THUNDER BAY -- Matt Lapointe is letting out the air in his tires for his first bike ride of the season.
It’s important to make sure there’s as little as five pounds per square inch in his tires before he goes out onto the snow covered paths. Unlike summer cycling, there’s not much for his tires to grip onto. Less air means a better chance of sticking to the ground.
Lapointe, the vice-president of the Black Sheep Mountain Biking Club, has been cycling for more than 15 years, but says going downhill when there’s snow is a whole new experience.
“It’s a lot slipperier in the winter so you got to set up your bike a little differently,” he says.
“This bike specifically is called a fat bike. It has four-inch wide tires, really low gearing and the whole bike is designed to ride on soft surfaces such as snow and sand.
“With your bike you want to make sure you chains are always has lube, you want your brakes running well and you have to take a little bit more care in the winter. You don’t want stuff rusting or getting jammed up. A lot of people put their bikes to single speed, which is only one gear that way derailleurs don’t freeze.”
One advantage of winter cycling is that there are less cyclists, which gives a rider like Lapointe a better chance to see some wildlife.
But while most people still lock up the bicycle for the winter season, more and more cyclists are choosing to keep pedaling throughout the winter.
Lapointe isn’t surprised, and says it makes sense to be a winter rider.
“I like being on my bike and it’s an excuse to go out in the snow,” he says. “It’s definitely more slippery. I’m a whole lot slower in the winter. Just the resistance from the snow is just amazing. I’m a lot lower gear constantly and just moving at a slower rate.
“It is just something else to go out and do. There are people that like snowshoeing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing and for me I like biking so I’m going to keep on my bike all winter.”
Adam Krupper, the city’s active transportation co-ordinator, agreed that more cyclists are extending their seasons just. But they aren’t just staying on the paths.
Krupper says the cycling has grown since he first moved to the city in 2000. The combination of mild winters and rising gas prices means sharing the road with more bicycles will become a reality soon for motorist.
“People are realizing that it is not as difficult as it seems to ride in the winter,” Krupper says.
“When you look at the roads they are essentially clear and dry most of the time. From an economic point of view, owning a car is becoming more and more expensive. Gas is more expensive, insurance is more expensive. More people are riding into the fall, riding into the winter and they are still riding.
“They are saying ‘oh I am riding into the winter and saving money this isn’t so bad.’”
Over the past few years, the multi-use paths have been ploughed more frequently. Krupper says that’s helped encourage more people to ride regularly for commuting.
But Krupper does caution cyclists taking to the road in the winter about the potential dangers of riding after a fresh snowfall. That fresh snow could cover a patch of ice, which could mean big trouble for a cyclist during heavy traffic. Cyclists should also wait until the snow banks have been pushed back as they do narrow the road.
“It’s true that the roads are a little bit more narrower, but from a driver’s perspective it means being a little more patient and waiting for a good time to pass somebody,” he says.
“I drive and ride in the winter so I know what it is like to encounter a cyclist as well as being a cyclists. It might take an extra eight seconds of your day to wait a little bit. It’s not too onerous. It’s someone’s life.”
He said cyclists need to be smart and use the best options available. That could mean they use paths instead of going on the roads or using busier and well-ploughed streets like Memorial Avenue.
He added that cyclists need to remember to stay visible by wearing a reflective vest have good tires, and no suspension.
