Keeping Warm in Winter

When fall turns to winter, many cyclists, not wanting to cycle in the cold, put their bikes in the garage until spring. But cycling need not be just a seasonal activity. Here are a few tips on how to keep warm.



First off, remember that you will generate a fair amount of heat by exercising. When I was a kid, I had a morning paper route that I had to start before sunrise. I remember the chill I felt on winter mornings as I left the warmth of my house to walk in the cold, often the kind of cold that made the snow crunch and my nostrils stick together. But despite the cold, by the time I had finished my route, I often found myself undoing my coat to cool down. The same effect will occur when you cycle in the winter. Provided you are properly dressed and are exerting yourself, you will soon be warm enough.



On really cold days I make sure that under everything, I am wearing a T-shirt and long johns. You might not think that a mere T-shirt would make much of a difference, but having one more layer between you and the frigid air really helps to keep you warm. Above the T-shirt, wear a thicker shirt (made of flannel, say), a warm sweater and a winter coat. This should see you through even the coldest trip.



Wear thick socks. Winter-weight wool socks are a good option. With the wool socks, lightweight winter boots or even just hiking shoes should be enough to keep your feet warm. I definitely wouldn't recommend wearing large, heavy-duty winter boots, though. These boots make it very awkward to pedal.



Warm gloves are a must. Make sure the gloves you buy are wind-resistant and are rated for at least -10 degrees Celsius. You need not purchase expensive bike gloves, however. For years I wore a pair of thin gloves inside a larger pair of regular winter gloves. Even on a -15 degree day, my hands remained toasty warm. (Unfortunately, I lost those gloves on the subway...) And make sure your gloves aren't too snug; the air around your hands acts as insulation and will warm up.



(If your are biking year-round, you will probably also want a second, lighter-weight pair of gloves; I find that my hands get uncomfortably hot if I am wearing my heavy-duty gloves on days that aren't at least 5 degrees or colder.)



I wear a scarf, but in addition, I wear a thin Lycra tube around my neck. You will be able to find these tubes in most bike shops. They are great at keeping your neck warm and at keeping the wind from going down your coat. On colder days you can pull the tube up over your chin to keep the lower part of your head warm. And during cool fall days, it can be worn over your head to keep the wind from your ears.



Wear a toque! I find that a bike helmet provides a measure of warmth, and the combination of helmet and toque is usually enough to keep your head quite warm. Make sure the toque covers your ears.



All of this still leaves your face uncovered, but I find that having my face get a bit cold generally isn't a problem if the rest of my body is warm. Some cyclists wear a balaclava, though.

The Great Outdoors

Many of us spend the bulk of our time enclosed by buildings and cars. A great benefit of cycling is that it gets us outside.



When I am cycling I enjoy seeing the sky and the far distances. Even within the confines of my city, I can see down the length of a busy street or up to whatever of the sky can be seen between the building tops. Being outside imparts a feeling of freedom and escape, of expanded horizons. In a car or building I feel disconnected from my surroundings, seeing and hearing the world through panes of glass.



It is refreshing to be away from temperature-controlled air. Spending some time cycling outside, where the temperature isn't always 21 degrees, is a good way to add diversity of experience to your day. Also, it is good to breathe the relatively cleaner outside air rather than the stale, canned air we spend so much time in. Remember that when you are indoors, you are usually exposed to higher levels of pollutants than when you are outside, even in cities.



Another benefit of cycling can be exposure to the sun. Consider yourself lucky if you are able to go riding on a sunny day. Apart from triggering the production of vitamin D, with all its reputed health benefits, a little sun can do wonders for your mood. (Of course there is such a thing as too much sun. Always cover up or use sunscreen if you feel your skin is burning.)



I love being outside when the weather is pleasant, but I also enjoy cycling in the winter. If I'm dressed appropriately, except for on the frostiest of days, the cold will be bearable. I always feel quite warm after I have been cycling for a few minutes and have built up some body heat. And if I am feeling the chill, I know that my ride will soon end and I'll be able to get inside.



So, get outside on your bike; your mind and body will thank you.

Right-Turning Cars

Often, cyclists will blithely ride past a driver who is signalling a right turn. These cyclists should be aware that collisions in which cyclists are cut off by right-turning drivers are a common occurrence. If you are cycling toward an intersection, you should pay particular attention to the lead car; if the driver is signalling right, you should slow down or stop and let the car make its turn!



I think cyclists should put themselves in the place of drivers making right turns at busy intersections. When I drive, I often find right turns trickier than left turns. Consider: When I'm making a left, the field of view that I have to be concerned with is actually quite small: just a pie slice ahead and to my left; when I'm making a right, the field of view I have to take in is almost a complete circle. Depending on whether the light ahead is green or red, I have to worry about cars either crossing my path or making lefts into the lane I am intending to drive into. At all times, I have to be aware of pedestrians. Aside from watching for pedestrians crossing at the proper time, I also have to consider that some pedestrians might jaywalk. For that matter, I also have to watch out for drivers trying to be the last to slip through on a very stale yellow, or even a fresh red light. Also, I have to watch for any bikes coming up behind me. They can be tricky to see. Sometimes a glance in the rear-view mirror will not show a cyclist who happens to be in my blind spot at the moment I check the mirror. A shoulder check is necessary.



Perhaps what makes right turns trickiest for drivers is the element of time. All the above factors have to be visually taken in in a fast-sweeping arc of attention, and all the changing information has to be processed, with a decision to turn arrived at within a few seconds. Quite daunting, actually! No wonder cyclists are so often cut off by right-turning drivers.



Remember, a cyclist will always come out on the losing end of any bike-car collision. Don't take any unnecessary chances!

Don't Be Invisible

I'll always remember an incident that occurred late one night, many years ago. I was heading south on Sherbourne Street and was planning on making a right at Bloor Street. The sky was fully dark, and a heavy rain was falling. The bright street lights were reflected in the wet roads and sidewalks. As I approached Bloor, I signalled right, did a shoulder check, and made my turn, seemingly without incident - or so I thought. After a few moments, I was surprised by an angry cyclist pounding on my passenger-side window. I can only assume that I had cut him off when I had made my right turn.



At first I was mortified. I could have badly injured the cyclist or even killed him! However, as I watched him bike away, I noticed a couple of things that made me feel considerably less guilty: He was dressed entirely in dark or black clothes (as I recall, he was wearing a black leather jacket and blue jeans), and more importantly, he had no lights on his bike. Now, I'm normally a very careful driver, and I always check over my shoulder before making turns. I'm sure I didn't see the cyclist because, with the light conditions as they were, he would have been almost impossible to see. I wish that I had had a chance to speak to this cyclist that night; I would have told him that he was actually lucky to be alive, and that it was not at all surprising that I had accidentally cut him off.



Every time I ride my bike at night, I am amazed at how often I see cyclists wearing dark clothing and not using lights. Those who do this are playing with their lives! Why be camouflaged? My philosophy is that cyclists should be unmissable at night.



Here are some recommendations:



Bikes should always be equipped with very bright front and back lights. These lights need to be bright, or they are next to useless. I set my lights to flash because they are much more noticeable this way. I recommend using rechargeable batteries for bike lights; even though these batteries are initially more expensive, over time they pay for themselves many times over. And with rechargeable batteries, it costs nothing to swap them out often, thus assuring that the lights are always at full strength. I also recommend wearing a bike vest or jacket; these come with very effective reflecting strips that are much more powerful than the reflectors that are put on bikes at the factory.



Even more than when cycling in the day, cyclists at night should never assume that drivers see them. It is up to cyclists to ensure that they are seen.

Sharing the Roads

The other day in a bookstore, I overheard a woman complaining about a cyclist who had just run a red light. In doing so, this cyclist had cut in front of the woman's path, nearly causing a collision.This woman had a legitimate complaint, obviously, and she had every right to be annoyed. Unfortunately, her complaint is one that can be made all too often by motorists.



After I left the bookstore, I witnessed several more examples of reckless cycling occur within the five minutes it took to walk to my bike and unlock it. Three cyclists in a row blew through a red light as though it weren't there. And more seriously, a seemingly crazed cyclist cut off a motorist as they were both proceeding down the road. The driver was in the left lane, and the cyclist in the right. The cyclist, seeing her way blocked by a parked van, abruptly swerved into the left lane, thereby cutting off the driver. The cyclist hadn't even signalled the lane change, and the driver had to brake and even move a bit out of his lane to avoid hitting the cyclist. After this, the driver rightfully honked; whereupon the cyclist had the temerity to tell him off and give him the finger!



The two biggest problems that I see on a regular basis are running red lights and reckless cycling. I am amazed at how often I see cyclists brazenly ride through red lights. I don't know why these cyclists think the rules of the road don't apply to them. What are motorists to think, seeing cyclists run red lights so often? I believe that this is a major contributor to the stress between the two camps. It is galling to see it happen over and over; it is like these cyclists are thumbing their noses at everyone who is waiting for a green light. As a cyclist, I am perhaps more annoyed by it than are motorists, because I know that it will only confirm some motorists' dim view of cyclists. Many drivers feel that cyclists should not even be on the roads, period; running red lights only confirms them in this opinion.



As for reckless cycling, I find it to mostly be a problem in the downtown of my city (Toronto). Often, these reckless cyclists are bike couriers. They veer wildly all over the road, swerving between temporarily stopped cars as if on an obstacle course. This is incredibly dangerous behaviour, but for many couriers, traffic rules are something to be ignored.



Cyclists shouldn't give motorists good reasons for their animosity. No wonder motorists are miffed! Who likes to see people flout rules that you follow? If cyclists are going to share the roads with motorists, cyclists will have to share the rules as well.

Shoulder Check

One of the best ways to stay safe while cycling is to be aware of what is coming up behind you. As a cyclist you do have a safety advantage over other drivers because you can more easily hear approaching cars; but you won't hear every car on a busy street, and there are numerous situations where it is advisable to do a shoulder check so you can actually see what is there.

When you are stopped at an intersection, make it a habit to always have a look behind; you never know what you might see that you should be aware of. Also, check the car at your side to see if its right turn signal is flashing; and, if possible, glance over at the driver to try to determine if you are seen. A cyclist going straight-on has the right-of-way over a car that is turning, but if the driver doesn't see you, you may get hit.

A key time to be aware of what is behind is when you are going through an intersection on a four-lane road. If there are parked cars on the other side of the intersection, drivers in the right lane behind you, seeing their way blocked, may race ahead, jockeying for an open spot in the left lane. Stay to the right, and don't attempt to merge until you are across the intersection and can safely continue. You are living dangerously if you don't keep to the right; drivers may be so concerned with getting ahead of other cars that a cyclist may not be noticed.

Streetcars can cause a dangerous situation when they pass alongside you. The problem is that some drivers seem almost frantic to pass streetcars; these cars will bomb past between the streetcar and you as they race to get ahead. I have felt the wind from these cars on several occasions as they came within centimetres of hitting me. I think it is best to not even risk being in this situation. If, when you do a shoulder check, you see both a streetcar and cars coming up from behind, I would slow down and let the streetcar go ahead. It is way too dangerous to be in the narrow strait between the curb and the streetcar. If the streetcar is really slowing you down, you will probably get a safer chance to pass it later on. Be patient.

Not Fast Enough

I know that many cyclists do not follow the rules of the road. In fact, some are notorious flouters of these rules. I certainly don't think that the problems cyclists and drivers have sharing the roads are all, or even mostly, caused by drivers, and I do plan on writing about cyclist misbehaviour. That being said, I thought I should write about an incident that happened recently, while it is fresh in my mind.

The other day, I was cycling south on Mount Pleasant Road, in Toronto. I wanted to turn left onto Lawrence Avenue, so I rode into the left-hand turn lane. This left-hand turn lane is rather long, and even as I got into it, I saw that I was unlikely to get to the intersection before the lights changed (in Toronto, traffic lights have visible timers). As I slowed to a stop, a car entered the turn lane behind me. Realizing I wasn't going to make the light, the driver suddenly accelerated, passed me on the left by swerving into the lane for oncoming traffic, and roared through the intersection after the lights had turned red. This was, of course, illegal and dangerous.

I can't help but suspect that had I been driving a car, the person behind might not have driven in such a reckless manner. Some drivers see cyclists as slow-moving obstacles; these drivers will engage in all sorts of dangerous manoeuvres to get past cyclists. Luckily, incidents like the one I describe don't occur very often, but I have experienced several similar incidents.

Was I not moving fast enough as I approached the intersection? I feel that even if I had been in a car, I would not have made the light. Not, that is, unless I floored the accelerator. Anyway, whether or not I made the light is beside the point; bicycles are vehicles, and cars are not allowed to swerve wildly around them.

I always ride defensively. But cycling defensively is unlikely to protect me from road rage events like this. Unfortunately, this is one of the unavoidable risks of cycling on the streets.

Taking Your Child Biking

Cycling is a wonderful way to get around. You're out in the open and getting exercise. Parents are understandably eager to get their children out biking. But biking at any age is dangerous, and parents should be cautious about taking their children onto the city streets.

The best place for a child to learn to ride a two-wheeler is on a playing field. A field with short grass and lots of bald patches is ideal. Falling on grass or packed earth is a lot easier on a child than falling on asphalt or concrete!

Once your child becomes a competent rider, try going on a bike trail. These trails often go through scenic areas and can be a great way to explore parts of your city that you don't normally see. Most importantly, there are no cars to contend with. But just because bike trails have no cars doesn't mean they are danger free. Bike trails can be very crowded, especially on weekends. A fledgling cyclist will usually not be moving very fast, and other cyclists whizzing by will sometimes treat you and your child as pylons. Be sure to instruct your child to always stay on the right side of the trail! An ill-timed turn into the left lane could cause a serious collision with another cyclist.

When you feel ready to have your child ride on the road, ride on side streets only! I ride all the time in the city, and I almost never see children cycling on main streets. Pick a time and day when few cars will be about. Tell your child the traffic rules. Explain how to give hand signals (adults should be using these signals, as well). Your child should ride slowly and steadily, and should be vigilant when passing parked cars for the possibility of a suddenly opened door.

If you do have to travel on a main street, it is best to dismount and walk your bikes on the sidewalk. I don't recommend riding on sidewalks; pedestrians are justly miffed at cyclists passing them with centimetres to spare. Bikes are moving vehicles and should stay on the roads.

Have fun biking with your child. But stay safe!

Door Prize

When biking on a busy street that has parking, you have two options: ride in the middle of the lane or ride to the side, near to the parked cars. Some cyclists advocate riding in the middle of the lane, and I can understand their point of view. A bike is a vehicle just as a car is; shouldn't cyclists be allowed to ride in the stream of traffic? While riding in the centre of a lane might be allowed, in practise it is hazardous. Some drivers will feel you should not be there; others may get impatient if they feel you aren't moving fast enough. In both instances, this can lead drivers to try to pass you. And occasionally they will try to pass in a dangerous manner.

Riding to the side, however, exposes you to the possibility of someone opening a door in your path. This is the so-called "door prize" (also called getting "doored"). You can't predict your reaction to a suddenly opened door in your path; your reaction will be automatic. The best advice I can give is to ride slowly when going past parked cars. This will give you more reaction time in the event of a suddenly opened door, and more reaction time will reduce the likelihood that you will swerve into traffic or smash into a door.

I also suggest scanning the interiors of parked cars as you bike toward them. Seeing that there is a person in a car will allow you to prepare. You can ring your bell to alert that person that you are approaching, and you can further reduce your speed. Of course you won't see everyone; some cars have tinted windows, and shorter drivers might be hidden by their car seats.

You should also check the signal lights of cars you are approaching. If a driver is signalling to pull into traffic, I recommend slowing right down. You have the right-of-way, but, as always, never assume a driver sees you. Proceed only if you are sure the driver sees you and is waiting for you to pass. Again, I recommend ringing your bell. If you are not sure the driver either sees you or is prepared to wait for you, then stop. The driver may have jumped cue, but at least you avoided being struck by the car.

Despite trying to be vigilant around parked cars, I recently received a door prize. Luckily, I only had some slight scrapes and bruises as a result of the collision, and my bike came through unscathed. I only had to put the chain back on the front sprocket and ride off.

A few years ago, I narrowly avoided another door prize, riding on Bloor Street (in Toronto) during a business day. A delivery truck was stopped at the side of the road, and as I came next to it, the driver opened the door. This time, instead of crashing into the door, I managed to swerve and avoid a collision. However, I swerved into the lane. Luckily, no cars were near me when I swerved! Had a car been coming along, the results could have been dire.