……commute all year round

Company I work for is moving into Edinburgh in the new year and I can’t see myself cycling the commute (12 hour shifts, midnight finish, too lazy to cycle 40 mile round trips, yes I am probably being lazy)

We’re not moving till February next year but is it a problem once you start getting into the later months?

I’ve promised myself a bike for years and this might just be my chance

I’ve got a harley streetbob (queue the ymca jokes, etc) that I run all year round. Other than one or two weeks when the weather gets really grim, I dont have any real problems.

yes, but snow and black ice are not ideal for bikes.

I’ve got a harley streetbob (queue the ymca jokes, etc)

…And there you go.

course it is. Heated grips, decent CE padded gear (the pads keep your knees and elbows warm), there y’go.

I know a geezer from Norway who rides all year – he has an upgraded alternator on his BMW F650 to power the heated waistcoat, socks, and heated vizor as well as the usual heated grips. He’s a nutter.

I rode a 100cc 2-stroke all year round in London some years ago. Get decent clothing, switch your brain on, ride carefully and you should be fine. Dispatch riders ride their Delvilles in all weathers. If you, however, fancy a Hayabusa with nitro, think again 🙂

Yes. For 17 years.

Unless your a fair weather nancy boy.

i did – commuting about 30 miles into aberdeen. kawasaki gt750 and i’d proably want a shaft drive to avoid the grinding paste effect of grit and salt on the chain

Is that not like asking can I ride my push bike all year round?

Yeah, I rode everyday for around 18 months bar a few days here and there. Snow and ice was no problem as most roads get gritted almost straight away, it depends where you live however.

It makes you a much better cyclist too, at least for commuting as you are going that much faster (generally) yet are equally as vulnerable as on a pushbike.

As Lycra says, maintenance is key, look after the bike and it should look after you. Oh, and be prepared for cold knees…you aren’t peddaling.

Yes, but I don’t ride the same bikes in snow/sleet/slush torrential rain that I would on a better day.

I have an old winter hack/ratbike covered in water repellant and grease, and three others for playing on, but yeah commuting all year round is fine.:)

I commute on the bike year round, 40C in the summer to -10C in the winter, but I draw the line at snow – just too dangerous, you can’t see anything when it sticks to the visor and cornering…

The cold isn’t a problem with decent gear. Especially if you can afford heated kit, I got by for years without it but I’d not want to give up my Gerbings now. Snow and ice is though, you can expect a few days a year in edinburgh where trying to ride a road bike on road tyres is pretty stupid, once you get away from the shore or the busiest roads. Last year was worse than usual obviously but I’m just on the edge of the city and it was a real hassle.

Even if you’re good enough to ride safely on the snow- I just about am, despite not very snow-worthy hardware- other road users are as much of a danger or more so it’s still not too smart. Ice scares me tbh, I ended up commuting by pushbike- mountain bike in fact quite often- through the bad snow of last winter and seeing the extended ice patches in corners and roundabouts that’d almost certainly have had me down before i could blink, and that I probably couldn’t have seen in time, and no doubt with some fanny in a land rover going too fast to stop right behind me… Nah. Idiots can be scornful of fairweather bikers but some days, you have to be daft to ride unless you’ve got the right kit, and the right kit is only the right kit about 5 days a year so you probably don’t have it.

All IMO of course 😉

Much as northwind says – there will be a few days when its not worth it ‘cos of snow and ice but they are rare.
ABS brakes are worth having for winter urban commute. A shaft or belt drive bike painted in water repellent is good idea. A scooter if you don’t have much derestricted road to do ( or a mega scooter if you do). Good kit can be expensive

Or buy a cheap Winter car for the worst months & sell in Spring.

+1 takisawa2

There’s no substitute for turning up at work warm, dry and not stinking of rain-sodden bike leathers.

When I was commuting on my Fazer, I got hold of some Tocano Urbano hand grip covers (basically big muffs) and quite happily used my summer gloves all winter. So much better than using thick winter gloves.

Oh, if you want to run a bike through winter I can highly recommend ACF50, it’s brilliant stuff. I used to use Scottoiler FS365 and it’s OK but ACF50 works better but more importantly lasts longer, it needs a chemical cleaner to get it off, or really prolonged soaking, so it lasts months. Ace. If it can stop the paint falling off a Suzuki, then it truly is magic

the flying ox – with modern gear you turn up warm and dry and non smelly on a motorbike – and you still get to beat all the traffic.

So actually there is no substitue for turning up warm and dry and not frustrated by the traffic 🙂

its amazing how rarely it rains as well. A handful of days a year where you get rained on commuting. I have only had my waterproofs on once or twice this year.

I discovered something interesting, which is that when it’s raining I arrive at work drier than anyone else- they park 200 metres away, or get the bus to the nearest stop, then run in with at best a raincoat or umbrella and get soaked. I pitch up encased in goretex and plastic, shake myself down like a dog, then get changed and underneath I’m bone dry. Always makes me laugh. “Wouldn’t want to be riding a bike in this weather” “Really? I wouldn’t want to be walking”

Just buy a small car!

Mr MC has never owned a car and until just recent job rode all year round. As already suggested heated grips, super decent clothes and spares at work. Have you already passed your test? I am not sure I would suggest it for a new rider, different skills etc but hey that’s just my opinion.I imagine you will be wanting some winter specific tyre if you commuting in the burgh!!!

I cycle commute a lot in winter – would second whoever said it’s car drivers that are the problem, and their total failure to pay any extra care and attention by looking harder/longer, driving a bit slower or anticipating increased stopping distance, that are the main problems !

I used to commute all year round – including on occasion in heavy snow. I even had one memorable commute where I was pretty much the only vehicle moving as even the 4×4’s were getting stuck due to the amount of snow that was lying. For that particular commute I was using an enduro bike with full knobbly tyres on, and I used trail bikes in bad conditions sometimes as if they did get dropped it wasn’t likely to be an issue.

The vast majority of my year-round commuting was done on a Honda Deauville and even at 10 years old it was still going strong. I never found heated grips necessary in town but they make a massive difference out of town. Having the right riding gear is essential though – especially in torrential rain. I ended up using Gericke stuff mostly, with Altberg boots.

Nowadays I very rarely commute by motorbike as my route is too short and too quiet for the bike to save any time on.

I managed 5 years running into and around London (80-100 mile round trips), but, if there was frost on my wifes car windscreen (that was parked in a sheltered position) or -5c was forecast, I got the train or took my car. Its just not worth it, especially on untreated the roads which made up the first few miles of my commute.

As for gear, I used full leathers backed up with a thin Frank Thomas waterproof jacket and a variety of waterproof leggings, goretex boots (Daytona, very, very good), a warm helmet in winter and a cool one in summer, many differing goretex gloves of different warmths plus heated grips, larger screen and on my last bike hand protectors (which if I’d had them before, would have been on every bike) – and a top box for gear.

I also had a suit, shoes, belt in each of my three offices…

A big bike isn’t cheap to run, but its quick – it saved me 2 hours a day vs public transport – and I always knew when I’d get somewhere (within 10 mins).

One thing to remember, you must treat every road user as your assassin – but relax, most won’t try to kill you on purpose 😉

Not for a first bike, but this perfect for long-distance commuting:

I commute all year round my motorbike (here in Belgium). 45mile each way or so.
Last year was a bit slippier (snow) than usual but the temperatures weren’t so bad. (not below -10degC)

I use a BMW GS Adventure with ABS / heated grips etc & in combination with good kit & the warmth from the boxer cylinder heads it works a treat.

The slightly ironic situation is that when the weather is at its worst, the traffic becomes chaotic hence the bike makes even more sense.

My only ‘problem’ is that I live in the country & my road doesn’t get gritted or ploughed so that I have to estimate what the main road (about a mile away) will be like. I’m about 3miles from the highway and that is nearly always do-able thanks to all the trucks.
I’ve misjudged conditions a couple of times & been very scared but so far haven’t ended up on my arse.

i did itfor 2 years on a 125 honda varadero

im by no means a ‘proper biker’ (so take my tips with a pinch of salt!)infact i only bought the bike as wife lost her job and we needed to make savings asap.

i had half tidy kit, when it rains you will get steamed up and it’s not very nice, as for snow and ice i tried it a few times and nearly lost it big time (lack of experience) thankfully i could get a lift into work on bad days.

heated grips are a must, i buoght a ‘taller screen for the bike aswell which helped with the wind.

being honest i dont miss it one bit but it helped us out at the time, i never got the ‘biking bug’.

one good point is it changed my driving style in a car, you see the world from a totally different persective when you havent got nice chunky metal doors protecting you.

as said above sometimes i felt totally invisible on the bike.

good luck!

I cycle commute a lot in winter – would second whoever said it’s car drivers that are the problem, and their total failure to pay any extra care and attention by looking harder/longer, driving a bit slower or anticipating increased stopping distance, that are the main problems !

Car drivers aren’t the problem, they are part of the makeup of public roads!

They don’t need to anticipate increased stopping distances as they have four wheels and are heavier.

I have a strong recollection when I was young and first switched from a 250cc motorcycle to a small car. It was warm and dry and I didn’t have to get togged up in layers of protective clothing. I didn’t have to wear a sweaty stinking crach helmet. One used to arrive needing a hair wash and a change of clothes, especially footwear.

Don’t get me wrong, I love bikes. I did my DAS 3 years ago and fully intend to get another machine, but for commuting in cold wet weather, a car wins out over a bike by a country mile for comfort and safety. The only reason I would choose a bike is if my route to work involved miles of traffic jams and very expensive parking at my place of work.

Spongebob – drive my van one day and you will agree with me ! Def takes longer to stop in the wet, the tires are fine too before I get condemned.

“The only reason I would choose a bike is if my route to work involved very expensive parking at my place of work.”

Edinburgh in other words.

I’ve been doing it for the last 7 years. Yes it’s possible. There are some key things you may want to do to deal with the cold. Heated grips, big screen and hand covers make it much nicer. These are more critical if you have any sections at higher than town speeds as wind chill on a bike is horrific. Keeping dry is easy, it is really well worth buying full quality gore-tex textiles. Do not assume that it will be cheaper than running a small car, the advantage of a bike is less time in traffic, fun and easy to park. I’d wouldn’t say it’s worth doing unless you have traffic to contend with on your route.

I use to commute with bike and train. Unless it was a rainy day. In such case I use to commute on the motorbike. I would stay clear of snow ans ice though. But that is probably due to a lack of practice.

wind chill on a bike is horrific

I had one of those long winter rides on a dry/clear but very cold day where eventually I tried to decide whether to go faster and increase the wind chill but get there sooner, or slow down and reduce the wind chill but endure the pain for longer.

I ordered heated grips as soon as I got home! Never felt the need for them around town though.

It is perfectly possible.

I commute year round on a BMW R1200GSA. It is much quicker the worse the weather gets vs a car as traffic slows down even more and the fair weather bikers get in their cars when the weather turns.

Inside a good quality goretex suit and decent helmet, the weather doesn’t get to you. In fact, the helmet is quite a cosy place to be. Rukka clothing is the Assos of the motor biking world – the best, but also shockingly expensive. I do have a large screen, waterproof boots (Sidi of course!), hand guards, heated grips and a BMW Boxer engine which both protects you and acts like a heater and it all helps. My advice would be to save a bit on the bike and buy the best gear for you that you can afford.

There is no doubting the safety aspect and most days I have to take evasive action to avoid something dangerous, but keep your senses sharp and concentrate and you should be OK. I am in London and work on the probably misguided assumption that there are plenty of idiotic bikes (pedal and motor variety) driving stupidly who will hopefully get hit before I do!

Don’t underestimate the difficulty of the new DAS testing process if you are a brand new biker, and if you fancy a big bike by February start the process now. It aint cheap, it aint easy, and it takes time. If nothing else it will be easier to learn while the weather is more pleasant.