2,000 People Told Us Their Biggest Winter Cycling Challenges

What really stops people from biking in the winter? We can talk about our own winter cycling journey but we’re just two people, so we decided to ask the audience: you! We made a survey and posted it to our community page and social media platforms and we got almost 2,000 responses.
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[@OhTheUrbanity]

Lots of people left some winter cycling tips and suggestions on our survey. Find your city here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15LaKADr-Mb4QebgbnonUILpgKZ8UFLcGgekoacXgTkY/edit?usp=sharing

[@jimspies2775]

Kinda surprised I was the only St. Louis responder.

[@OhTheUrbanity]

Those aren’t all the responses, only the ones that left suggestions

[@Alina_Schmidt]

I was one of the only respondents from my place in the sheet. Maybe you made a mistake because part of the advice makes it look much worse than I put it. Thanks for sharing ✨

[@IanZamojc]

I didn't fill out the survey (didn't know) but as a pedestrian who owns neither a car nor a bike, I prefer a road full of bikes to one full of cars. Less noise, less pollution, less wasted space and above all, way safer, especially in the winter.

[@I.____.....__...__]

IKR‽ I'm so sick and tired of people saying that bikes belong in the road with cars. That's INSANE! A car hitting a bike is INFINITELY worse than a bike hitting a pedestrian. And a car hitting a pedestrian is worse still. A 6,000lbs pile of metal hitting ANYTHING at 60kph (who are we kidding, we all know it's actually 80+kph 😒) is worse than anything human-powered hitting it.

[@Wafflehunter42]

@@I.____.....__...__ It really depends on the space and the speed. The shared pedestrian cycle route to my work is pretty narrow so you have to go slow and if there is a collision they are both going to end up in the road anyway. TBH when I tried staying on the road I was mostly worried about people overtaking me at risky times causing a head on collision than anyone rearending me.

[@aquaarietta]

I'd love to see a survey for biking in hotter climates! Considering 3 of the most populous states in the US (California, Texas, and Florida) all have varying types of warmer climates, it's probably worth looking into the specific barriers to cycling people report, particularly in the summer. And as climate change is making those regions hotter, it's only going to deter people more from cycling with no infrastructure changes.

[@OhTheUrbanity]

We'd love to see someone do an equivalent survey for cycling in the summer in hot climates. It's not something we have much experience with. We're currently in South Florida for a few days and even finding the January heat to be a little overwhelming at times! We are seeing a lot of eScooters alongside bikes, so maybe a bigger reliance on electric micromobility is part of the answer.

[@pvan444]

Second this! I live in Singapore and most days it's too hot to ride any more than 10-15 minutes. Most e-bikes and scooters are banned here, and infrastructure is lacking. It's an ideal city for cycling and e mobility, with summer weather all year round, being relatively flat, and most things not too far away. Rain happens often but usually only for a short while

[@ziba89]

I lived in San Diego for a while (currently in Montreal) - it was pretty sad not to be able to bike in a city that has beautiful weather all year round due to lack of infrastructure, aggressive drivers, and majority high speed stroads that makes it a very hostile environment to be a pedestrian/cyclist. Last year I went back there for a conference, it seems like they have built some nice infrastructure in a few major stroads linking some neighbourhoods to downtown, but still long ways to go to make it an effective network (also ironically there weren't many cyclists in February and news media mentioned its due to the "cold" -- very cute)

[@AllenGraetz]

" And as climate change is making those regions hotter, " @aquaarietta, apparently you didn't get the memo. The religion's name was changed from "global warming" to "climate change" so that any sort of _normal_ weather at the edges - not just the hot stuff - could be attributed to our lack Gaia worship.

[@reilandeubank]

Yes! As a resident of Alabama, I'm glad that I'm at least on a college campus where "some" bike lanes exist, but when its the heat of summer, it can be a hard sell to bike even 15 minutes to class where i know I'll be huffing, puffing, and wildly sweaty when I get there

[@matthewconstantine5015]

Even walking is a problem in winter, as folks tend to plow all the snow from parking lots up onto sidewalks. Just a couple weeks back we got the first moderate snowfall and the only sidewalk in & out of our neighborhood was blocked by huge snow piles from businesses along the road.

[@57thorns]

Yes, it is not even the snow that is the issue, but the "snow removal". Or you end up with water on the (mostly) desnowed areas that quickly turn into slick ice.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

@@57thorns, yup. Because of the way we build a lot of suburban sidewalks (when they exist at all), they become ponds & ice slicks, because the water pools between two mostly impermeable grass mounds.

[@lizcademy4809]

My city (might be the same one) has an ordinance that says single family houses and duplexes/triplexes need to clear sidewalks within 24 hours; businesses and larger apartment complexes get only 4. The city will come out about a week later to issue citations ... not soon enough. The city also does not monitor how well the sidewalks are cleared. Some bits are cleaned to completely bare concrete, other people leave a thin layer of snow / ice. For those of us who walk, any ice is bad ... a fair number of people who walk have balance or mobility issues and slipping on ice can be a life-threatening problem. When I lived in Boston, the cities had snow plows the width of the sidewalk that were used on major streets. I wish we had those here.

[@57thorns]

@@lizcademy4809 And then the plow comes down the road and dumps a new batch of compacted snow on the sidewalk. Inside apartment complexes it makes sense to have the owner responsible, but the sidewalks are part of the street. So this rule that puts the responsibility for clearing the sidewalks (that in winter are used to dump snow from the road) the responsibility of the house owner is bizarre. Elderly people living in the house they raised their family are forced to go out and shuffle the snow 2-3 times for each snowfall, and exactly where should they put it?

[@I.____.....__...__]

People? Pft, the CITY plows all the snow out of the road into the bike-paths and sidewalks. 😒 Even the sidewalks along a MAIN-road in my city were COVERED in shin-high snow two or three days after it snowed. The city just doesn't think that anybody should be outside in the winter, and if they are, it assumes they must be in a car. (The buses aren't any better; I got frost-bite waiting for a bus, then again waiting for the second bus at the transfer-point. 😠)

[@blorpblorpblorp]

My favourite comment from the spreadsheet: "It's literally Oulu, you have no excuses here."

[@HikloLime]

As someone from a snowy nordic city, my biggest issue with winter biking is the salt. They use so much salt on the road and my apartment does not have outside water for washing the bike. I live on the third floor with no elevator, so washing the bike means dragging a bucket with water down.

[@andreass6102]

Oulu, by any chance?

[@ZNKK1]

​@@andreass6102No no! Oulu does NOT use salt on bike paths. And thank god for that. I'm guessing Helsinki

[@AnotherDuck]

Where I live, they do try to limit the salting (using it mainly on bigger roads), and it's not used on bike/pedestrian paths. Except on stairs, which are sometimes salted.

[@Loanshark753]

@@AnotherDuck The other issue is icy sidewalks, however studded tires do help.

[@AnotherDuck]

@@Loanshark753 We use gravel or sand on pedestrian paths, which works well, though it's more effective for walking than cycling due to footprint size.

[@FrietjeOorlog]

"Pick a side, Switzerland!" is funny. They are famously neutral.

[@kiitc]

Sorry I didn't find the survey, but here in Vancouver, it's the rain that gets me... I'd rather take the train and stay dry than have to wear everything to stay dry.. That's why it's critical to build public transport along with bike infrastructure

[@Cristal3]

Unfortunately, my mobility scooter isn't rain-proof. So I can't go out when it rains. And, when temperatures get too low, I struggle keeping myself warm outside due to my muscle illness. You need muscles to keep you warm and I don't have big muscles. Solution = better public transit. Anyway, what struck me most from this video is the remark on how we take predictability for granted. Because this is exactly what disabled people struggle with in their daily lives, regardless of weather conditions. It is a beautiful example of how the "social model of disability" doesn't just apply to those with underlying medical conditions. When it gets too cold or snowy, everyone becomes disabled.

[@theepimountainbiker6551]

This is a good point, I never thought of it that way. With unplowed sidewalks, roads or bike lanes everyone else is disabled, I like that. I have epilepsy and a broken back, my bike is my mobility device, it helps but still brutal getting around especially in a city that expects a person who has seizures to bike on the road yet cant use it in a car. Its an odd oversight.

[@milesl818]

Lol that grey SUV cutting off Andrew Single at 6:17 is SOOO Winnipeg.

[@justinleemiller]

I’ve biked year round my whole life. People think I’m crazy and eccentric. Even in the winter the roads are usually dry. Exercise in winter is really helpful

[@klapiroska4714]

You can combat poor grip with studded tires You can combat softer road surfaces with wider tires You can combat poor plowing and increased rolling resistance with e-bikes You can combat the lack of light with proper lights You can combat the cold with clothing But icy slush thrown by cars and snow plows, snow piles and smooth ice at a steep angle cannot be (safely and practically) beaten with gear, dedication or will. That's something that the city has to take care of (Oulu might be the best example). Also, if you don't have a place to park your bike at home/work, you won't really choose to bike (mechanical issues, theft, vandalism). Every single step requires a bit more planning and makes biking slightly slower and more expensive, so usually a somewhat inconvenient option like a bus that takes 20 min longer starts to become a more convenient option. At the end of the day, even cars are absolutely useless in the snow and ice if they don't have proper lights, windscreen wipers + fluid, winter tires, storage, fuel that won't freeze in the cold, snow/ice clearing by the city etc. Bikes are really nothing different, expect most issues are easier and cheaper to solve.

[@I.____.....__...__]

Studded or wider tires don't help when even CARS slide around on the thick, loose, slippery snow. Did you not hear the part about e-bike batteries not lasting long in the cold? Lights don't help when cars still run over people in BROAD DAYLIGHT. Extra clothes means dripping sweat by the time you reach your destination, and stopping for a moment means sweatcicles.

[@AubreyBarnard]

One of the biggest differences for me is the difference in stability between 2-wheeled and 4-wheeled vehicles. This makes a huge difference when there's snow or ice.

[@jiecut]

It feels a bit dangerous to use my e-bike in the snow. Need to wait for the roads/paths to get plowed. Stopping distance is bad, and not enough grip. I could get different tires but it's also a lot of work when I don't really need it that often. Range anxiety is not a problem for me. I have plenty enough range. And I can carry my removable battery indoors.

[@klapiroska4714]

@@I.____.....__...__ Aggressive treads (common in studded tires) help in the snow, but yeah - uneven, thick and semi-compacted snow on ice is the worst, as your studs won't reach the ice and no matter how well your tires bite the snow, the snow will slide on ice. E-bike batteries do suffer from cold, and it doesn't help that you are likely to use a higher assist level due to increased rolling resistance. But if you are able to store the battery inside at home and at work, you eliminate a lot of problems. You'll still get at least 25-30 km of range at full power in the cold (-10...-15C) from most mid-range E-bikes, and you may be able to charge the battery at work. (well, that's my experience anyway) Bright lights help during the daylight (we'll, around here we don't have much of that at this time of year), but if your area has a culture where drivers don't look for cyclists even in the summer - then lights can't really fix it. You need police enforcement and a lot of time to fix that. For clothing, you really want to wear less than in you were walking. But what you might want to do is getting gloves that are actually wind-proof, perhaps use a helmet+googles intended for downhill skiing, maybe get covers for your boots to block the wind etc. Also, e-bike eliminates most of the sweat What I was trying to say, is that most issues can be fixed, but each fix either adds cost/ planning required/ travel time and in general decreases practicality and convenience, making something like public transit a more competitive option. For reference, during the summer I'm more than happy to ride 20km one way for utility, or 70km for recreation, but in the winter I'm not really riding for recreation and only around 10 km one way for utility, and pretty much only on dedicated paths. I'm not biking during a snow storm, and I try to avoid biking until the main paths have been cleared.

[@fernbedek6302]

The big thing is just it’s a tipping point. Once biking is sufficiently unpleasant I’d rather just take the bus. Even if the city had perfect winter bike infrastructure, it’s just more convenient to hop on a bus than to bundle in a bunch of thermal layers and still be half frozen the whole time.

[@s0nicfreak]

But I've found I'm frozen LESS if I bike... like to get on the bus I still have to bundle up in layers for when I'm standing outside waiting on the bus, and then maybe I'm sweating if the ride isn't long enough to take stuff off and put it back on again, and either way I'm cold every time I go from the bus to outside again (and the same happens in a car too, for that matter). But when I'm on a bike, maybe I might be cold when I first go outside, but once I start riding I'm not cold anymore, and if I take off layers I don't get cold again.

[@fernbedek6302]

@@s0nicfreakDepends on if your body heat levels (men and larger people tend to run hotter, so can warm up easier), how cold it is, how far you’re going, if it’s raining/snowing (getting soaked will make your colder), and how long of a wait you have for the bus. I’ve given winter biking a try a few times and been freezing ever time. (And, again, that’s in a perfect city without risk of breaking my neck on black ice or being squeezed between drivers and snowbanks.)

[@s0nicfreak]

​@@fernbedek6302 Although that's all true, I still think this can be mitigated with appropriate clothing. For example I never get soaked because if it's raining/snowing I put a waterproof layer on the outside. Wool (with goat wool being warmer than sheep wool, and alpaca being even warmer than goat) will keep a person warmer than "thermal" clothing made of cotton and/or synthetic materials. Etc. There's also acclimation - you'd get acclimated to the cold if you biked in it regularly, but not if you do it a few times.

[@fernbedek6302]

@@s0nicfreak I’ve biked in just above freezing temperatures plenty, and I try to be waterproof, but there’s only so much you can do about your face, hands, and legs when it’s pouring or snowing heavily.

[@s0nicfreak]

​@@fernbedek6302 Alright bro, you're the one that said you gave winter biking a try "a few times". There's no reason covering your face (even with your eyes, you can use ski googles), hands, and legs with waterproof clothing would be difficult. Like yeah, I know how much you can do, because I do it lol

[@janAlekantuwa]

As one of the people who filled out the survey for Boston, it's astounding how little care is given to the bike lanes when plowing the streets. Our network has SIGNIFICANTLY improved over the seven years I've lived here, but winter is the glaring weakness in the system. Across the river in Cambridge, the divide is even worse, as the city has built a beautiful extensive network of protected bike lanes, but many are unusable after snowfalls

[@joekerrthejoker]

You need to do a video on the societal cost of salting roads. I bike all year to work and own a car too. Winter isn’t annoying, salt is. A decent plow of ALL roads (you’ll see what Edmonton side roads are like when you’re here next month) is all that is required for most snowy climates. Save salt for those places where icing is a common problem.

[@jordanmiller42]

Unfortunately it feels like icing is becoming more of a problem in many places with increased average temperatures- I've observed that, here in Montreal, we'll tend to get a batch of snow, then a warm spell that before wouldn't have melted anything but now will cover the paths with water, and then back below freezing. It's really easy to see the boroughs where salt is used more effectively here. I rode south on the REV in a storm last week, and crossing Jean-Talon from Villeray to Rosemont was night and day- I've been wondering if Rosemont uses a brine or something, since it hadn't been plowed yet but was still perfectly clear.

[@I.____.....__...__]

Cities seem to be really lazy these days, or maybe they just figure splashing entire mines of salt (and sand) to cover the entire city is cheaper than paying a plow. The sand is bad enough, but the salt RUSTS EVERYTHING, bikes and cars alike, and also literally SALTS THE EARTH, killing all plant life around the roads. It also cakes on shoes and boots and eats away at them. The sand literally sandpapers tires and shoes/boots. Also, the sharp salt-rocks and gravel pop tires. 😠

[@MrScribblypoo]

They use no salt in Finland and studded car tires are required. they also leave a thing layer of packed snow over the road. The sidewalks in Helsinki were designed wide so the same plow does the road then does the sidewalk. Clearly we are too stupid and try to salt down to bare pavement creating black ice. Then again maybe they figured car wrecks are good for the auto and hospital industries so perhaps it is by design.

[@BaiZhijie]

The comment "I will fight traffic, or I will fight the weather. But I won't do both." perfectly encapsulates the way I feel about cycling on roads in bad conditions. Either one I can accept (weather more easily than cars), but the combo is just too much.

[@flyingskier1913]

I think the reason people in rainy climates are more worried about darkness is that the night is generally brighter in snowy places. As someone who's spent time at latitudes around 65N and the PNW, night in the PNW is way darker because the light dies in the trees and doesn't get reflected off the snow.

[@Allan_son]

I avoid riding in rain at night on roads in any season, especially in well lit areas. Reflections of lights on wet roads make a visual mess where bikes, peds and even motorcycles are very hard to identify.

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

Great to hear the thoughts of winter cyclists in other cities and countries! One of the big arguments against installing more bike lanes here in Toronto is, "I never see bikes on the road in the winter." Well, I know that's BS; it's nice to see so many others who get out there and do it in the winter. Ride safe, everyone! 🚲

[@I.____.....__...__]

It's the same argument FOX used to use to cancel shows. It would put shows on at 7pm on Sunday night, BEFORE Simpsons, and then preempt them for football (despite having a dedicated FOX Sports channel 😒), then cancel the shows because of "low ratings", because "nobody watched it", you know, the show that they never aired TO watch. - "Why should we cater to bikes if no bikes are out when there's nowhere safe to ride? 🤷" This isn't Hanlon's Razor, it's intentional. 😠

[@SilentEire]

From Ireland, I cycle quite a bit and can confirm it is definitely more of a thrill seeking activity than a casual mode of transportation 😂

[@Robin_Goodfellow]

The bike paths in Anchorage are literally groomed for Nordic skiing in the winter they have so much snow on them. I tried using a mountain bike to commute on them but it was still very difficult. I've concluded that I'll either need to get a fatbike or convince all the skiers in the city that they don't need those paths for skiing.

[@jamesphillips2285]

Biking also messes up the groomed trails for the skiers.

[@flyingskier1913]

@@jamesphillips2285 I'll take a fatbiker over a pedestrian or moose postholing their way down the middle of the trail lol

[@iamsemjaza]

I live "deep rural" and while 25-35 miles each way for a trip to the city on my e-bike is fine in decent or nice weather, there's a lot less work being done to clear snow from roads etc out here. Even the shorter 7.5 miles each way trips to small town store are just as unlikely when there's no infrastructure dedicated to biking and you're in the middle of nowhere when something breaks. There's a countywide "on demand" bus system which I use in the winter and that helps.

[@57thorns]

The on demand buses are a great option I think, and you situation (apart from actually having access to public transport) while not unique is definitely not true for most people. There are so many motorists that take your situation as a reason to claim that they need an oversized suburban tank vehicle when they go shopping in the city center.

[@iamsemjaza]

@@57thorns Minivans tend to be about right out here (for families esp) and hear me out: They are not the smallest or most efficient, but they do hold lots of people and cargo. Rural families skew a bit large (true whether or not it's a good thing) and people have to buy "supplies" when shopping because we're not going back that soon. Even my e-bike has a trailer, basket, bags, straps, etc because I have to have cargo space to spare. However, there are a lot of people with shiny trucks and SUVs that drive only themselves... usually older folks. They should be using county on-demand. It would cost them less, be safer for everyone, and get one more giant grocery-truck off the road. I would like to point out, there's more rural Americans than city dwellers seem to think though. There are a lot of people like me. Around 1 in 5 people.

[@iamsemjaza]

@@57thorns Oh! On the good news side :) I live "near the corner" of 3 counties and all three have some form of "on demand" countywide system. Each with their out caveats and benefits. I wish they'd combine into a single multi-county connect system...

[@scpatl4now]

Here is a problem I witnessed just last week. In a residential area with bike lanes on garbage collection days, the garbage workers would leave the empty garbage cans in the bike lanes. Almost the entire length of the bike lanes were blocked.

[@MrScribblypoo]

If your in Minneapolis leave the garbage people alone. They are the last vestige of city gov that still works pretty good.

[@eostyrwinn5018]

As someone who lives in the Seattle area, I can say that the terrible snow clearing isn't an anti-bike thing, the roads don't get cleared either

[@lakrids-pibe]

Hello from Denmark. Short days, darkness, and the lack of snow affects me a lot. But not in relation to my biking habits. I take care to have functioning bike lights , but I still use my bike for all transport.

[@foremanhaste5464]

My area wants to one up your 1 stars for snow clearing with a zero star. My city actively uses the painted bike gutters (our only bike commuting infrastructure) as areas to plow snow TO and leave it. After the first snowfall of the year and it gets plowed the first time into the PBG, it freezes into ice and is going nowhere till late May or June. This is the city's passive way of telling us, 'No you will not bike in winter.'

[@Shifter_Cycling]

It's great to see insight from other cities. Thanks for doing this!

[@stuvius]

I'm from northern Sweden and I bought a mountainbike with studded tires and it's been amazing. Coldest ride this winter was -27 degrees Celsius but with warm clothes and face protection it went just fine for my 4 km ride. The only times I've felt uncomfortable were when I was forced to share the road with cars due to lack of bike lanes in some areas. The weight and tires of the cars absolutely destroy the winter roads, and they don't slow down despite worse driving conditions.

[@skiergirl4753]

I am a Calgarian who currently lives in SLC. I have used a bike as my main mode of transport in both places. I lived/live withing 2 kilometres of downtown in both cities. SLC has built infrastructure (painted lanes on the road) but during the last storm, the bike lanes were used as a repository for snow that had been cleared from the street. Additionally, the city does not in any way enforce sidewalk clearing requirements. SLC is concerned about cars. Period. Calgary makes an effort to clear paths (these are dedicated paths) so that biking, in the core at least, is more manageable. Fines for uncleared sidewalks are substantial and the city is responsive.

[@avery4528]

Plug into a windchill calculator. An electric bike goes 28 mph. The temperature at 7am when I commute to work can easily be 15 degrees Fahrenheit. That wind chill is going to feel like -5 F or -20C.

[@dutchbicyclerides-ss1ko]

As someone from Utrecht / Netherlands very interesting to see these results. As pointed out for me its how much effort, time and options i have many here decide not to use the bicycle esp. if we get older simply because there is some added danger and we have access mostly to public transport. But the reverse can also happen when i need to go to a different city (by train) and then have to get to a remote client i might pick a ov-fiets (bike from the trainstation) over the busses since because of the weather they are filled way more making the bicycle more attractive again. In summer time all the rental bicycles are gone after 9:00am so i am forced to use the bus. Many dutch people use other factors to decide what todo (wanne use laptop, or listen in on a call -> train/bus) and yes i understand we are lucky compared to some other areas in that we can be more flexible esp. when the weather is less than perfect.

[@ehoops31]

When I lived on the east coast, I would walk at night and with street lights and light bouncing off of the snow, it was easy to see. When it's rainy and dark, it's harder to see and it's WAY harder for drivers to see you, which could be why rainier places ranked darkness as a bigger issue.

[@frafraplanner9277]

The 1/5 for snow clearing in Portland, Oregon is accurate. They never clear a single peotected bike lane here when it snows

[@Hurc7495]

For me the answer is always the cars, I’m happy to put on a jacket and peddle through a gale yet the thing that will stand out is the dangerous drivers!

[@Axelgear2006]

Just over a year ago, while cycling in November, the bike paths my city had made were essentially narrow lines at the side of the road where snow plows pushed ice and snow and, since they were slanted to help with water drainage, ice naturally formed there as well. I ended up facing a choice between riding into a pot hole (because why repair bike infrastructure) and being hit by a bus, so I took the pot hole and went face-first into a curb. If I hadn't been layered up, I'd have lost an eye.

[@KoroWerks]

I'm car free but 2 things holding me back during the winter months is 1: Bike Lane maintenance, if theyre full of leaves or snow or gravel that was spread for road grit and becomes ball bearings i have to brake on in the bike lane, lane obstructions that are related to the weather/season. And 2: when it gets cold enough, my Ebike battery will shut off to protect the lithium cells inside from going dangerously under voltage or something. An important safety feature that was not explained or described before I bought the bike, an one that has not existed on my previous Ebikes. These are all manageable, either by riding the bus those few days a year this is an issue for me, or by riding more cautiously, taking the lane, and putting hand warmers/insulation around my battery to help protect it and maintain operating temperatures.

[@alexwilsonpottery3733]

Des Moines, Iowa: -2 out of five across the range. Pitiful public transport too - and they’re about to cut some routes. Bike routes don’t connect to anywhere ’useful’ without a major detour, and many are still on ‘shared streets’. Good luck out there, people on foot and on bikes and wheelchairs!

[@Southpaw1312]

this channel has convinced me to try winter cycling here in south central pennsylvania and it's really not that bad, although i still have a tendency to overdress because the first minute or two is rough

[@kylekylekyle505]

This is an excellent study and analysis, really impressive. Great job.

[@atn_holdings]

respect to people who winterbike in the Pacific Northwest, this rain gets into everything lol

[@darthmaul216]

Rain coat

[@Nieghorn]

Best advice I got was from a local bike shop mechanic who suggested I convert an old MTB into a single speed. I didn't have to fuss with gunk in the derailleur or worry about rust because it was a 20 year old $50 bike. Nubby 2x26" tires, cheap detachable fenders blocked the spray. Unlike some who talked about backpack sweat, I found that going with three or even four thin, warm layers over windblockers (and this was in Ottawa!) kept me warm enough but I didn't sweat from within like when wearing a rain jacket/splash pants.

[@Alina_Schmidt]

After the survey was over I cycled in much snowy weather for the first time. There were some challenges. But I was suprised how actually happy (!) it made me to cycle.

[@57thorns]

I am mostly a utility cyclist. If it wasn't for recurring business trips to a place that is devoid of public transport, all of my car use (either as driver or passenger) would be recreational.

[@weezersthebluealbum9479]

A big issue with cycling in Ireland that I rarely see mentioned is (like most issues in this country) because of the British. In the occupied six counties in the north, even in Belfast, there’s virtually no biking infrastructure because until 25 years ago, the entire region was an active war zone, and because of sectarian divides between communities, councils can rarely agree to implement any meaningful measures without playing partisan politics.

[@vaska00762]

In Northern Ireland, where I do cycle, the problem isn't the British, it's local biases. Go to any British city, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, London, Brighton, and you'll see the cycling infrastructure is just a league better, in all aspects. A couple of greenways in Northern Ireland just doesn't cut it - Comber Greenway looks ok, but the Lagan Towpath is far too narrow, and full of dog walkers, the Bangor Greenway was cancelled by dog walking NIMBYs and I don't know much about the North West Greenway. The problem in Northern Ireland comes right back to the Department for Infrastructure, and before the DUP collapsed the NI Executive, that post was recently occupied by Nichola Mallon of the SDLP who now has a cushy private sector logistics consulting job.

[@MultiCappie]

Weirdly, Edmonton doesn't actually have a Winter this year. Very little snow, only a few weeks colder than -10. Snow clearing not a barrier, but some huge puddles to navigate.

[@57thorns]

In more northern countries you need lights on your bike quite early in Autumn while it still is relatively warm and convenient to bike. So we have good lights on out bikes (mostly). And with generally better bike infrastructure, many do not care about being seen as they are not on car infested roads that much anyway. And as you said, good infrastructure means more road lights.

[@AnotherDuck]

I was about to say that. Regarding the darkness, we're already used to it, so we know how to deal with it. And at least where I live, lighting is a major issue for a lot of people when it comes to bike and foot paths, so the city does a good job of lighting up the darkness.

[@Jack-fw4mw]

Another non responder here. From Seattle. My general rule is that if it is raining too hard, I just take the bus. This happens a lot more in winter. Rain is not only miserable, but reduces car visibility substantially.

[@cooljonathan]

Portland's strategy for clearing snow from bike lanes is "wait for it to melt." Also, I agree that "shorter days" are an infrastructure problem. I feel somewhat comfortable using a bike gutter during the day, but I feel like I'm gonna die if I use one at night.

[@BeHappyByBike]

I'm from Winnipeg and one of the main problems is that it's not cold enough this year and they don't clean the streets properly when it's mushy like this.

[@adune23]

The "Hardpack" turns into 2" of mashed potatoes when it's like this.

[@JustMikeH]

One comment about less light in the winter. Latitude is not the only factor for less light. Cloud cover also plays a major factor. For example, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver areas get far les light in the winter than Anchorage, thousands of miles north of all 3. So while Anchorage does have much shorter days, they usually get more sunlight than the pacific north west where it can stay dark and dreary for days and even week on end. To be clear, I am not disagreeing with your analysis about infrastructure - You are probably right there! Great work, the only thing this survey lacked (and deserved) was far more responses! Keep being awesome!

[@jeremyroussel160]

Montreal has really upgraded their maintaining. 7-8 years ago you had to know by heart which routes were plowed or not. It made biking difficult because so you couldn't use google maps. Now, almost everything is plowed and this even before cars ! Now I bike all year long in an Inuit community. I find it easier and less daughting because of their are not that much cars and the snowmobiles are a lot nicer

[@serialseb2841]

Biggest issues with winter cycling from a non Typical Enthusiastic viewer, is having to dress up in my ski gear due to cold and getting to my destination all sweaty and cold. I am not in great shape and can't show up to work all sweaty and dressed like a clown. I think if I was younger, was not so susceptible to cold (hands and feet), didn't need to have a trunk for groceries or shopping for a family of 4 and didn't need to buy a completely new wardrobe and gear to bike in the winter I would probably do it at least for casual needs. I do so in the summer.

[@randomoto928]

e-bike

[@j.a.1721]

I would say all of those can probably be worked around. You might dress a bit too warm maybe, that's why you get so sweaty. Boots and gloves shouls be very warm though and especially windproof. And ebike definitely helps as well. Also there are trailers that you can put your groceries in. Or different bags and baskets. Driving a car in winter is not easy either but we are so much more used to those difficulties. In my country there is mandatory training as part of getting your license that includes training on how to drive on snow and ice. We have extra winter tires. If you don't have a garage you have to clear xour car of snow and ice first and if you don't have a new car it might take ages for the car to warm up, so you sit there in the cold, without even moving much to get warm. And then you have to spend all that money on gas just to drive a car that is usually only occupied by one person. What a waste.... If you don't want to ride a bike in winter, I get it. I am not really trying to concince you. Just wanted to offer a bit of a different perspectice, because I feel like we so often see the car as the default that we forget to actually see the disadva tages of car driving.

[@everythingBLUE]

The other problem with Seattle’s lack of light in the winter is that our streets are horribly lit. In Chicago, the city glows at night, but I find Seattle’s street lamps are spaced too far apart and only illuminate the ground directly below them.

[@jimmyduke302]

I currently live in Madison, WI. I'd say the biggest thing that keeps me from doing bike rides in heavy snow is the fact that bike and ped infrastructure just doesn't get the attention/plowing/maintenance that roads do. It's definitely better than most places because Madison is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US, but it's just too inconsistent to feel reliably safe and practical

[@davidbarts6144]

I live in Vancouver and will bike until it gets cold and snows a lot. When the latter happens, only the main streets (aka traffic sewers) get plowed and salted; everything else gets total neglect. The side street I live on, a bicycle route, has only been brined once in the past three winters, and after every major snowfall ends up curb-deep in irregular, rutted compact snow and ice. I do have tires with more tread than normal on them and can cope with light snowfalls that have not been compacted into ice.

[@57thorns]

Also, when biking in the cold (not extreme. but between say 0 and -10) wear less clothes than you think you need. You should be freezing when you set off, because once you get going you will be much warmer again. If you have enough to be comfortable walking a short distance, you will quickly overheat and get sweaty. The exception is that you want to protect your ears and fingers/hands already around freezing, and you face at -20. I have done some multi hour excursions in -20 and put on real winter gear, I ended up both sweaty and frozen at the same time. But I was not really uncomfortable while outside.

[@alfredofrancocea8519]

Although Victoria. BC is technically a part of Canada, according to these data and your comments, it looks as though we have more in common with the US than with the rest of Canada (surprise, surprise! - hehe). And I have to agree. One of the main reasons why I don't bike as much in the winter is the lack of light. Personally, I don't mind it that much, but I feel very uncomfortable riding with my eight year old on his own bike next to me in the darkness. It feels dangerous. The rain doesn't help either. And even though we don't get much snow, when we do get it it is absolute chaos everywhere including bike routes. In those circumstances, I would rather bus... or walk. Oh. and leaves. I hate wet leaves too.

[@leopoldleoleo]

This is a fascinating summary. I found myself nodding along to things i’d never though my explicitly about. Also pretty surprised by Canada’s high self-reported bike network quality though. Maybe a result of your Montreal-centric audience?

[@eechauch5522]

As somebody from a country with certainly more rain then snow (Germany) I’m not really surprised about our northern neighbors worrying less about things like darkness and cold. They are daily reality of living up in the north and people have developed strategies against them. They usually do an exceptional job of lighting streets to almost daylight levels of brightness (if it’s snowy this also helps), so in terms of visibility as a cyclist there is little difference to actual daytime. In contrast here in Germany, outside of downtown areas during Christmas we don’t have any special winter lighting. We only have our regular night brightness, which is more tuned to not disturb people’s sleep then to light up the entire street. Cold is another aspect they ranked lower in the more northern regions and I’d imagine this is due to the fact you can’t really leave your house at -20C, unless you are specifically dressed for these temperatures, so dressing a little differently to bike is no additional effort. At like +5 degrees and rain you can get away with a lot less preparation. Throw over a warm rain coat and a hat and you’re probably fine, unless you want to bike for 30 minutes, in which case you probably want rain pants, gloves and some breathable layers when you warm up from moving after a while. You’ll probably also need to carry an extra bag to store all this stuff when you get to wherever you’re going. The extra effort of doing all this compared to simply taking the tram or car just isn’t worth it most of the time. In the end when „utility cycling“, getting somewhere efficiently is the core goal. Cycling usually has a time advantage over public transit and at least within a city even over driving, but if I need to spend 10min extra dressing for cycling, I’m probably taking the warm, dry tram instead of cycling through cold rain.

[@AnotherDuck]

Being from a northern country, I can just confirm that. There's street and path lighting everywhere. Unless you take obscure shortcuts or forest paths, you're going to have light. The cold we're used to, and almost everyone has proper winter clothing. Where I live, in Stockholm, the biggest issues against winter cycling is that sometimes the paths aren't plowed fast enough, and the public transport, which, while we always complain about it, is actually great. Waiting times aren't the best, but you can get anywhere, and it's reliable.

[@akihikotojo188]

This is great work! More surveys like this need to be done and made easily accessible to people. This is the kind of data you can use to boost engagement on these kinds of issues and argue for better infrastructure/maintenance/etc with local governments. Fantastic job.

[@zackwatson6912]

I moved across my home state (Indiana) from north to south and I’m ASTOUNDED by the lack of snow infrastructure in my new city. North Indiana still gets so much lake effect, but southern Indiana gets much less snow overall, but when we do get snow, they hardly clear any of it and just wait and hope for it to melt. It’s very interesting to me that the cities further north get more snow but handle it better than those south.

[@jezzarisky]

It only snows a couple of times in a given year in much of the year in the Salt Lake valley in Utah, and is usually cleared by melting within a few days. For me at least, it’s fairly easy to bike 95% as much as during the summer, which is to say, it’s not stellar with the lack of infrastructure but it’s doable. Snow days and the couple days after aren’t a lot of fun and while I’ll bike it, I’ll usually opt not to if I don’t have to. Main tips beside layering and dressing like it’s 20F warmer than it is, is that pogies and ski goggles for sub freezing temps have been a big improvement of my quality of life while riding

[@finnblackburn9583]

Mike West is awesome! I loved watching those videos of him powering through the snow!

[@jezzarisky]

His KZbin channel is pretty good too

[@katcorot]

Vancouver BC just finished having a sudden 10 inches of snow. I still took the bike out, as buses were often stuck or never going to show. Sidewalks unshoveled, but main roads generally plowed well. Riding for me, is much easier and safer than walking due to some health issues.

[@jonathanstreeter2205]

When I moved from San Francisco to Madison, Wisconsin I found there was no amount of gear that could keep my hands from going numb in winter (and I'm a skiier). As a runner, I was able to keeping running outside down to 0 degrees, but as a cyclist, 25 degrees was my limit, which meant driving to work most days between November 1st and March 30th.

[@HappyfoxBiz]

shorter days, Nordic countries: "we're used to it, oh look... our 15 minutes is sunshine is over, hello Moon!" US, UK, Ireland and others: "OMG! I have 2 hours less of light, I can't function!!!" When people adapt, they realize that they just get used to it or else they will starve, when you exclude yourself from doing something because it's a little uncomfortable is quite confusing... sailors may not like getting wet and cold, but they will still do it because their watercraft moves on liquid.

[@AnotherDuck]

Speaking as a Nordic individual, nah, that's not true. We see the moon daytime as well, depending on phase or whatever. ;) But yeah, northern Scandinavia does have zero daylight at some periods of the year. Also midnight sun on opposite periods of the year. This means our cities spend money on street and path lighting. It's just necessary for safety and comfort.

[@lizcademy4809]

I'm not a cyclist, but I live car free in a large northern city (moderate snow, lots of cold, except this year) and have many of the same issues with getting around. The infrastructure problem is very real, and it's worse in places that don't get much snow. In 1995 I lived in the Washington DC, USA suburbs. That winter we got slammed with a big snowfall, well over a foot, and it was on the ground for a couple of weeks. In the suburban town, it took a couple days to get the streets plowed. But in Washington itself ... the entire city had 6 snow plows. That's right, only six in a major city. Most of the residential streets were never plowed. A place like Montreal gets enough snow to have equipment, labor, and procedures to deal with snow easily. My current city isn't quite as good, but we do well overall. Places that get major snow rarely just can't cope with it, and can't afford to plan for it.

[@ScottAtwood]

I live in the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our bike infrastructure is mediocre, but we do have an excellent network of separated multi-use paths along our creeks, rivers, and bay shore, with a mix of paved and unpaved surfaces. From about May to November, these paths are fantastic. But as soon as the rains begin in December, and until the rainy season is over in April, they are not reliably passable. Some unpaved sections become muddy quagmires that dry into deep ruts in dry spells. And many trails that run alongside creeks and rivers become flooded where they pass under surface streets with even the lightest of rains, and remain flooded, slicked with mud, or blocked with debris for weeks or months after major storms. As a result, for about half the year, I cycle on a pleasant car free trail network surrounded by water, trees, and wildlife. And for the winter half of the year, when it is wet and dark, I’m forced to share the roads with cars on major high speed arterials in painted gutter bike lanes.

[@OliSW]

Sweden being one of the two highest ratings for snow clearing is really surprising to me. I more or less quit winter cycling and started taking the bus instead this year because i find our snow clearing to be quite bad for our bike paths and sidewalks, especially in the suburbs where it can take over a day of having a pretty uncyclable snow layer in order for it to get plowed.

[@AnotherDuck]

When I biked the most, I lived in Västerås. Biked all year, no problem. One of the best biking cities in the country, I'd say. Stockholm is a bit worse, but it depends on where in the city/suburbs you are.

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Thank you Thank you Thank you ! This is an amazing survey with fascinating data! Thanks to all those who participated!

[@juliapoelstra3624]

Waterloo Ontario, Canada here. I only just went out for an urban ride yesterday after weeks and weeks, but only because we've had above freezing temperatures and lots of rain to wash away the snow. The city tries for sure, but intersections are a problem and there are still some spicy sections of slush and lumpy ice. I have a dynamo light system and studded tires, but I'm also older and don't handle falls well. I miss hopping on the bike to grab some groceries or simply meandering around town.

[@TheNovaNorm]

Coming from Halifax, one of the biggest barriers, besides keeping lanes clear, is the lack of infrastructure outside of the downtown core. There are a lot of cyclists but without feeder routes to get to the city it just isn't safe on the narrow roads. The city says that park paths are an integral part of the cycling network but they also have signs in those same parks that say "no winter maintenance, use at your own risk". #Haligonia

[@liamfrederic5203]

this winter we had two uncommonly long periods of snow in Hamburg (or at least compared to the recent past). In the first one I took my bike to uni after having watched a video about cycling in different kinds of snow. The snow was very powdery and most of the commute was a cycling road that had been cleared. I didn't have a lot of trouble but I was often the only one cycling on the otherwise busy road. In the second period, everything froze and for some reasons many streets weren't being cleared at all. I decided to walk (1,5 hours but mostly around the Alster lake which was really beautiful but probably not realistic for many people). So I feel like this winter I learned a lot about commuting in rougher conditions and would definitely recommend it :)

[@test40323]

Nice survey, great presentation!

[@frafraplanner9277]

5:36 I noticed when driving around Portland, Oregon at night that I can barely see most cyclists due to the lack of street lighting around town. I don't want to imagine what could happen to the few cyclists without bike lights

[@erikawwad7653]

glad to see colder climates well represented

[@dipdip7250]

Good way to make the audience involved! Love it

[@neonetwork947]

I’m sad that Seattle doesn’t rank higher on many of these things but these crowdsourced surveys always seem to include Seattle which says to me that we have a strong network of people who want it to be better and watch many of these same urbanist channels

[@jamesphillips2285]

3:20 I guess if it is dark when you leave for work and dark when you come home: there is no question if you need lights on your bike. People living further south may be caught by surprise if the sun goes down on them.

[@johnearling]

Great video, one issue I didn't hear mentioned was topography. Slick roads/bike paths are more of a deterrent in places with hills like Seattle or Portland, compared to Chicago or the Netherlands.

[@chrisb508]

I bike commuted for about 3 years. Over the last year or so, I've only done it a few times. I have an ideal e-bike for the commute, but since driving my car is much easier, takes less time, I don't have to dress for the weather, and I arrive to work without messed up hair, I choose the car 95% of the time. I like these videos because they remind me why I kept bike commuting in the first place. I get a little bit of exercise, but more importantly I get to work in a better mood.

[@chrisb508]

I also have to mention that in West Texas, the weather is rarely an obstacle.

[@micosstar]

nice to see a driver who cycles too!

[@MrBliss77]

For me, from the Netherlands, the only thing that stops me is black ice. This winter we had a couple of days where the temperature during the day was above 0° C and in de evening the wet streets would freeze. That feeling when you steer/lean to take a corner and your wheel just slips... 😱

[@christopherpratt4743]

I live in a suburb of Chicago and my (non-electric) cargo bike is how I get my kids around. If the streets/paths are reasonably cleared, the bike’s reasonably wide tires handle it fine, and I have heated gloves for those days when it’s below zero Fahrenheit. However, I get more concerned about my cargo in the extreme cold. I used to have a plastic canopy that would keep the cold wind at bay for my passengers, but it got stolen and I haven’t found a suitable replacement yet.

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

Love to see how much engagement you got with this!

[@tomreingold4024]

Well done. I love how you broke down the information.

[@alexseguin5245]

Very cool that you added people's tips in a spreadsheet! Nice to see the stats as well.

[@1esk192]

We have like 4 or 5 snow days and my city is so not prepared every single time. It's kind of hilarious. Usually I commute with a road bike, but I'm glad I own a hardtail. It was kind of fun to plow through the snow and I felt very safe. Thankfully drivers here are less hostile during snow days and dont mind having to share the street with cyclists because of uncleared bike paths.

[@GrahamLikeTheCrackers]

Thanks for this! Light may matter more in rainy times may be that it's really hard to see when it's dark and rainy, vs dark and snowy. Rain glare everywhere!

[@DiakosDelvin]

Well in nordic countries street light is ample, bicycle lights are mandatory and most have proper illuminating front light, not just positional LED's.

[@LedZeppeli]

As a person from Portland, I can confirm, YES 1 star for snow clearing holy fuck. I had to ride with the cars since it was the only clear space, because of course the city does a great job of clearing that.

[@davidramirez199]

Have been riding for fitness since 2019,live in Anc. Ak.and I m an “older”. man.During the summer we have bike paths,which then disappear in the winter because they aren’t groomed and only conditioned for skiers.Our sidewalks are cleared sometimes but then the snow plows cover them again.Car drivers have almost no tolerance for people on bikes ,so is tough in the winter.I have one of my bikes set up to ride on a trainer.My two cents.

[@timonix2]

I stopped biking int he winter because the salt absolutely wreck my bike. Also the public transit isn't THAT bad. so just slightly changing the equation means it coming out on top

[@vaska00762]

Salt ruins all components, and cleaning it out with hoses or pressure washers can get some of that salt and dirt into bearings in wheels and bottom brackets, meaning you get squeaking and creaking that can't be fixed unless you replace the bearings.

[@Desimere]

This is the first i hear of this channel, so i didn't fill the survey, but reading the tips is quite fun. I love the comment about Colin McRae rally from the Finnish person. I loved that game and i did find the winter cycling here reminiscent of that in terms of all the sliding and drifting in slush.

[@Silk_WD]

Ice is not an issue with studded tires. I've only ever slipped once, when I foolishly was getting on my bike on a sloped, very icy driveway (I also slipped just walking on it). The only thing that would stop me from biking is the three, four times a winter that it snows so much that it becomes impossible, and long enough that the snow clearing can't keep up. At the very least the priority bicycle roads are usually cleared the next day, so it's fine to bike if you don't mind pushing/carrying it the short bits at either end to actually get to the priority network.

[@eddy_8232]

Thanks for researching this topic. I live in Vancouver and try to bike as much as possible but do find it difficult mostly due to lack of driver awareness/hostility and inconsistent road clearing. Keep up the great work

[@UrdnotChuckles]

Folks in the prairies aren't kidding about the troubles being outside and doing anything past -30. It gets dangerous just to be out for more than a few minutes unless you're properly dressed, and the cold is absolutely hard on the lungs. That said you can still do things at those temperatures and plenty of folks do so, you just have to spend more time dressing for the occasion & having the right gear. Though that can definitely be a barrier to entry as well.

[@lars1588]

My city has pretty mild winters. I'm just lazy and not willing to fight drivers _and_ the weather, as I work in a very unwalkable strip mall surrounded by stroads and a major highway. I might still give it a try when it warms up though.

[@barryconstant]

I broke 2 ribs last winter, and this winter I'm out with a rotator cuff injury. I'll be out there next year (I hope 🤣).... There is ZERO snow clearing of bike paths in North Bay Ontario!

[@tirvine9102]

I don't see a single mention of snot! Ever since I started taking the bus to work during the colder months my asthma has been more tolerable. Someone did mention lungs, but no comment in the video.

[@RZaichkowski]

Interesting! Not surprised that Toronto was 2/5 for winter, but surprised that Canada was 4/5 on average for cycling infrastructure during the summer.

[@Frahamen]

winters are very much rainy here, rather than snowy, though snow and ice is still a huge issue. roads are always wet and the few of days when it's freezing at night, the roads are slippery as hell. Not to mention when snow is projected they can be overzealous with salt, which can be an issue on it's own, so yeah snow and ice is still the reason to not bike. (that and my broke shoulder but I guess that's more of a me problem)