When it comes to winter bike commuting, I’m somewhat of a cheater: I only ride to work when it’s convenient.<\/p>\n
For example, if I’m meeting someone on the other end of town after work, I drive. But it’s almost always more convenient to throw a leg over the saddle than to reach for the car keys – because I’ve made it that way.<\/p>\n
It’s only October, but here in America’s snow boot we know winter is coming! Last year I had the opportunity to become a year-round bike commuter, thanks to a new job with a very convenient location<\/a>. My not-so-new job has now moved to a new location, and my commute is 4 miles instead of 1, but it’s all do-able even in the winter. Here are some things I did to make it a no-brainer to spin to work on most days rather than driving.<\/p>\n My biggest cheat is by having two bikes. Being a bike “enthusiast” it’s natural that I have a couple of bikes. Every winter I put winter tires (and fenders) on both of them. They’re strategically set up for varying levels of winter weather, so I just ride which ever one is more appropriate for the weather that morning, or what is forecasted for that day. One bike is for nice winter days, and the other is for harsh winter days. The bike for the “nice days” is my Surly Cross Check. It’s a road bike with a little more clearance all-around. It has tons of eyelets for racks and fenders, and a bunch of extra room for larger tires. For winter I put on full fenders<\/a> and a set of WTB All Terrain tires<\/a>.<\/p>\n Got some fenders care of Hiawatha Cyclery – great for a warm & melty day like today #30daysofbiking<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mzN32nVU0h<\/a><\/p>\n — Justin F\u0153ll (@justinfoell) April 4, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nTwo Bikes<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nBike 1: wet\/slush<\/h2>\n
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