The 2024 winter skill share was a hit! We met up at Minneapolis Central Library for some great sessions, conversations, and an awesome gear swap. Blue (Blue, they) did an excellent job keeping us on track and sharing announcements between sessions.
Winter biking is joy! We loved seeing live feedback from members who shared their favorite things about winter biking.
Our first session was “What to Wear”. Mittens (she/her) reminded everyone that you do not need to be a badass to bike in the winter, and to always start with what you have.
If you’re a spreadsheet human (like me), you might find it helpful to make a spreadsheet that lists weather conditions, what you wore, and how you felt. I have found this to be a really helpful way to figure out what clothes to put on before I ride! It’s also a helpful way to figure out if you need different gear. The slides from Mittens’s presentation are here.
After a short break, Max (he/they) and Catherine (she/her) presented about riding, routing, and safety. They showed us some great photos of road conditions in the winter to remind us that the snow and ice creates an entirely different environment. Key takeaways were to slow down around corners, change your route if needed, ride where you feel comfortable (including options to “take the lane” and/or ride safely on the sidewalk), and use public transit when you need or want to! There is never any shame in choosing a different transportation option if you’re not feeling up for biking. Combining transit with biking can also make for a safer and more flexible trip!
We also gathered some great tips from members. Check them out!
For our third session, Cali (she/her) shared some bike maintenance wisdom. If you’ve ever heard of checking your “ABC’s” before riding, Cali modified that to “ABCD” for winter biking. A is for air in your tires. Make sure your tires are firmly inflated. If you can feel the tire move when you squeeze it, you need more air! Tires often need to be inflated more often in the winter, depending on temperature fluctuation. B is for brakes. Make sure they work! Your brakes may accumulate grit and gunk during the winter, clean them as needed. C is for chain. Check that it spins smoothly, and grease it if it looks dry or squeaks. D is for “don’t forget the frame!” This was one of my favorite bike maintenance tips. Accumulated snow and gunk on your frame can hide cracks in your frame. This type of damage is not common, but it is a serious safety concern that you should check for regularly. Cali sent us home with a nice handout of winter bike maintenance tips.
Between our sessions, Megan (she/her) led us in some simple stretching routines to warm up for winter biking, and to recover after finishing your bike ride. She made us a cute little zine to take home! If you’d like to print out and cut the zine for yourself, you can download it here. Instructions for how to cut and fold a zine are here. (Reminder that Hennepin County Library gives you free printing! Yay for libraries!)
We know that winter is joyful, but can also be challenging. Here are some hot tips for keeping your spirits up.
We concluded our 15th annual winter skill share with a successful gear swap. We loved giving away so many items for free! First-time winter bikers were given the opportunity to choose items first, followed by folks who already had some experience. FTWs went home with cozy warm clothes, studded tires, bike repair tools, reflective/hi-vis gear, bike bags, gift cards to local bike shops, and more! We are so grateful for our generous community of members and local bike shops. Special thanks to Perennial Cycle, Angry Catfish Bicycle, Express Bike Shop, Camden Cycles, and the Repair Lair.
Thanks to everyone who filled out our survey after the event! It was really helpful for helping us plan future events. According to our survey results, over half of the participants had never been to a winter skill share before.
We had a pretty even spread of winter biking experience, which made for excellent conversation.
Finally, we loved that almost all participants learned something new, met new people, enjoyed themselves, and left feeling more comfortable trying winter biking.
