A few flurries shouldn’t deter you from staying on your bike all winter long. In fact, with the right gear, a brisk winter ride may trump a crowded, smoggy summer commute. Here, the gear you need.
Schwalbe Marathon Tires
With 361 galvanized steel spikes that bite through ice, these tires offer supreme handling. $77.75
Matrix Balaclava
Made of a breathable and moisture-wicking poly-blend, this lightweight balaclava fits snugly under your helmet. $24.99
Izumi Lobster Gloves
The lobster claw design offers warmth and dexterity for working the gears and brakes. $99
Outlier Pants
These water-resistant fleece-lined pants keep you warm and dry – without looking like a cycledork when you arrive. $188
MEC Shoe Covers
Protect your kicks from slush and damaging road salt with these handy shoe covers. $29
Patagonia Leggings
Ditch your old-school cotton long johns and grab these moisture-wicking, breathable and quick drying leggings. $65
Tagia Cyclopede Jacket
Made from tough Gore-Tex® nylon and lined with thermal fleece, this Canadian-made cycling jacket will keep you dry and warm on the wettest, windiest winter days. $349.50
SKS Dirt Guard
This fender keeps road spray and slush on the road and off your fancy cycling jacket. $15
Cygolight USB LED
This USB chargeable and über-powerful LED headlamp ensures traffic sees you coming on the commute home. $129
Elite Fluid Trainer
If you’re still not convinced, plop your rear wheel in this rig, and ride in the comfort of your living room until the slush melts away. $249
Image courtesy of Teppo.
Those style of fenders are terrible. The are much to far from the wheel to collect the spray coming off the sides of the tires, and don’t do anything to collect the spray coming off the top of the tire which, FYI is travelling forward at twice the speed you are travelling. Think about the fender as if it were a hockey goalie. The tight fitting fenders do a better job of “coming out” to cut down the angle of the spray.
So, according to you, one has to spend over $1,000 just to get on a bike in winter. I think you just made the option of cabbing it through the cold months a whole lot more attractive. I’ll just stick with my much cheaper but perfectly adequate winter cycling gear.