Winter may not be the ideal season for cycling, but you cannot allow the cold to come between you and your dose of exercise. The time you can spend outside will determine your consistency, so you must make the most of it.
The first and best tip for riding in winter riding is to get an electric fat tire bike. These are e-bikes with tires wider than average. The tires have to measure at least 3 inches for it to count as worthy of a fat bike.
When e-biking in the snow, you tend to face problems relating to traction and stability. Fat tire e-bikes can provide more stable rides due to the increased surface area covered on the ground. But this is not all.
It can be difficult if you know nothing about e-biking in the snow, which is a common weather condition in most American states during winter. If you want to enjoy winter biking in the snowy season, this article is for you.
Tips for Winter Biking in the Snow
Fat tire e-bikes are equipped with many features that make riding in winter more comfortable, despite the snow in most areas and the worst road conditions of the season. To ensure you get the most out of e-biking this winter, we recommend the following tips:
Clean your E-bike Regularly
Cleanliness is a part of e-biking as it is a norm of life.
Winter, especially, requires that you adopt a proper e-bike maintenance routine if you are to enjoy riding this season. Exposure to elements like snow, water, and salt can be inimical to battery life and other bike parts. Ensure to clean your e-bike regularly to avoid bigger issues.
Avoid taking hasty measures, like using pressurized water that can damage the e-bike components.
Cleaning your e-bike properly allows you to observe potential problems and employ ways to avert them from becoming bigger issues. Constantly dipping a piece of cloth into a bucket of water is enough to get your e-bike cleaned thoroughly.
Wipe off any dirt or water from the chain and lubricate again to avoid rusting or breakage.
After using a soft brush on the tires, you can leave it to dry for a bit before storing it properly.
Plan Before Rides
Winter is not a perfect season to embark on e-biking, so ensure to have a plan in place to keep yourself and your e-bike safe. Draw out a plan for the route you intend to take, as your trip can become boring if you don’t have a destination in mind.
Low-traffic roads are best to get quality riding while avoiding other motorists.
If you intend to use bike lanes, find out beforehand which ones are cleared to avoid being stuck.
Get constant updates on the weather reports to keep abreast of vital information regarding your route. The information you get about the weather will determine other things as well, like how layered up you will be for every ride.
Being underdressed or overdressed for the weather can be very uncomfortable, so try to get different reports from verifiable sources. Grab some water and a light snack along to ensure you remain hydrated and strong.
Ride Slower
As mentioned earlier, the riding conditions can be unfavorable during winter. For one, cycling is more of a summer sport, so other motorists are not really watching out for an errant biker from nowhere.
Assume you are on your own and try leaving some space between you and other motorists who can’t see you. Ride slower so you have more time to observe the road conditions for how best to navigate.
Accidents with other motorists are not the only thing you can miss by riding slower.
You also get to avoid rushing into dangerous parts of the snow that can make you fall or fishtail.
Identify black ice and learn to stay away from it or ride carefully on it. Ensure you move slowly at a comfortable pace when you get to parts of the road where the snow melts under the sun only to solidify during cool hours.
Keep your Lights On
Low visibility is another constant problem of winter. The more snow falls, the lower the visibility can get in such places. Increasing your visibility will help you remain seen by other motorists, whether at night or during the day.
The best way to ensure you are seen to an extent while seeing ahead clearly is to keep your bike lights on while riding. Your headlights and rear lights must be in good working condition for this to work.
If your e-bike uses weak lights, you can get a KBO e-bike to enjoy adequate lighting in low visibility moments.
You can improve on this by wearing reflective gear that throws back the light from other vehicles. Adding reflective taping to your e-bike or helmet is also a good idea to ensure that visibility is not limited to you alone.
The more visible you are to other motorists, the safer you are in the circumstances.
Braking
As much as brakes are crucial to biking, snowy roads provide some of the toughest tests for the braking power of any vehicle or two-wheeler. Applying your brakes on snowy winter roads is much different because of the decreased level of traction.
Fat tire e-bikes provide more traction and braking power, but snowy roads require patience and skill. Avoid pulling your brakes sharply to avoid spiraling out of control or ride slowly instead.
Prepare yourself to do it right before attempting to brake.
Watch the distance between you and the obstacle, and apply your brakes lightly enough to provide a timely stoppage. For perspective, try using double or triple your normal braking time.
Have your legs ready to support your braking.
Conclusion
E-biking in winter can be difficult when you don’t have the right guide.
Even experienced riders still need some help when it comes to winter cycling. Instead of sitting home wishing, you can check out the tips above to learn how to get the most out of using your e-bike this winter.
This article explores some of the best tips to get started on your electric bike this winter.
You can begin with the basic information in this article and add more to suit your conditions. If you don’t have a fat tire e-bike, try getting one to reduce your chances of getting stuck on snowy roads.
The KBO Tornado, for example, is perfect for winter riding. Its 4″ fat tires, powerful motor, long-range battery, and other high-quality features are ideal for the season. Remember to wear your helmet always, and have fun e-biking!