In our last post about winter cycling, we tackled the essentials of how to dress when riding in cold weather. In this post, we’ll talk about how to prepare your bike for the unique road conditions of the Nova Scotia winter. 

Remember: ensuring your own safety and the safety of all road users is important year-round. Winter cycling in Nova Scotia presents its own set of challenges, so it’s essential to remember to always follow the rules of the road. Need a safety refresher? Check out the Nova Scotia Bicycle Safety brochure (PDF). Bicycle Nova Scotia also offers insurance coverage for members, giving you peace of mind to know you’re covered in case of an accident. 

How to Prepare Your Bike for Winter Cycling in Nova Scotia

Make sure your bike is road safe

Because of the challenges of winter riding conditions, you need to take extra care to make sure your bike is in good enough shape to handle the roads. You’ll likely need more stopping time due to wet conditions, for example, so make sure your brakes are in good shape and can stop suddenly if needed. You may also consider installing winter-specific brake pads. 

 

Some local bike shops may offer a winter-specific tune-up package to make sure your bike is in winter-riding shape and protect it from the additional wear and tear of road salt and moisture. 

Check out our Local Bike Shops page to find a reliable tune-up in your area. 

Fenders

Between the snow, slush, salt, and road grit, winter cycling in Nova Scotia presents plenty of ways for your clothes to get filthy, so you will probably want to install some fenders on your bike to prepare for the road conditions and avoid the dreaded mud stripe down your back. A good set of bike fenders can also help protect your bike’s drivetrain from rust-inducing salt and moisture, so they have many benefits in addition to keeping you clean.

Tires: to stud or not to stud?

You may want to consider a set of winter-specific bike tires, depending on the conditions you’re anticipating riding in. If you plan to ride on sheer, unplowed ice, tires with studs will be essential to ensuring you can keep your bike upright with the rubber side down. However, for roads that are regularly plowed and salted, you may find studded tires to be overkill, as they will slow you down on clear roads and tend to be quite noisy on pavement. In general, a wider tire with a knobbier surface or treads will do in most winter cycling conditions.  

Light up

It gets dark early during the winter in Nova Scotia, with sunset as early as 4:30 p.m. on some nights in December. Make sure you bring some bike lights with you if you’re planning on riding in the evenings or early mornings. According to the official Rules of the Road, when riding between 30 minutes before sunset (dusk, not dark) and 30 minutes after sunrise, you must have a front white light and a rear red light or rear red reflector (we strongly recommend a rear light). Make sure other road users are able to see you from far away so that they can adjust their driving to keep you safe. 

Know when to say no to snow

We get it — there’s a certain pride that comes with knowing you’re the type of cyclist who can’t be held back by any weather! But your safety must always come first. If you look outside and see unsafe conditions like freezing rain or a visibility-eliminating nor’easter, it might be better to consider another method of transportation or hop on the indoor trainer. (Or eat some storm chips and recover for the next ride!) Nobody wants to miss the next crisp, sunny Nova Scotia cycling day because of an injury that could have been avoided.

Looking for more Nova Scotia cycling tips?

Follow Bicycle Nova Scotia on social media for the latest cycling news, information, and tips. 

 

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

 

Photo by Juan Encalada on Unsplash