Winter on the Road

It’s winter. It’s a bit chilly. And I’m still riding my bike to work most days.

Winter riding is different than summer riding. It takes a lot out of me – not that summer doesn’t, but the early morning flexibility helps. In the summer, I can go out at 5 AM and it’ll be fairly cool for a 4- or 5-hour ride. Not so, the winter. The day at its warmest is much colder than the coolest summer morning, and it’s not going to get any warmer as I ride. You might think that as you pedal, your body will warm up just fine, but that too isn’t so. Sure, the muscles warm up, but the skin is still chilled, even with layers…which really can’t be too cumbersome (and I think I’ve found the right balance there, but can still be surprised by things like the sun going behind the clouds after working up even a light sweat).

So what I usually go with (from bottom to top): my standard trail shoes over two pairs of socks (one thermal) and two plastic bags. If the temps are below freezing, I’ll put on thermal bibs with another pair of thermal tights over them. If it’s over freezing, I’ll forego one of those layers. For the top, it’s a base layer, a base thermal layer, a light fleece, and then a midweight outer shell with fleece lining. That’s the same up to about 40 degrees, when I might lose a layer. Below freezing, I wear a full facemask head covering with another thin covering just under the helmet. Above freezing, a fleece hat under the helmet. And of course, gloves.

Now, I started writing this with a thought to safety (but then got sidetracked by the temperature). It came to mind on my ride home tonight, as I was doing about 14 mph on base, I noticed a car following behind, and piling up cars behind him. Even when there was room to pass, he wasn’t passing – and this is nearly as annoying as someone passing too closely. On more than one occasion, I’ve just slowed down…and slowed down…and slowed down, just daring them to pass. I’ve even come to a full stop and turned around and looked at the guy like, “what is your problem?” Sometimes drivers don’t know that one of the best things you could do for a cyclist is to not only be mindful and cautious, but also consistent and predictable.  It’s just uncomfortable to have someone lurking behind you. Sure, they’re cautious, and you’d think that was a good thing; but they’re also piling up a lot of traffic behind themselves – traffic that might not see you in their eagerness to get past this slowpoke. Cars whose drivers are not paying as much attention to you as the one in front – and in some cases, quite a line of them. Things get a little nervous in these cases.

I do my part. I have my flashing lights, even in the daytime. I wear visible and even (in darkness) reflective clothing. I’m not so brave as to ride in the middle of a lane as is often suggested to make cars pass you wide. If you’re too close to the edge, drivers will more likely as not try to squeeze past you when there’s oncoming traffic, and there’s often only one way to go when that happens and things get too tight on their left – to the right, and right into you. But the middle of the lane? Too many people are on their phones, not paying attention, and I can see them plowing right through a cyclist trying that one out.

It’s a bit of an art, and one of the main reasons why a helmet mirror is such a vital piece of equipment for riding in Korea. Bar mirrors don’t give you the view, and their warning is far too short because they’re so far from your sightline. With a helmet mirror, a constant sweep of the head gives a good view of the road behind and allows you plenty of warning. Knowing what’s all around you, and not just in front, is vital to surviving the Korean roads, summer or winter.