Having a roof over the bike stations might help with the snow and ice build up

@irisachternaam

2 ай бұрын

In the Netherlands the vast majority of daily commute bikes also have chain guards that completely enclosure the chain mechanism, and the splashboard end relatively low, shielding much of you and your bikes from water, slush and salt. Much of the problems related to snow can just be addressed with minor tweaks like yours and to the bikes themselves.

@derekjolly3680

2 ай бұрын

This is one of the main things that keeps myself and lots of others I'm sure from using the bikes when it seems likely it might snow or rain during the day. If there's no shelter for the bikes, which is mostly the case, unless you're lucky enough to have access to a building where you're going to be, I'm extremely disinclined to have mine sitting out there getting soaked or iced or snowed over. Even with my older one. That's because it's bad for the maintenance.

@derekjolly3680

2 ай бұрын

The thing is those are very uncommon here in the U.S.A. I'm sure you can get your hands on one, probably imported or from a specialty outfit. They'd be expensive. Most of us use what we have. In my case I have sport hybrid, that I have for dirt trails some of the time, general exercise rides some of the time, and more often, utility rides with a backpack. What that relates to is the sport/athletic use primarily with what the bike makers organize for.

@OntarioTrafficMan

2 ай бұрын

When I was working on planning the Hamilton bike share system we had some opportunities to put stations under a roof, but we had to avoid that because the bikes' computers are solar powered. Bixi doesn't have that issue because all the computers are in the dock itself and you could just relocate the solar panels onto the roof. The larger roof area could also allow for larger solar panels that could also charge the Bixi e-bikes that are currently docked.

@OntarioTrafficMan

2 ай бұрын

@@derekjolly3680 My bike has a fully-enclosed chain, and I just bought it at my local bike shop in Toronto. You're right that it was imported, but its country of origin was the United States.

The bixi + metro combination is so sooo practical.

Belts and internal gear hub is a huge win for winter biking

I used to work in operations for big bikeshare in San Francisco. The docking problem you described is somewhat common everywhere because it's surprisingly difficult to find truly level ground for a station. When you encounter a dock that's giving you an error simply lift up on the seat. 9x out of 10 the dock will catch or release. After a few times you'll immediately recognize where the balance point is so you'll know how far to lift.

@eugenetswong

2 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@atallshadeofthecolorred6918

2 ай бұрын

The lift (ha-ha) up method is useful for trouble while either locking and unlocking, for anyone wondering

One solution that my local bike share has for snow around stations is getting volunteers to clear a station and they get paid in rider credits. Also we have a NFC tap option linked to a Presto card for unlocking and its super handy instead of only a QR code!

@eugenetswong

2 ай бұрын

On an unrelated note, while watching this video, I thought that maybe they need volunteers to return the bikes. Basically, the volunteer gets credits for returning it to a docking station. Maybe the lender pays a credit in advance, and then the returner gets the credit for bringing it back. I am assuming that it must be cheaper doing that than hiring a labourer and buying a truck and trailer.

@cmmartti

2 ай бұрын

​@@eugenetswong You have to dock the bike otherwise you keep getting charged. They only use trucks to re-distribute the bikes if they get unbalanced (especially in hilly areas where bikes tend to end up at the bottom of hills), or to charge the e-bikes if docking stations aren't equipped with chargers (and I don't know if (m)any are).

@eugenetswong

2 ай бұрын

@@cmmartti Thanks for the info.

I think the biggest obstacle to winter cycling is whether or not the bike infrastructure is properly maintained throughout the year. Your bike doesn't get nearly as filthy when the path is clear of snow, which removes many of the problems you highlight in this video.

@derekjolly3680

2 ай бұрын

We never have any clearing except on the roads generally. Nothing goes on for clearing for anything like a bike path or lane. Personally I just try to plan around that and also be aware of where the ice is, where it's going to me more shadowy, if it's going to be ridable ice for the tires I have, and of course bypassing it. This last winter taught me much about keeping safe in the colder months.

@falsemcnuggethope

2 ай бұрын

As long as there is no salt used, it's fine. Just leave a layer of hard snow and crush any ice so it's grippy and winter riding is more comfortable than summer riding.

@syiridium703

2 ай бұрын

Exactly. You also get less grime when you ride most of the time on dedicated bike paths, since a lot of the filth on the road is from cars.

@derekjolly3680

2 ай бұрын

@@syiridium703 What I've found is that it's important to stay out of the margins of the road, that is on a bike path in theory, or simply closer to the sidewalk, in places, when there is left over ice or snow turned to ice, since that's often where the greater shadowing is and therefore the ice stays there longer as a hazard. Further to the middle, and it's melting faster with more direct sunlight. Obviously regular traffic factors in though.

Grateful that Edmonton is getting really good at clearing paths. We usually have same day clearing for our winter grid, then our multi use paths and such might take a few more days at times. But overall, biking year round in Edmonton is becoming really doable and enjoyable in a lot of central areas. Even without bike share! I also get the “winter bike” thing, but personally I love using an ebike in the winter. Gets you going faster, helps in loose snow, helps with getting started at intersections that can be slippery!

I grew up in Montreal and moved in 2001 for Toronto. I would store my bike from Nov 1 to April 1. The first year in TO there was zero snow and I got spoiled with snow free winter riding. How nice. Since then I was able to bike every day to work as the snow fall is negligible and the streets and side walks were fully plowed within a day or two. Now retired, I bike in Vaughan, an adjacent suburb of TO where I reach by subway and bike snow free as if a spring day. Zero snow on the roads as the city of Vaughan plows the roads fully and the sun melts any snow left over. No slush to contend with.

Biggest game changer: chain covers. For both mud in summer and salt in winter.

I've been riding a bike on ice since 11 years old - our main road turns into a frozen river. Funny thing everyone is too scared to drive or even walk around here when snow falls. So i found no problem using a bicycle as a sleigh. Mountain bike is preferable for winter riding though.

@Redrally

2 ай бұрын

That's what I was about to say - want a good year-round bike? Mountain bike is the way to go.

@pdblouin

2 ай бұрын

I biked across the Ramsey Lake Skate Path (check my profile for proof) in Sudbury, to avoid cars during my commute. I had a MTB with studded tires but it's not stable at all. If I put any force into the pedal, the wheel slips. If I lean into a turn, I'm on the ground. I can handle falls so I still did it, but it's not the most accessible activity.

@meganoobbg3387

2 ай бұрын

@@pdblouin Tbh ice is exactly the opposite of snow - ive found that in recent years. Experimented with my car on the same frozen road. Winter tires are actually as helpless as summer tires on pure ice. But when i put 40 year old tires with worn out thread, they actually had more traction. So for a dedicated ice bicycle, sleek tires might be ironically better. Only problem is in winter you have both snow and ice, and no 1 tire helps for both.

Great video! About sums up my winter biking experience too. Didn't know they had the fobs, Bixi can expect a bunch of orders, one from yours truly!

I work at the big office tower corner Rosemont/St-Denis and anecdotally I've seen a lot more normies winterbiking this winter than usual and a lot of them were using bixis. I find it really fun to see some regular shmo in slacks riding through light slush with no gloves thinking hey buddy! welcome to the club! It's really cool

Great video! I love riding in the winter and when my neighbours ask me in disbelief how can I do that in the cold, I just remind them about skiing and how comfortable that sport is with the right gear. Seems to hit the note. too bad in Ottawa (like you said in the video) most of my main routes into the city from riverside south are left to become snow banks and safety concerns stop me from doing my work commuter, but I keep up with local erands and groceries.

I do bike year-round in Ottawa since I happen to live in an area that does get pretty good winter bike path clearance so my biggest issue in winter is rust. If Ottawa had a bikeshare system I'd for sure use that during winter instead. Rust isn't an issue for bikeshare operators because the bikes are used so intensively that they wear out more quickly than they can rust anyway, even if they get ridden through the winter.

@Alina_Schmidt

2 ай бұрын

Yeah! And even if it was: Maintainance is included in the price anyway. I think that‘s very helpful and worth it, especially in winter.

Ok. This video will be my goto for the Facebook group Montreal Then and Now that I joined because I no longer live in Montreal but visit regularly to see my son. People on that group are likely boomers and anti-bike. They constantly complain about clean bike lanes and too much focus on bikes. One person seems to add 1 month to the winter every time he tangles with someone promoting cycling. This winter and your video's proof was unpredictable and highly rideable. Thanks for giving words and anecdotes to counter the extremists on FB.

If anyone has tips on how to deal with bike cleaning during the winter without a heated garage, I’m all ears. But I definitely loved the video, and gotta say that most people over-exaggerate the intensity of winter. The same way that a lot of people say they absolutely need that 4x4 SUV in order to make it through the winter 🙄

@firiel2366

2 ай бұрын

Seconding this! I live in an upstairs apartment and while I'm lucky to have a neighbour who lets me park my bike in her garage, it's not heated, there's no water access, etc. I know I'm not cleaning my bike as often or as thoroughly as I should be, but I just don't know where or how. Doing it out on the sidewalk isn't really an option when the temps are -0°F (any water will freeze immediately).

@adamwertheimer

2 ай бұрын

I used to wash my old winter bike in the shower in the winter (although I don’t have any roommates to worry about lol). Now, I have a bike with a belt drive and internal gear hub, I haven’t had to do any maintenance all winter, aside from install some fenders and studded tires!

@MirandaHughes-he9hu

2 ай бұрын

Not a perfect solution, but I bought a 1.5 L plastic pressure spray bottle. Upon arriving home I'd fill it with super hot water, pump up the pressure, take it outside and spray my bike down. Then I'd towel the bike off with a rotating cast of thrift store towels. Time consuming but reasonably effective. Now I've been won over to belt drive and IHG. So much better!

It's my second winter biking in Montreal. It saves me so much money and the new bike path on des pins is so nice now that it's open. I have one bike so i get it cleaned at my local bike shop regularly.

I have gone out a few times this winter with my bike. (Winnipeg) The grit and grime is an issue. Its messy (my bike lives inside my house) and the grit isn't great. I want to get a winter bike. Preferable an old three speed hub bike so there is less mechanical contamination concerns. If I had that I would splurge for studded tires. Safety (traffic) is a significant concern in the summer and winter biking would have to be limited to low traffic routes. As a senior citizen I would like to keep cycling while I still am able to.

My walk to work in Ottawa had me jump over 3 of those chain-link stair barriers. I may or may not have tripped one time.

@noleftturnunstoned

2 ай бұрын

This is hilarious to me

Greetings from Grand forks, North Dakota. Year round biker here, welcome to the club

Toronto is doing a much better job of clearing bike lanes in recent years. We're lucky in that our apartment allows bikes to park for free in the garage, so the crap all melts off onto the concrete floor. I have fine-tuned my cold weather gear over the years, so comfort in the cold is good. A good set of lights is really important. Winter is definitely doable!

@cmmartti

2 ай бұрын

If the garage is heated above freezing and you have access to a source of water (a hose, or even a spray bottle), you should give your bike a quick rinse after it gets covered in winter crap. Salt will absolutely destroy a bike very quickly.

Excellent video! I didn’t know about the Bixi key-thank you for sharing that. I was in Montreal mid November and found it frustrating to have to use the app at every station. Also if you happen to be low on battery, or in the winter your phone dies because of the cold, it becomes unusable! Glad they’re starting winter service tho!

the 2024 winter in Montreal was also notoriously warm and light on precipitations. Before the April 4th fall, there was like 2 or 3 weeks where snow on the ground was basicly gone. there even was a 15C day mid feburaby. I dont think there was even one day of -20. Your video does a great job highliting the benefits of winter bixi wich is to outsource the problem of bike ownership during winter.

Bixi's publicly available stats for purchases and rides for January through March 2024 were quite encouraging. I no longer live within the Bixi summer service area but I still Eagerly follow its progress (and use it to cycle recreationally around Montreal in general on weekends and holidays). ❤

And my home town of Ottawa continues to disappoint. 😥

This was also my first cycling winter in Montreal! My old fixie actually performed remarkably well and slicing through the snow in an empty bike lane was really satisfying. A fixie also felt like the way to go because I had to rely less on brakes which could get frozen up with ice and dirt. I'm really lucky in that I have a back patio I could store my bike on though - whenever I had to bring it indoors it was a real hassle. A lot of my lower quality metal pieces got super corroded too. Another unexpected benefit was that it forced me to spend some time tuning up my beater bike and I'm now riding it into spring because it works so well

here in germany with nextbike frozen lock systems are also a problem, also the handling of a false "bike is open" in the app sometimes requires an actual phone call to resolve. Though this winter the biggest deterrent to cycling in my case was added frequency at our trams, so I more often decided to not take the bike. A "nice" problem to have but honestly it made me a bit more lazy.

@Alina_Schmidt

2 ай бұрын

Interesting. I too live in germany and nextbike offers the system for the local bike share. We rarely have stations in our city though. The returns don’t require a station.

@zeugundso

2 ай бұрын

@@Alina_Schmidt I meant the frame lock on the bike, not the station. Last winter couple of times there was frozen ice from water that got into the lock

I live in Minnesota and have been winter cycling for the last four yrs. In my first year, I started with a single-speed (less expensive) bike but mainly use my Surly Bridge Club most of the winter. MN had a very mild winter, which made this year easier. About keeping your bike clean, I use a dustpan brush and when I get home I remove the sand and snow off the drivetrain, frame, and wheels. In addition, I live in an apartment building and brush off my bike in the parking garage or just outside. In my apartment, I park the bike on a mat so I don't get water all over the floor. Also, you should check with local bike shops to see if they wash bikes during the winter. Business slows down so bike shops are looking to generate additional income through the winter. My local bike shop has a bike washing deal for $104 from January to the end of March, I get my bike washed once per week. I use public transit whenever we have heavy snowfall, but biking is much safer than driving a car. Don't give up on winter cycling, you learn something new every year.

I used to live near the ‘geographical south/cultural west’ end of Wellington in Verdun and commute to work near Carrefour Angrignon year round and take public transport only when cycling was not an option, the round trip was about 11 km, this lasted nearly a decade. As a kid/teen/young adult I lived in or near quartier Chameran in VSL and go see my friends who lived just north of hôpital du sacré coeur almost daily, year round cycling in Montreal is familiar and mostly pleasant for me.

I live in Kingston Ontario. My winter solution was getting an ebike with a belt drive and internal geared hub. I don't ride on the worst days as I don't trust other drivers.

I'm just going to say this for right now. What gets someone out in the winter on his bikes more than anything is simply a change for his frame of mind. Same I'd reckon as your "mental block". We have middling winters here compared to further north and further south. 5000 feet ASL in northern Arizona. It snows, but it isn't constantly a factor. It's more the cold than the snow. You simply don't allow yourself a shut down mentality. Everything else like clothes and tires, etc., falls into place when you have the change of heart for it. For benefits I can name something right now. I've trimmed down quite substantially since last summer, with a greater percentage of it happening over winter. I've never been a fatty either. Not for a day in my life. Just a little too heavy in the last few years. I was running about six pounds over from 25 BMI at 185lbs. and 5'11". With winters that was something which always stopped me about four months, that is since I've been back to the bikes. Not stopping it, translated to a reasonably fast adjustment for the second part down to 160 pounds which is about optimal for my height and natural physique. Also under what I was running when I was 17-18, not to mention for most of the time of my UISMC enlistment from 19-22. There were other factors, but that was the largest in my estimation. For my perspective, that's just about as tangible and as positively meaningful for sports physiology as you can get, based in large part on winter bicycling.

A 16°C day in February, a snowstorm on April 4th, and then 17°C and sunny 4 days later on eclipse day, that's the new reality of our climate. Bixi being available year round makes those abnormal days in winter easier for those who don't ride in the winter, and the normal cold days for those who do. Hurray for year-round Bixi!

Oh that's good that they have a non-phone way of using the Bixi system. I don't have data on my phone, so I don't know if I'd be able to use the app off the internet anyway.

I have a shitty bike that I stored outside for the entire winter and now it's super rusted. Thanks for telling about winter bikes that are resistant to rust. I was just planning to buy a new bike and rust is a big factor. also thanks for focusing on winter cycling recently. It's really not bad. For me it's an alternative to walking and quickly biking is no less of an improvement to walking though the snow and cold during winter than in the summer. More people should try this

Thank you, you 2.

I got to try the bikeshare (same model as Bixi) when visiting Boston this January. They apparently have kept them available all-year-round, but do NOT winterise them. I learned this the hard way when I hit a small patch of ice, the bike wiping out from under me sending me in to a parked car. The studded tyres on Bixi make a HUGE difference, making biking through even black ice at a medium pace no trouble at all.

I love this channel.

Luckily I own 12 bikes so having a bike just for winter is easy.

Yah, I’ve been biking year round in Montreal for about 15 years. Rented Bixi last winter and I was very happy for the most part. The problem is that it’s unreliable insofar as my docking station was empty on many occasions making me walk to the next station, making me late for work. Other than that though, it was a great experience and I actually like the bikes for winter and they save my expensive commuter from rust and whatnot.

Belt drives really help. Even if you have a garage for storage the rust build up from riding when there is salt on the roads is a problem. Unfortunately I do not have a belt drive but I do have a garage. I rinse my drive system at my home and work when it is salty and even still I had the front derailleur totally seize up from rust.

The bikes of Bixi look very similar to the bikes of Citi Bike in NYC. Ours don't get studded tires in the winter, and that's OK, because we get less snow. I have ridden Citi Bike on snowy days. The drum brakes and wide tires make the bike feel well planted. The upright position and the weight of the bike give extra traction. It feels more secure than my own bikes.

A pioneering program, if Montréal, freezing and snowy in winter all, can have success with this, many other cities have no excuse.

I love the perhaps overly ambitious idea of heated sidewalks and bike lanes to keep them clear of snow without having to run plows. I know, the cost-benefit analysis there is not necessarily a slam dunk. But it seems like you could really design a bike docking station with this in mind, especially as more and more of the bikes are e-bikes. You would need wiring and perhaps local battery storage in the dock anyway, so why not use the power to make the station more winter resilient. A solar PV canopy could keep the dock sheltered from snowfall and also help with the power needs of the station.

@learn_reality

2 ай бұрын

thats an interesting idea, but still seems to be very inefficient. if it was a good idea it would have atleast been implemented somewhere but i have not heard of anything like that

@adamlytle2615

2 ай бұрын

@@learn_reality do you mean heated roads and sidewalks for snow clearing? They do it in places in Scandinavia and Japan. Yes there's up front costs, but in the long term there's savings in not running and maintaining as many plows and also preventing big temperature swings extends the lifespan of pavement. That said, the use case is questionable for any city without prolonged winters - and as climate change worsens, that may even include Montreal! But applying the idea to a bike docking station needn't be a huge infrastructure program that warms the pavement itself. It could just be a rubber mat secured to the ground. But drainage would need to be planned for. Don't want the melted snow turning into a big ice patch right beside the docking station.

With studded tires, aim for the ice and compacted snow. The studs bite so well that riding isn't a concern, but I have had my foot slip out when I planted it at a red light. Ridding through loose or fresh snow is like riding through sand; little control and tiring. And below -25C the freewheels don't work great either.

I got a $200 fat bike off amazon and other then the cranks dissolving in the first few months it made a really solid winter rider. Only slush being a issue, and deep snow because i would just sink in it and get stuck. But honestly for anything within a few miles it really wasn't bad. A hat and some good gloves and honestly on all but the coldest days( -10F or less) i was to warm if anything.

"winter" cycling was really not much of a problem this past winter in Montreal... I'm in a suburb, and there was maybe one month where there was actual snow on the ground. I rode (my summer bike) in late december and again in the new year and again in February, in all cases, on dry pavement. There would be snow for like a week or two at a time, but most of the time it was pretty clear. We have the same "nov-april" signs for path clearing, but in my borough (Vaudreuil) it looks like they did clear some paths anyways.

I like the music in this episode hahaha

@OhTheUrbanity

2 ай бұрын

Thanks! I had a little fun.

No way, you guys got footage very close to the hotel I work at. Be sure to come by the Old Port again!!

I lived a long time in Ottawa, and one thing I noticed is that Ottawa makes winter feel worse. Of course they have some bad winters, but the city does not provide any comforts to cope with it. When I visited Montreal I was so happy with the Metro and the many places that were connected with indoor paths. Even in the winter it was not so terrible to get around. This is something I never understood about our cities, why do we not design them better to adapt to the winter?

The key is interesting. I also don‘t like putting off gloves in the cold. (Though much less cold than in canada probably). But I’d still prefer a bike share system with no fixed stations. You can park the bike at most public places you could also park your own bike. In practice it’s even more options: You don‘t have to look for something stable to lock it to. Our rental bikes have an integrated frame lock.

pretty cool. useful case study and anecdotes. would you be able to source data from bixi about how well the winter trial went and do a followup video? perhaps this could provide food for thought or even momentum for other munis with similar challenges.

Really great vid: winter cycling is one of those things that seems hard until you do it a lot! Separate note: love the channel and the content, this episode had some odd musical audio spikes at times. Personally, I don't need there to be music added to your content, I love just hearing what you guys have to say. But that's just me!

I feel for that guy that tried all the docks and finally decided to take the bike to another station 😭

winter clothing for biking would be cool to know too. cuz sweating under a heavy jacket is super uncomfy

@OhTheUrbanity

2 ай бұрын

Honestly clothing is pretty similar to what we'd wear for walking places in the winter, except that we might reduce one layer for the torso (maybe just a coat instead of a coat on top of a sweater) with extra for the extremities (balaclava for the face, really good mittens for hands, and maybe tights underneath pants for legs).

"Nice weather we're having" "It's April and its snowing!" as an american i find that amusing. Here our bike lanes are paint and nothing more, so cycling in those areas is just doing it on street.

mtb studded tires and kmc ept chain will help alot in winter.

About the red keys and the cell phones, not everyone is going to be an addict with those things, having them on all the time. Cycling in any form should not be contingent on cell phone addiction since cycling is supposed to be more about being outdoors, fresh air, traditional exercise, being healthy, and detaching yourself from such things. So I agree totally about the red keys. On the POV bike storing/keeping, I'll just say that I personally never keep any bike I own outside my place, especially in the colder months, except inadvertently once in a long while. I live in a manufactured house instead of an apartment or a proper house, and what I do is keep all three bikes in the tub room with a tile floor. Even with the occasional snow ride, it never gets too messy. The snow sticks on them, then it melts off inside in the tub room. When I know it' going to be muddy, I avoid that as much as possible to keep them cleaner.

Let us use NFC to activate the bikee!!

Glad we left after the eclipse!

8:00 Yes winter is very hard on phone batteries as well.

Taking off gloves to fiddle with one's phone in extremely cold weather isn't just annoying; it can be quite dangerous as well. After a gridiron football game played at night in Kansas City, MO in January 2024 at -20C (windchill -33C), a number of fans sought medical attention for frostbite. Of that group, 70% are facing amputations of fingers and/or toes, including one fan who took his gloves off for 5-10 minutes to set up a tailgating tent in the parking lot. (A hidden peril of car-centric sports culture?) There's something to be said for sticking with lower-tech solutions like physical keys, or at least having them available. The more things feel like "magic," the more potential for them to not work or go wrong. Like with cars moving away from physical controls in favor of touchscreens, which invites more distracted-driving accidents from drivers who can no longer change settings by touch and muscle memory.

@yannicklabonte9623

2 ай бұрын

I do cycling all year but my only winter problem is locking my bike. Toching steel frame and lock without gloves ...and you freeze

Surprised to hear really cold places also use salt! Doesn't that just turn into ice instantly? We don't even get much snow/freezing temps (like a week per year max) and many people still stop cycling in the winter months. Even if they own a bike and could just as well use it on a clear day. Great video! Really cool that they thought of adding studded tyres!

as bike network are built threwout the world, proper storage facilties are going to be the most difficult thing to get proper funding for, because unless they (shelters) are built within development projects (residential and or business) I think many governments will see it as a personal issue; but I think it is a very important aspect of adopting this form of transit on mass, and should be seen as an important part of any project. there are bike networks being built in my area, and they don't even have bike parking, let alone public bike parking with proper shelter, and luckily I live in a place doesn't snow, but for places that do proper public bike shelters should be given priority because there are people who won't bike if their bike isn't going to be properly protected from the elements during their commute stops.

Je peux entendre le son du bixi dans le quai qui ne se verrouille pas. Peut-être aussi courant que le Do do dooo du métro I can hear the sound oif the ramming bixi in the dock not locking. Maybe as common as the metro chime

Oh my god! I didn't know you guys were getting slammed with snow. I'll be there in June, I hope it's melted by then. Of course, that wouldn't stop me from getting on two wheels. 😅

You should hold a debate against Steve Greenhut! He's a writer at the OC Register who hates cyclists with a burning passion and believes highway widening is a good idea.

Because of climate change, we get next to no snow anymore in central Indiana which makes winter biking very practical! Usually there's just a week or so that get really cold (below 0 F) but most the winter it's not that cold. In fact, some days can feel very mild when the sun is out. Despite that, many people in this area still have the perception that being outside any time in the winter is like a trip to the artic and will often be amazed that you went anywhere on a bicycle 😂 Times are changing though, I'm seeing more and more people out on bikes all winter! I think the big driver there has been new protected bike trails that were built which increased the safety and enjoyment.

I love Montreal.

I think that I’m the opposite. I’m down to ride my bike when I’m cold, but when the sun is up at 7am, I don’t feel like commuting with a layer of sunscreen before and after my destination.

In Toronto the bikeshare runs all year, unfortunately not with any winterizing. If you have a membership, you also get a card that you can simply scan to unlock a bike, much more convenient than scanning. I'll also add that for me, I use it all year round, for the same reasons you use it in the winter. Why do any bike upkeep at all, when I can outsource it for cheaper?

@OhTheUrbanity

2 ай бұрын

Do you encounter any problems with the docks in the winter in Toronto?

How did you guys deal with the wet / snow on the bike seats? Did you carry a towel, or were you just okay with having a slightly damp bum?

I find it ridiculous for a city that normally gets winter weather to just not maintain things during winter. It would be one thing if it was a city where snow and ice are a rarity, but it's unacceptable for a city where snow and ice is normal for part of the year. Does the government expect the city and it''s citizens to just shut down for part of the year?

@sylvainmichaud2262

2 ай бұрын

Ever spent a winter in a city with snowfalls ? 1) The logistic required for snow removal is mind boggling and costly. 2) The current demand for winter available bike share wasn't there just a decade ago. Their constantly growing popularity in summer and the increasing number of bike paths and those winter maintained led to this pilot project. 3) Justifying the operational costs to the rest of the population was and still is a nightmare, thanks to those who hate bike commuters and cyclists. It is such that it would have probably compromised the re-election of those taking the decision. It had to be a step by step project. Yes it should have been done long ago but we finally made it there despite the opposition to it.

@TheTroyc1982

2 ай бұрын

Those signs and chains stop the city from being sued

@Arjay404

2 ай бұрын

@@sylvainmichaud2262 On your number 2, I was even talking about the bike part. I just thought it was crazy how many stairs and paths were just blocked off by the city. The bike thing I really do understand it, sad thing is that biking numbers just aren't that high so it makes it even more difficult to justify spending money for cyclist when it comes to snow. (Though I do have to counter a bit and say that it would be much easier if the design of the cycle infrastructure was just better, other places that get snow are able to deal with it. Though the amount of snow can obviously vary a lot.)

@Arjay404

2 ай бұрын

@@TheTroyc1982 Didn't think about that. Sad that that is a consideration that the city has to take in a situation like that.

I wonder if Bixi will continue winter operations when they see the maintenance costs that the salt and snow inflict on their bikes and docking stations.

I really really wish there was like some decent 'training' wheels to stabilize my bike. I slipped on ice and almost completely tore my meniscus from my bike frame slamming on my knee. Tires just slipped out sideways.

@chow-chihuang4903

2 ай бұрын

Ouch! Studded tires are best for ice. Slipnot makes chains for bike tires. A dedicated trike is more stable than a bike with “training” wheels, and those are harder to find since the preferred method to teach kids to ride a bike is with a “balance” bike (a push bike with no pedals).

I've been eyeing the topmate foldable 3 wheel 15mph scooter for years, very sad it appears to be no longer sold or supported. The only 3+ wheel scooters left on the market are now very speed limited low range mobility scooters, or full size tricycles that cant be easily carried up a small apartment. Falling on ice is something that just happens and until we destigmatize 3 wheels for able bodied adults, I just dont think winter cycling can move forward.

Great video. I live in Edmonton and just went through my first winter bike commuting. Last fall I bought I bike to specifically do that. It has an internal gear hub instead of a standard gear mechanism, so I don’t have to worry so much about the salt and grime. Not nearly as much maintenance needed. Got me through a cold prairie winter just fine. I do admit to taking a few cabs on heavy snow days before the bike lanes were cleared. But we have bike lanes. So I’m not going to complain

❤❤❤

this was an easy winter. I never even put the studs on.

do you think they'd consider heating the stations to melt the immediate snow built up on the docks?

@krob9145

2 ай бұрын

Maybe under paving heating.

@falsemcnuggethope

2 ай бұрын

a roof would go a long way already

@braden_tmoore

2 ай бұрын

@@falsemcnuggethope lol thats probably smarter

To sum it up in a single sentence: don't be gentle, it's a rental ;)

I wish I could bike in cold weather but the wind hurts my ears so much and I can’t figure out ear protection that doesn’t put too much pressure on my head like a headband does

You cannot mention the reddit post without mentioning it started the whole sub meming around it with "I don't think this winter car/walking/working experiment is working" all of them listing the fact that yes, there is snow in winter

Ottawa 🤦‍♂

Have they created an e-bike with heated handlebars yet?

@OhTheUrbanity

2 ай бұрын

E-bikes aren’t available, unfortunately, because the batteries just can’t handle being left outside in the cold

So its not a winter biking hang up per say but one I get told about in general (granted I'm not a biker myself for a few reasons but people like to talk to me about stuff). Namely, the fear being that they'll attract unwanted attention while cycling from angles such as catcalling, body shaming, people taking it as either them being too poor to own a car or like they are some kind of academic nobility who cycle to show their smugness usw. The first two most often told to me by women and the last two most often told to me by men. Is there a good way to tackle these more social blocks?

And here I thought winter cycling was annoying because it's slightly chilly in Southern California. Canadians are built different.

For the winter study, they should have been straight up free and not needed the dock.

@OhTheUrbanity

2 ай бұрын

It's a docked system. It's not really set up for any other way.

8:13 It'd be neat if bike share services (and iOS/Android) had a similar system to what transit systems like the NYC Subway use with the Express transit feature of apple wallet/Google pay. Would be a lot nicer in the winter for people who don't wanna carry around an extra key but don't want to spend time fiddling with their phone and QR codes/apps

Meanwhile here in Anchorage, Alaska the sidewalks and bike paths are often not maintained at all in the winter. If I decide to ride to work between October and April, when the snow arrives and leaves, a fat bike is basically required. Even then, I have to get clever because my usual route is blocked by snow berms as tall as I am. Sigh, we could be like Oulu but our paradigm is so far from that way of thinking.

@crowmob-yo6ry

2 ай бұрын

The exclusively American cultural expectation that everyone must always drive everywhere is the worst.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

kzread.info/dash/bejne/imp5w6xqiseee84.html

Why do I recognize the male voice but I can't for the life of me remember where it's from...

Plateau bubble

I tried winter biking this year in Ottawa. It was way easier than I expected, there were maybe 2 days that were too icy to bike without studded tires. The only problem was close calls with aggressive drivers where bike infrastructure wasn't usable. I work in the suburbs past the Greenbelt and there's no winter bike infrastructure for most of my commute but within the core the snow clearing was pretty good