With cold winds in your face and slick surfaces to navigate, the winter is not the ideal to ride on your typical bicycle. Many of us use a bike as our regular transportation, and some of us have our bikes tricked out for winter riding, as well. In order to make the most of your bicycle during the cold winter months, and avoid sticking to an indoor bike, here are some tips for staying safe and sound and avoiding
accidents while doing so.
Layering up is your best bet against getting injured just from the cold of a winter bike ride. This is not a matter of your normal layering, though – you should invest in bicycling clothes that are meant to be layered. They are typically thinner than normal layers, but act to keep you performance ready, as you will warm up as you ride. Riding in a full winter outfit makes bicycle riding more difficult, and may actually cause you to sweat more – if you then remove layers, your sweat will cool you, defeating the whole purpose of your winter outfit. You should consider:
This is always important, but during most times of the year, we tend to think of this as what to wear when cycling at night. With winter, you might be dealing with snow and with drivers whose own views are obstructed, so visibility is just as important when it’s cold out. Go with the usual suspects: reflective clothing and gear with reflectors on all sides, and make sure your bike has safety lights, using the brightest of your lights for the rear of your bike to avoid being rear-ended. If you do experience a bicycle accident, contact us.
You should be sure to check your bike’s tire pressure regularly, as they will lose pressure faster in the cold weather. Checking before each ride is a good tip. When refilling, though, you should be sure to keep your tire pressure at the low end of the acceptable range, in order to increase your bike’s traction, as it keeps you closer to the road and spreads your tire’s footprint out more that way.
Yes, for winter time, make sure your water bottle has warm water in it. This not only helps warm you up when you take a drink, but it is also helpful for keeping your drivetrain from rusting from all of that riding. You should also make sure to wipe your drivetrain down after you ride each time, and if you can, store your bike indoors (cover it if you’re storing it outside).
Especially if winter has come on fast, you can’t expect to be up to your summer speeds, so be sure to warm up to your typical cycling speeds. You need to adapt to how your environment has changed, which could change your cycling style or even your route for the winter.
blogs
Five Things to Know About Bike Accidents in Arizona
Bicycling may be the way to go for sustainable transportation, but that’s all the more reason why anyone in Arizona should make sure to practice basic bicycle safety. Over 47 million people in the United States ride bicycles, and that number will likely increase as some urban centers move away from fossil fuels and even […]
The Most Unsafe Era for Pedestrians in 40 Years
Pedestrian safety is of utmost importance right now, and not just because pedestrians legally have the right of way in most places in the United States. Being asafer pedestrian is always key to avoiding injuries by being aware of ones surroundings and avoiding distractions, but as it stands, North Americans are not stemming the tide […]
Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather
Driving any vehicle in cold weather and especially snow is going to make for a much more difficult time than driving in dry, comfortable weather. With enough preparation and all of the right gear, it is possible to mitigate many of these problems, but without them, you run the risk of a deadly accident. Before […]
Five Pedestrian Accident Facts
Some numbers have Arizona as the most dangerous state in the U.S. when it comes to pedestrians. They are in the most danger by simply being outnumbered, which means accidents are likely to rise as the number of automobiles on the road continues to rise. It is important for you to not only understand how […]
Five Products for Increased Automobile Safety
It should be no surprise that in Arizona and California, with the increasing dependence on cars, automobile accidents are increasingly likely. In the event of an accident, you want to have as many bases covered as possible – from minor repairs you can do yourself to getting yourself out of harm’s way as quickly and […]
Clearing Up Workers Compensation Misconceptions
If we hear the term “workers comp,” we probably feel like we understand the basics – if you get hurt on the job, you file for workers comp, you get time off to heal and hopefully a little extra something along with your salary to make it all easier. In an ideal world, sure, it […]
Five Apps for Increased Road Safety
Staying safe on the road is more important as more and more cities become increasingly dependent on automobile transportation. Increasedroad safety is about diligence and attentive driving, but there are also ways to “gamify” or in other ways incentivize safe driving, through smartphone apps. Here are five apps designed to keep you less distracted and […]
Five Safety Products for Motorcycle Riders
Approximately ten percent of motor vehicle deaths in the United States can be attributed to motorcycleaccidents. Safe riding and defensive driving are important to all motor vehicle operations, of course, but making sure you’re stocked up on the right equipment to make your ride as safe as possible is critical to avoiding accidents or, in […]
Tips for Avoiding Car Accidents
Whether you’re driving in a place where the environment is a little more driver-friendly, or if you’re somewhere where the weather poses a driving hazard, you can’t go wrong having a working knowledge of how best to avoid accidents. In 2020 alone, there were nearly 36,000 fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Those […]
Winter Slip and Fall Accident Tips
Whether your winter is cold and snowy or just plain cold, winter is a time when slipand fall accidents are increasingly likely. Cold, wind, ice and snow are problems on their own and when they combine, it’s a perfect storm of injury possibilities. Typically, these conditions result in bruises and bumps, but there’s always the […]
formulario de contacto
