Winter Cycling; My Bike

My Cannondale Classic Touring 

I've been commuting on my bicycle for some years now, and like many others, find it a very nice way of getting to and from work. Not to mention that you don't have to think about exercising later in the evening!

The winter, however, has been a challenge for me. I live in the North of Norway and we get long and cold winters. For some time I've tried to read about how others are solving the issue of winter cycling, but I've had to find out most of it for myself, and now I want to share my findings.

First I would like to emphasize that winter in my blog is when the temperature drop below zero degrees Celsius.

I'll start with the obvious: the bike! I'm using a Cannondale Touring Classic. I's a sturdy bike with cantilever brakes and space enough for both mudguards and studded tires. It also comes with a rack which makes it easy to bring along extra clothing and gear.

Everything works fine as long as it isn't too much snow. Normally the roads I'm using are normaly cleared for snow, but occasionally the snowfall is so heavy I'm forced to take the car. Sometimes that happens when I'm at work, so I have to ride my bike home, and then I wish I had disc brakes. It is just too much snow gathering around the brakes! It does not inflict with my riding, but braking becomes harder. So my next winter bike will have disc brakes.