Winter cycling

Cycling in winter poses some especial challenges. Be prepared! Here are some tips from my experiences and conversations with friends.

Surface conditions
Surface conditions are a real problem in autumn and winter. Look out for:
 * Wet leaves on the ground - leaves slip over each other, taking bicycle wheels sideways.
 * Cycle facilities are usually not gritted or swept, the roads are generally in better shape.
 * Water fills potholes making them impossible to spot, especially in the dark. Assume that every puddle conceals one.  A wet road can make potholes hard to see at all.
 * Skids and slips are likely, wear gloves!

Lighting and visibility

 * Low sun dazzles motorists, especially when reflected off a wet road. A brightly dressed cyclist may be less visible against this than one dressed in black.
 * Car windows covered in ice, internal condensation and rain offer reduced visibility. A wet windscreen may lead to extra-wide blind spots.
 * Now's the time to get a dynamo light for the commuting bike so your lights are always ready. At a minimum, keep your lights ready and batteries charged.
 * In the rain, I recommend you use lights. A bright rear light at drivers' eye level may help compensate for reduced visibility.
 * Oncoming cars that fail to dip their lights not only remove your night vision, they can make it next to impossible to see where you are going.  Slow down or stop if you are dazzled.  Close one eye and look at the kerb to preserve night vision in the other eye.

And consider buying yourself that Brompton, the all-weather bike. Rain? Snow? Fold it and hop on the train :-)