Henry Rose

We’re entering what I consider the very best time of year to ride a bike.  Cooler temperatures make you more comfortable, all the riding you did in the summer makes you strong and the Fall color makes every ride a bit more beautiful.

Of course like any bike nerd I take pleasure in preparing myself and my bike just as I do in riding. Fall is the time to get ready for winter.

In summer most any bike will do. The roads are dry and it stays light well in to the evening. But come September there are a few things one ought do to prepare bike and body for the coming months.

1. Fenders.  Your tires are your enemies in wet conditions, they pick water up off the road and throw it directly onto your feet, legs and back.  Full fenders will keep you much dryer.
2. Lights. While one should always be well illuminated at night it becomes particularly necessary in fall. On a dark rainy night it’s hard to see and cars can’t avoid what they can’t see.  I’m currently running two big red lights with reflectors on my rear rack and an additional blinky red light on my seatpost. These don’t all need to be on at any given time, but they give me the opportunity to light myself up like a christmas tree. In the front I’ve got a basic battery powered headlight. This light works fine on blink mode to make me visible from in front and can also provide a little illumination when there aren’t streetlights. If i’m going to be riding much in a really dark area i’ll bring my headlamp too. Having light that moves with your head as you turn it is very valuable.  I plan on upgrading my lights to a generator setup this winter.
3. Clothing. Now that your bike is prepped and ready you need just a couple things for yourself.  First and formost you need some wool socks.  At some point your feet will get wet and if they are wrapped in fuzzy sheep fur they will stay warm.  I also like to wear regular long underwear like the kind you might wear skiing to keep warm even if i’m wet.  Finally I suggest a good cycling specific jacket. The long arms and low cut back will be much more comfortable to ride in than a standard cut.

Sure you could do a ton of other stuff to get ready for winter, but if you do these things you’ll be pretty well set to start riding in the cold.