Snow isn’t just snow, as anybody who lives through it knows. There are types and degrees.
That is relevant knowledge in many situations, most of which involve skis, vodka or both. But this is also relevant when you ride a bike year-round. Contrary to southern belief, snow is not anathema to cycling. Cycling on some types of snow is easy and sure, and creates some of those lovely experiences unique to winter cycling. Other types, however, seem to exist for nothing other than making life miserable for people on bikes.
So with our fair hemisphere blanketed in snow, I set out recently on a mission to assess the cyclability of different types of snow. It involved the development of a careful methodology (basically, I rode around looking for different types of snow, then rode headlong into them), a little trial-and-error, and a few headers, but hopefully the results will prove beneficial.
Here are the results, from most bike-friendly to least.
What is it? The dream of winter cyclists: snow that has been removed. The image of piles of snow pushed to the side of a route is a rare one in some places, attainable only if a bike route is cleared early and often by proper equipment, leaving nothing but gloriously bald asphalt devoid of pockets of ice. Such snow, or lack thereof, offers riding as sure, swift and fun as the summer, but can be as elusive as a grolar bear.
Where to find it: Stretches of bicycle pathways or cycle tracks in the immediate aftermath of a plow, sometimes interrupted by patches of packed snow and ice left behind by plows. In Calgary, try the Bow River pathway along Memorial Drive on certain days. Also see: Shovelled sidewalks, although one should never ride on a cleared and empty sidewalk because it’s against the law, even when the adjacent road is filled with ice and half-ton trucks piloted by caffeine-addled texters.
How it handles bikes: Smooth, easy, efficient and fun. Just like summer.
My result: My bike sailed over it without a second thought; offering a moment of respite from all that surrounded it.
How to deal: Enjoy the ride and thank your local city councillor.
What is it: Unplowed snow that has been lightly packed down (ideally, by foot) over several days, leaving it slightly compact but loose enough for a little compression.
Where to find it: On shared pathways or unshovelled sidewalks.
How it handles bikes: Great, for the most part. With the snow giving a bit under the weight of a bike, the snow offers traction and grip. Riding on it feels strong and sure, especially when it’s cold enough to prevent any melting. It does slow you down a bit, but it’s a welcome tradeoff for the feeling of suction.
My result: Reminded me of why I love winter cycling. I forgot about the risk of falling, sat back and enjoyed the muffled sounds and serenity of winter. Postcard-perfect.
How to deal: Relax and enjoy the ride.
Poorly plowed snow
What is it: The stuff left behind after a plow clears a pathway, usually packed tightly in potholes and cracks in the asphalt. Sometimes this includes seams of snow cemented to the ground until spring by the weight of passing plows. After a few days, these patches tend to freeze into ice, creating unpredictable hazards.
Where to find it: On aging pathways with buckled asphalt; along pathways in parks with poplar trees and their relentlessly growing roots, or in sections of any pathway with poor or lazy snow clearers. Also see: Many plowed roadways and on-street bike lanes.
How it handles bikes: Most patches can be easily sailed over, provided you don’t brake nor turn too sharply on them. They can, however, get slippery, usually when you have been lulled into a false sense of security by stretches of well-plowed pathway leading up to them.
My result: A few wobbly moments, but by avoiding brakes and turning while riding over the slick sections, I barely gave them a second thought.
How to deal: Be aware and try to keep your weight centred over your bike, and you should have no problems.
What is it: Wet, soggy snow that is rapidly disappearing under the warmth of a winter warming spell.
Where to find it: When the temperature rises, you’ll see this everywhere, but mostly on the edges of busy roads and pathways.
How it handles bikes: Not bad, provided it isn’t too deep. Most slush is soft enough for your bike to cut right through down to the ashphalt, offering nice traction. But there area few cautions. Slush is a mess and will make you and your bike wet and grimy. And if it’s getting later in the day, after the sun has gone down, beware of that slush freezing into ice.
My result: Other than some wet pant cuffs, no problem.
How to deal: Use fenders.
What is it: Freshly fallen dry snow that has been touched by neither human nor machine.
Where to find it: Early in the morning after a snowfall. Very early.
How it handles bikes: Mixed bag. There’s undeniable carnal pleasure in laying fresh tracks in powder (ask any skier), but pushing a bike through can be difficult. If it’s dry and shallow; no problem. Any deeper than about mid-calf, however, and it can grind any bike to a stop (yes, this includes you, gloating fatbikers).
The result: Embarrassingly, I caught myself laughing gleefully while roaring through some fresh pow, until it got too deep and my bike slowed to a halt. I had to get off and push to the nearest road.
How to deal: Power through it as long as you can, then get off and walk.
What is it: Lovely, fluffy white snow crushed, trampled and beaten by cars and trucks into a hard-packed concrete-like mixture, usually glistening white with a glint of devilish iciness.
Where to find it: Roadways after rush hour. The edges of plowed roadways. The edges of non-plowed roadways. Roadways after several days of snow. Roadways after warm-freeze spells. Roadways.
How it handles bikes: Such snow removes traction, the ability to brake, and the ability to turn quickly.
My result: I found some on a residential road, which sent me into a white-knuckled wobble. But I quickly recovered and gingerly pedalled for a few blocks in a straight line without incident. As I was starting to gain confidence, however, a car passed me a little too close and I felt trapped by the slick snow. So I moved over into the exposed asphalt in the middle of the lane, and breathed a sigh of relief.
How to deal: Stay upright. Avoid sharp turns. Keep pedalling cadence consistent. Look for areas that have been sanded or salted. Pray to your maker.
What is it: Snow that sits on a city street the way Mother Nature intended it: untouched by plow, sand or salt or any other effort to remove it. Usually, such areas are pockmarked with tire treads, footprints, ruts, furrows or all of the above.
How it handles bikes: About the same way a boulder field, Caribbean beach or the moon. In other words, good luck.
The result: The good thing about such snow is that it’s not dangerous because you are unable to get enough momentum to reach a speed that might lead to an injury in a crash. Also, if it’s early enough after a snowfall, the powder might break your fall. Still, it’s near impossible to get through such areas on a regular bike.
How to deal: Avoid, or walk through. Complain to your friendly neighbourhood elected representative.
What is it: Frozen water.
Where to find it: On (mostly plowed) roads and pathways in the morning after sunny and warm days, before sanding or salting trucks have arrived. Hidden beneath layers of fresh snow. In your freezer.
How it handles bikes: There isn’t much worse for bikes. While possible to safely pedal over ice by keeping your weight centred and going easy on the brakes, that’s only possible if you see it early enough. The real danger of ice is when it hides beneath fresh snow or under furrows.
The results: Confession time: While I regulaly sail over small patches of ice without a second thought, I couldn’t bring myself to ride over a long one. I tried. I gingerly rolled over some hard ice with my feet off the pedals ready to catch my fall, but when I did lose my balance and put me feet down, they slipped too. I stayed upright, but my heart ended up in my throat. End of experiment.
How to deal: If the patch of ice is longer than your bike, don’t even try it. Ride around it.
What is it: Snow+ dirt = snirt. It’s the dirty stuff on the sides of roads, usually pushed there by plows and soiled by gross stuff thrown from passing vehicles. Floating snirt is what I call the chunks of grey stuff that remain on roads as a kind of dirty topsoil to the packed snow below. It’s the stuff left behind, torn between the worlds of snow and dirt, accepted by neither, forced to live out its days being tossed from one side of the road to the other until springtime or a plow puts it out of its misery.
Where to find it: Unplowed roads several days after significant snowfalls. On the sides of roads leading into plowed snowbanks or furrows. In your nightmares.
How it handles bikes: The cyclist’s worst enemy. More insidious than ice because of its unpredictability, bikes tend to drift on top of floating snirt, lurching around in random ways, most often at the exact moment a car passes closely by. Unlike ice or hard-packed snow, no strategy seems to work when trying to navigate through snirt.
My results: Snirt is a charmer. When I saw it, it looked far from dangerous, prompting me to nonchalantly pedal through it on a side road until my randomly careening front and back tires snapped me back to attention. Alas, it happened too late. My centre of gravity was gesticulating like the pendulum of a grandfather clock, and it was only a well-placed foot that saved me from a asphalt sandwich. Phew.
How to deal: Avoid it.
Of the nine types of snow encountered on my mission, seven are nothing much to worry about. For the others, there’s an easy to way to deal with them: avoidance, or a good pair of winter or studded tires (you use them on your car, why not your bike?). If you are so inclined, you could try riding a fat bike with massively wide tires.
Did I miss any snow types that bring you bliss or grief? Let me know. Leave a comment below or follow me on Twitter, Google Plus,or Facebook, or drop me a line via email me at email@example.com.
Some feedback from Twitter, where people offered up some great alternative names for snirt, including mashed potatoes, brown sugar and chop, among others.