re on a road, be really defensive even more so than in summer, because cars can\u2019t stop if it\u2019s iced over,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

You should also know what product your locality or region uses on its roads to manage ice, slush, snow and black ice. \u201cIce is easier to predict than sand, which can come out of nowhere,\u201d Chris Carr said. \u201cSand on concrete is like marbles on glass: it\u2019s extremely slippery and I\u2019ve crashed a handful of times on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sand also distributes unevenly, depending on how many cars have gone over it, he added. Usually, it\u2019s used on steep road sections and curves, where cars could skid.<\/p>\n

Some localities use\u00a0liquid forms of salt compounds<\/a>. Anti-icers, which are applied at the onset of a winter storm to prevent ice formation, and de-icers break down existing ice and snow formation. Both should be avoided by cyclists. \u201cAny lingering compound is like grease and makes the road look wet but is way more like ice,\u201d Carr explained.<\/p>\n

And make sure to thoroughly rinse your bike after riding it over liquid or granular salt, because that stuff literally eats metal and electronics.<\/p>\n

Winter can also provide challenging visibility conditions, both seeing and being seen. So put on\u00a0high-contrast apparel<\/a>\u00a0and consider wearing a\u00a0reflective traffic vest<\/a>\u00a0on top. And mount a red\u00a0rear-facing light<\/a>\u00a0to the seatpost and a white forward-facing light to the handlebars, so cars can see you in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re riding in muddy or wet conditions, the rear light can get obstructed with spray that comes off the road,\u201d Carr said. \u201cStop, check [it] and wipe it off so you remain visible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adding a helmet light in low- or no-light conditions will definitely help you see where you are going and also get a better look at the condition of the road surface in front of you. Perhaps the most important safety suggestion of all: be alert while you ride. Your eyes and your reactions are essential to keeping you out of harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are riding your bike this winter, you should be aware that the cold is probably the least of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":188764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[329],"tags":[6168,5837,3659,6169,604],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-188761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-road-cycling","tag-chris-carr","tag-cycling-in-the-cold","tag-cycling-in-winter","tag-how-to-avoid-crashes","tag-winter-cycling","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Avoid Crashing in Winter - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Winter is a risky season for cycling, but there are measures to help you avoid crashing on your winter cycling ride.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/02\/23\/how-to-avoid-crashing-in-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Avoid Crashing in Winter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Winter is a risky season for cycling, but there are measures to help you avoid crashing on your winter cycling ride.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/02\/23\/how-to-avoid-crashing-in-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-02-23T11:40:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2022\/02\/Bicycle-in-winter-profimedia-0661562966-CVR.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"tereza\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Siegfried Mortkowitz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/02\/23\/how-to-avoid-crashing-in-winter\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2022\/02\/23\/how-to-avoid-crashing-in-winter\/\",\"name\":\"How to Avoid Crashing in Winter - 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