[Closed] Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (but Finnish people can)

Canadians can't cross the Finnish line.

I have worked up near the arctic circle and it was the same there. The average person only really thinks about stopping cycling when the temperature is around -20 as it gets more of a faff to stop their eyes freezing (their words) 😀

My personal record is riding to work in about -32C (temperature, not wind chill) as I'd forgotten to plug in the block heater in my Scenic the previous night.
It was only about 5km from my house to office- I took a very old beater bike and except for frozen eyelashes I was quite sweaty at work as I wore so much clothing.

Seem to be a few Canadians happily riding on one of the groups I follow.

Between their pics if proper snow rides and Aussie members posting pics of rides to the beach, I'm fed up of the whole lot of them!

This is probably the worst conditions i've commuted in. Winter 2010 in Glasgow (Ok the snow wasn't quite as bad on the roads but they was still plenty).

It was slow going as the snow was still pretty loose but it was just as fast as driving, felt a lot safer and no chance of getting stuck in a queue of traffic.

Walleater will be along soon to tell you he spends most of his time trailbuilding in Squamish when he's not working or riding and the other guy I know (the One-Up Components guy) seems to spend a lot of his enviable life bombing around on a snowmobile or jumping out of a helicopter with skis or a snowboard strapped to his feet when he's not making nice bike bits.

my cousins in eastern canada just put bikes away for the winter and get the xc skis out.

about -6 is the coldest I've ridden in so nothing in comparison!
I did however hike up cadir Idris during Beast from the East a few years back and we reckoned it was about -20 at the top in the wind chill. I thought my eyes were close to freezing then. It was -6 in the car park before we set off.

I've lived in Canada for 14 years and, until COVID struck and I started to WFH, I commuted year round on my bike (lowest temperature I can remember was -13°C), so not really sure of the point of the headline 😉

I can't really complain about lack of infrastructure here either, the vast majority of my route into work was(is) on dedicated cycle lanes...

Here in Calgary there are complaints that the cycle paths are cleared post snowfall ahead of roads.... Realistically I don't like cycling below about -15C as it becomes a bit of a survival exercise but I could if I wasn't a wimp.

Winter 2010

I managed a couple of -10 rides down Loch Tay. However I soon saw sense and took either the RIB or borrowed XC skis and boots instead from my employer.

Greetings from Finland! There aren't that many people riding in the winter either. I've seen a plot of cycle traffic in Helsinki vs. air temperature, and the graph is barely above zero up until zero degrees and rises fairly linearly from there up to about 25 degrees.

There are a lot more people doing it in Oulu, though. It's the first city in Finland to have actually planned a cycling infrastructure network in the late 70's, I believe. They also have more consistent winter, which is pretty important, as the trickiest conditions arise from seesawing around zero, which is what happens most of the winter here in the south.

I'm glad I ride in the winter too, because that's how I started mountain biking. I remember having to turn to deep snow bank to let a walker through on a narrow beaten path after a night of heavy snow. I went to a two wheel drift, managed to right it and thought "hmm. That was fun, I bet things like that happen all the time when riding off-road."

I've been to Rovaniemi in Finland a few times in winter - the roads are solid ice and all the cars have studded tyres, -30C is quite a regular occurrence. There's still a surprising number of people on bikes in the city, a few shod with Nokian studded tyres but many without - they just ride slowly. The only people you see on fat bikes are tourists.

This photo was taken when it was -25C - IME about the temperature where the $hit gets serious if you're outside - I find my nostrils go raw after a few days - quite painful. The near-zero conditions we often get in the UK is horrible - wet, slushy snow that wets you and is really slippy.

I spent a few months in Finland a couple of years ago. Did some cross races in the snow where there were no shortage of takers, couple of the guys I keep in touch with ride mtb through the winter, one does a lot of winter camping trips. He's out in the back of beyond right now way up north, biking and camping. I guess right now, he's either sleeping or getting to grips with a bottle of Jaloviina.

Going back a bit further to a winter in the rockies, bikes were firmly put away for the winter.

consistent winter, which is pretty important, as the trickiest conditions arise from seesawing around zero, which is what happens most of the winter here in the south

Yeah - that's exactly what I was thinking as I watched that vid. Irrelevant in southern England where I live as we hardly ever get snow but anywhere that switches between snow/slush/wet-then-ice is on a loser in my book

I spend most of my time trailbuilding in Squamish when I'm not working or riding and the other guy I know (the One-Up Components guy) seems to spend a lot of his enviable life bombing around on a snowmobile or jumping out of a helicopter with skis or a snowboard strapped to his feet when he’s not making nice bike bits.

😄

Is it because the Finnish people sweep the forests clear?

Very odd bragging about riding in cold weather.

Having experienced -30 ish you have to be very very careful. It starts to hurt your lungs, bits can begin to freeze without you realising

I would think very carefully about using a bike in those temps, in fact I really can’t see it being fun

Maybe if you have lived in that environment all your life you are more acclimatised to it but it’s certainly not a bragging rights thing

To be honest in -30C weather riding bikes is not that fun and I rather do something else. Also it kills shocks and most importantly keeping hands and feet warm is an issue for me.

It is still ok weather for some outdoor activities, backcountry xc skiing, hiking, ice-fishing (if you are perverted enough).

I would think very carefully about using a bike in those temps, in fact I really can’t see it being fun

Definitely type 2 fun at times but if you are sensible and take the right precautions it can be a great experience. There’s also something about being on your own in the arctic wilderness that is very different.

I’d also contend that on this forum where there are advocates of getting knar and jumping their bikes the occasional heartbreaking stories of spinal injuries has far worse consequences in comparison and yet no one gives them a hard time. Rule #1

I watched a short youtube video the other day about a chap fatbiking in Idaho in Winter. Staff at a ski area 'piste bashes' loads of normally 'un-skied' tracks and you pay $15 to spend the day using them. Seemed like a good idea

There’s also something about being on your own in the arctic wilderness that is very different.

Just ensure your base fitness is good if you don't want to be Wolf Buffet.

I would think very carefully about using a bike in those temps, in fact I really can’t see it being fun

-29 degrees is the lowest I've commuted in. Bearable, and still beats waiting for the bus at the same conditions. I wouldn't go for an endurance ride though.

There were some comments on studded tyres and slowness, but at proper low temperatures even smooth ice is pretty grippy. Studs are really only needed for the melt periods when you get rutted or wet ice.

Another fun anecdote: I was once on my way home from work in the late autumn. The temperature felt quite low so I checked grip by dragging my shoe on the road when I started out and all seemed good. At one point I came to an open section of road with a strong crosswind and noticed my bike being blown sideways across the road and realized it was covered in black ice. Fun times.

They also have more consistent winter, which is pretty important, as the trickiest conditions arise from seesawing around zero, which is what happens most of the winter here in the south.

That's where the comparison to places like Canada falls down. At about -14 salt stops working. In late Jan. the sun starts to gain enough power to melt the top layer of snow even when the air temp is below 0. Then it gets cold at night and ice forms. Or you get the grayish/brown slush of death around 0. There's a reason montreal bought an icebreaker. They can't keep roads passable under those conditions. Add in the damage the freeze thaw does to any hard surface and you end up with potholes you could lose a small child in.
Biking in the woods in the snow in winter is fun though.

Just ensure your base fitness is good if you don’t want to be Wolf Buffet.

There hasn't been a recorded attack of a wolf on humans in Finland in years - I've seen tracks and know others who've seen them briefly, but they generally keep very clear of humans - reindeer are a bit easier to catch, particularly domesticated ones in enclosures.

IME studded tyres not really needed unless you're there early winter when the lakes and rivers can be like glass - once there's snow on the ice the only problem is the occassional patch of frozen overflow.

My experience of North Americans (having been there a lot and having family there) is that they go from air-conditioned house to air-conditioned car to air-conditioned office or commercial establishment, so the outside weather just becomes an annoyance.

My experience of Finns however, having lived there, is that they view the cold as part of their life because it is. In cities so many people use public transport that they walk to and from and wait for it outside. Then they go out for walks or skiing or whatever just the same in winter. It's part of being Finnish. They are much closer to the natural landscape and consequently the weather than the majority of North Americans seem to be.

The cold weather doesn't need to be a big deal. Just wrap up, you can ski, walk and bike in it as normal if you are well dressed.