News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by Finnucane on Monday January 25, 2021 @12:36PM (#25906093)
I'm in Cambridge (MA) and until the plague shutdown commuted to work by bike pretty much every day. I've never bothered with studded tires because the number of days when it would really make a difference is not high enough to be worth the bother. The city recently put in some separated lanes on the main roads that they plow and salt (sorry, chain), but the painted bike lanes everywhere else gets slushy and rutted just as described in the video. And cars park in them because the spaces aren't cleared. Some of my coworkers think I'm nuts, but as the video says, most of them speak from no actual experience.
Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by JNRowe on Monday January 25, 2021 @02:42PM (#25907759)
I'm near Cambridge(UK) and the number of days where it makes a difference is low here too. The bike lane experience largely sounds similar too :/

However, in the Before Times I'd keep a spare front wheel with a winter Schwalbe for slimy or light snow days. Swapping it out took literal seconds, and it made a huge difference. Variable traction on the back wheel is far more forgiving.

Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by anoncake on Tuesday January 26, 2021 @04:56AM (#25914095)
Holy shit. There's an outbreak of Yersinas Pestis, which is 10 times as deadly as Covid?
Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by grecy on Monday January 25, 2021 @01:27PM (#25906745)
I lived in Whitehorse, Yukon for 4 years.

I rode ~25 minutes to work every single day of the year. My best was -44C (-47.2F). It's like a whole different world at that temperature, and a lot of fun! (especially when the northern lights come out at 4pm.

Mostly in the winter it was around -30C or -35C.

Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by cartoonfoxes on Monday January 25, 2021 @02:22PM (#25907502)
I'm there now. This video reflects my experience - if you're close enough to your destination cycling is stupid easy when they plow the roads / trails, no fatbikes required. In anything short of -35C I'm probably warmer and more comfortable than people who drive. I walk more frequently than cycle, though, since the single biggest problem I've found with winter cycling is the hazard from fogged glasses in cold weather.
Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by legerdemain on Monday January 25, 2021 @02:27PM (#25907574)
Around the 8:45 mark, the author describes specialized gear he uses while bicycling in winter: a jacket, some gloves, and a touque. I was surprised to find out that he doesn't wear pants!
Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by Jermaine_Jabi on Monday January 25, 2021 @02:35PM (#25907667)
Lovely idea to project signage directly on the snow.

Montreal is getting better about plowing bike lanes, they are still third in line behind car roads and sidewalks but they do get plowed relatively quickly after big dumps.

Also having experienced dedicated lanes, not just painted markings, it makes a world of difference. You can actually relax a bit and enjoy the ride, even if you're close to car traffic.

Try winter riding! I assure you, you will not be cold!

Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by Finnucane on Monday January 25, 2021 @03:51PM (#25908676)
The key is layering. Being able to remove a layer when you warm up is good. Also, gore-tex everything.
Re:Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish Peopl... by sthnblllII on Monday January 25, 2021 @08:01PM (#25911139)
Ever since crime soared in the 1960's, it would be unthinkable for Americans to leave hundreds of bikes unattended like that not chained to anything. They would be stolen within minutes. Its a real shame what simply isn't possible here anymore.