There’s a special respect reserved for winter commuters within the cycling community. Those fearless warrior types who rise in the morning, wrap themselves in multiple layers to protect from cold, and throw a leg over their winter steeds for the lonely, cold and dark journey to work. The reasons for commuting by bike are vast in number: saving the environment, saving money, getting the endorphins flowing, feeling virtuous in the office, etc. and it’s never too late to start. If you’re thinking of swapping your season ticket or fuel bill for a pair of skinny wheels, there are a handful of essential items to make you safer and happier on the road:
Helmet
Starting from the top and working down, we start with perhaps the most important item on this list. A helmet is the barrier between your vulnerable skull and risk of serious injury. The Specialized Echelon II is one of the bestselling helmets for commuting, weighing in at a modest price point and in a striking high-vis yellow.
Neck tube/buff
Dark early mornings in the depths of winter can be bitterly cold but a good quality neck tube or buff will help to mitigate the bite of frost. Worn tucked into your jacket, pulled up over your head balaclava-style so that your mouth and nose are also covered, a neck tube like Endura’s multi-tube will keep your ears and neck nice and toasty. It not only insulates from the cold but can make breathing easier too.
Fluoro jacket
Though perhaps not everyone’s favourite piece of apparel, a fluoro jacket is a sensible choice for commuting in the dark. The great news is that hi-viz doesn’t have to be a glaring building-site-yellow. Endura makes a huge range of winter jackets of various fits and colours, including the Luminite II which is available in an attractive lime green hue. Optimised for cycling, this jacket has extra long sleeves to accommodate the stretched out position and it even has a LED strip bonded to the rear of the jacket with 50 hours of flashing run time for improved safety.
Fluoro gloves
Gloves are of course a must almost every day of the year for insulation and protection purposes, but they can serve as physical indicators (like in a car) in the dark if you pick the right colour. A fluoro pair of insulated gloves like the Endura Luminite in bright pink, complete with reflective strips, will stand out in headlights – boosting your visibility and safety on the road – and keep your hands warm.
Mudguards
If you want to prevent the spray of mud and water, not just onto yourself but also other cyclists (who may just get cross with you otherwise), a set of mudguards should be added to your bike as the clocks go back at the very latest. SKS produce a fantastic range of mudguards to suit any wheel width, mounting system or brake type. You’ll also find that less road spray means less frequent maintenance.
Light set
Last, but very definitely not least, is a light set to illuminate the road in front of you as well as to show other road users that you are there. A red flashing light mounted on the seat post and a white headlight on your handlebars will improve your safety and confidence no end. Cateye are a highly-respected lighting brand who manufacture lights for all sorts of different bikes, riders and situations. The Cateye Volt 400XC and Rapid Mini set are USB rechargeable and both front and rear lights have multiple settings so you can tailor the functionality to the conditions.
The winter commuting kit list does of course not end here. There are plenty more things that could come in handy to make life easier or to improve safety, but this list contains the most important. Besides a sense of humour and buckets of patience, other items that you might find useful, especially if your commute is long and the weather bad, are shown below.
