For a season marked by bitter cold, spreading pestilence, and fleeting daylight hours, riding a bike can be an invigorating way to cover ground and clear your mind. Public transit is clean and safe, but sometimes you want to feel like you’re an active participant in the city’s bloodstream. Or maybe you just want the childlike thrill of reaching the apex of a bridge, picking up speed, and zooming downhill. In 2021, no one can see your runny nose.
The pandemic-induced biking boom is well documented, and there are signs that it will continue despite the cold weather. According to the Department of Transportation, the average number of cyclists crossing the East River Bridges in October, the most recent month available, increased by 30% compared to last year, and a spokesperson said that they are seeing similar increases through December. Citi Bike saw a 16% jump in ridership this past November, and a significant increase in memberships overall, from around 150,000 to 173,000.
The toughest part of riding in the cold is making the decision to ride in the first place. But biking, like taking an impromptu swim or spending $2 to add fresh basil to your pizza, is a choice you almost never regret.
Here are some tips for biking through a New York City pandemic winter.
Give bikeshare a shot
There are some unpleasant physical and mechanical obstacles to biking in the winter: potholes are plentiful this time of year (so are exploding manholes but don’t dwell on that), the salt the city uses to melt ice and snow is terrible for your bicycle’s drivetrain, and who wants to lug a bike up and down the stairs in full winter gear?
Luckily, New York City has the largest bikeshare system in the United States, and while it falls short of serving swaths of Brooklyn and Queens, there are still around 18,000 bikes (including 3,700 e-bikes) at your disposal, that can be stored at more than 1,000 stations.
Citi Bikes’ heavy frames and fat tires are apt at plowing through potholes and poor road conditions. You don’t have to worry about bike maintenance or storage or running over rat pancakes on a bicycle you have to store next to your couch.
And when you don’t feel like tackling a bridge on one of these blue honkers, grab one of the e-bikes and fly uphill, laughing maniacally at the miracle of technology. (That costs an extra 10 cents a minute.) In the cold, the e-bikes become more popular, according to the company: this month, there were 1.7 rides per “classic” bike every day, compared to 6.2 rides per day for the bikes in the electric fleet.
A Citi Bike membership will run you $15/month, billed upfront at $179/year, but there are deep discounts for veterans, NYCHA residents, SNAP recipients, and other New Yorkers who need to get around. If you like Citi Bike in the winter, you’ll probably like it in the spring, summer, and fall too. In the first half of 2021, the system is supposed to expand in the neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Astoria, Sunset Park, and Windsor Terrace.
Bookend the season with tune ups
Assuming that you already have a “beater bike” (loosely defined as an inexpensive yet zippy workhorse that wouldn’t turn a thief’s head on the street, though anything with two wheels turns heads these days) it’s a good idea to get a tune up before and after winter.
Before, so you can clear up any problems your bike has and give yourself a baseline to enter the icy, salty winter. You’ll treat your bicycle better if you can more easily see the wear and tear you’re inflicting on it.
After, to give it the necessary TLC it will almost certainly need following several months of hard work, and to start the spring fresh. (Hose your bike down with a water bottle after a particularly gnarley ride to keep everything in decent shape.)
With a global bicycle shortage squeezing your local bike shop’s already thin margins, it’s also a great way to give them your business and pick up more tips for riding. A thorough general tuneup costs around $60. Be patient—the pandemic has made some parts hard to come by, and you’re not the only genius looking for a fix.
Layer up for a bike ride, not a yeti hunt (or even an outdoor meal)
Yes, the frigid wind will blast between buildings to cut into your bones like soft licorice, and yes, you should base layer with wool or synthetic stuff to keep your skin dry and toasty. But you’re going to be physically exerting yourself, so don’t overdo it.
“It's OK to feel a little cold when you set out because you will generate warmth as you get going,” observes Jon Orcutt, a former DOT policy official who is now the director of communications at Bike New York. “On the other hand, bike riding generates its own wind chill. So ideally your jacket or coat keeps out the wind and has enough, but not too much, insulation.”
Chances are, you already have plenty of clothing that will keep you warm. Courtney Williams, a cycling equity consultant, pushed back against the notion that a winter cyclist "must invest in weather-specific gear."
"This is simply untrue, and this elitist idea unnecessarily discourages many people from continuing to enjoy their commute or pastime under some of the most beautiful clear skies and uncongested bike paths that this time of year offers," Williams wrote in an email.
Williams also shared her "cold weather riding formula": "A sweat-wicking layer (like a dry-fit workout shirt) closest to the skin + Non-cotton warm layer(s) + A windproof layer."
Also, facemask warmth is perhaps the one upside of riding during a pandemic, harness it!
Hands come in handy when riding a bike in the cold
A few years ago, I was biking on a sunny, 20-degree day, when I noticed that my hands were numb and bleeding. I found a bike shop, brought a sturdy pair of gloves to the counter and was surprised to learn they were $100. That sticker shock wore off as soon as I resumed my ride and realized that wow, I could seemingly bike forever without freezing, bloody hands. Avoid the lobster-claw mittens if you can, because you want your hands dextrous enough to shift gears or use a phone (after you’ve pulled over, of course). Williams added, "If there is any one thing that people should spend money on for cold weather riding, it is a good set of low-temperature rated gloves."
Stay visible, alert, and avoid braking on the ice
Because of the lack of daylight and the dearth of people on the streets, late fall and early winter is the most dangerous time for cyclists and pedestrians all year. Speeding drivers have also become a huge problem in New York City this year.
Fewer cyclists on the road means you should take extra care to bike defensively, but take the full traffic lane when necessary (your legal right, even if there is a bike lane). A good set of lights—white in the front, red in the rear—are essential and also required by law. Reflective or high-vis gear also helps you to be seen by drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists.
“Your bike will get you across short patches of ice or other slippery surfaces like wet metal plates. But you have to let it roll,” Orcutt adds. “Do not brake or try to turn until you're back on terra firma.”
Take extra care around bridges and near overpasses where water pools and freezes. Don’t go as fast as you would in July down steep hills, especially if the ground is wet. Exercise common sense.
Go big, or go...to the bus stop
Bike lanes blocked by plowed snow from the vehicle lanes? Feeling a bit rickety after hauling your elderly neighbor's groceries up six flights of stairs? Don’t get on the bike, take the train or a bus.
As the wise author of a version of this blog wrote in 2016, “No one gives out ribbons for winter biking perfect attendance, and a really terrible day on your bike will sap your enthusiasm for heading back out once conditions improve.”
Maintaining a positive attitude while riding helps you to focus on what’s happening on the road, and to live by the sacred tenets of being a good cyclist in New York City. Those include prioritizing pedestrians and maintaining a sense of humility when encountering humanity on the streets.
Have some more constructive tips or thoughts on winter biking? Drop them in the comments. See you outside!
