blog-winter-tips-bikingAt the North Shore TMA, we love to hear tales from commuters. This week, we are honored to feature a guest post by Terry Cowman, an avid outdoor cyclist and member of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Boston Chapter. Terry wrote an article for the February edition of the AMC’s newsletter “Charles River Mud” that included great tips on outfitting yourself and your bike for winter riding.

Read on to gain an interesting perspective on riding outdoors throughout the winter and why New England is the perfect place to experience winter riding.

In his article, Terry provides tips on outfitting your bike for winter. He suggests adding tires with wide, thick rubber and putting running lights on the front and back of your bike since daylight is so limited in the wintertime.

Terry also gives great advice for how to dress for winter riding and he suggests that it’s always best to wear layers and to over dress, especially when it’s windy.

Always the responsible cyclist, Terry provides some good suggestions on where to ride directly after a snowstorm (on main roads that are likely to be plowed) and in the days following it (on side roads that are more scenic).

And finally, since motivation is a factor that we all deal with in the winter, Terry suggests picking an out-and-back route from work or home with a “destination” at the halfway point, like a coffee shop or breakfast place.

Thank you for writing, Terry!

Stay safe out there!