Winter in Boulder typically offers weeks of blue skies and dry pavement, but some days it will be cold with a lot of snow. Riding a bike in winter conditions can add fun, a little suffering (let's be honest) and adventure to your life. Here are some tips to make the most of your winter biking experience.

Ride the paths

After it snows, Boulder includes all multi-use paths in it’s “primary” snow clearing response. The city’s parks and rec department gets an early start on the Boulder Creek path and CU clears all campus paths. Multi-use paths will be clear long before the majority of streets, so try taking the paths as much as possible. Most streets with bike lanes will eventually be plowed, but be on the lookout for clumps of snow in the bike lane and be ready to come to a stop and dismount your bike.

Ride steady

If the surface is bumpy and/or slick, stay loose, keep a straight line and try not to brake. If you know an icy area is coming up, brake before you get to it and coast over it without braking. If you need to brake on a slick surface, only brake with your rear brake, usually on the right handlebar. If your rear wheel slips, you can still recover; if the front wheel slides out, it’s all over. If they are in your budget, carbide studded tires can make riding on ice safer. 

Ride easy

If you are going to ride through serious snow, put your bike in a lower (easier) gear so you don’t get bogged down when the pedaling gets hard. If you typically ride with max air pressure, let a little air out as softer tires are more likely to grip on a soft surface. When approaching rough patches of snow, keep your arms slightly bent and relaxed so you are ready to absorb the bumps.

Be seen

If you plan to ride at night or in the early morning, be sure to keep your front and rear bike lights on and charged. Use reflectors on your bike so that drivers can see you, in the event that your lights stop working. Colorado law requires a front light and red rear reflector; most bikes come with a red rear reflector on the seat post. Many bikes also have reflectors built into the pedals. If you leave your bike parked somewhere, take at least your front light with you as they are often stolen.

Stay warm

Layer up and consider wearing a windproof -- or windproof and waterproof -- shell over your insulated jacket. A light hat or headband under your helmet that covers your ears goes a long way in helping you stay comfortable. On a bike, your fingers and hands will face the wind, so don’t forget warm gloves or mittens. You can make or purchase bar mitts (also called pogies) that attach to your handlebars to give your hands extra protection. Snow or rain pants can help keep you warm, and consider full zip-over pants (popular in nordic skiing and in rain gear) that you can easily remove when going inside. Long underwear can work, but your legs may get hot when you are inside and they require more work to take off.

If you wear snow boots, make sure they have good traction so your feet don’t slip off the pedals and cause a serious injury. Platform pedals with an aggressive tread will help keep your feet secure. Smooth platform pedals, on the other hand, are dangerous when conditions are snowy and wet. If you ride clipped in, there are many shoe covers on the market that can make wearing dedicated cycling shoes tolerable in the cold. It’s generally harder to stay warm when clipped in with metal cleats that conduct heat from your foot.

Keep your bus pass handy

It's a good idea to have a backup plan in case you encounter mechanical or other issues before you reach your destination, that way you can lock your bike and walk, or find a ride. It’s also easy to put your bike on a bus. Bus bike racks can be complicated at first, so watching someone do it first may be helpful. Keep in mind that the bike racks on buses do have easy-to-read instructions printed on them. Something to note: always put the bike rack in the upright position after removing your bike, if there isn't another bike still on the rack. More importantly, for your safety, ALWAYS tell the bus driver you will be taking your bike off the rack as you exit the bus. Google Maps shows bus stops along your route; make sure to find the stop on the side of the street that your bus will be traveling.

Maintain your bike

The best thing you can do for your bike in the winter is to keep it inside. A bike that dries out slowly outdoors will have a lot of corrosion by the time spring rolls around, especially on the chain and the shift/brake cables. If your bike is snowy, brush off as much snow as possible before bringing it in, then make sure you have mats or something else to collect water under it. On those rare days in Boulder when it’s single-digit temperatures and snowy, it’s actually best to leave your bike outside for a bit before riding. A cold bike will have less snow sticking and freezing to it. When your bike chain begins to get noisy, lubricate it with a quality bike lubricant. A "wet" lube will last the longest in wintry conditions.

Have fun and be safe!

Riding in winter conditions can be a blast. The extra challenge presented can make a ride that much more fun. If you don’t typically wear a helmet, well…maybe rethink that for these conditions. Focus and consider that it will take you longer to stop. Avoid riding along heavy traffic when possible. Enjoy the snow, fresh air and the challenge of navigating the less than ideal riding conditions.

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There are numerous sources of transportation which directly pollute the air and contribute to climate change. However, there are easy and accessible ways of swapping traditional forms of transportation for greener ones.

Biking

• Bicycle riding uses minimal fossil fuels and is a pollution-free mode of transport.
• There are no non-renewable fuels burned by riding a bike.
• Bikes reduce the need to build, service and dispose of cars.
• Bicycle riding conserves roadway and residential space, thereby providing opportunities for less concrete and more plant life in urban areas.
• Bonus: Biking can improve your own personal health!

Interested in a global perspective? Check out this information on the benefits of biking from . Or this .

Driving

Even if you do need to drive a car, there are ways to be more sustainable.

• Each vehicle used for one-way car sharing can eliminate as many as 11 cars from the streets, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 13 metric tons a year, as reported by .
• Car-sharing means fewer automobile miles driven and less air pollution.
• Check out the ’s recommendations on reducing pollution from vehicles, independent of car-sharing.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of car-sharing? Check out this article from , affiliated with the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Walking

• Walking is a cheap transportation option.
• Walking creates no air pollution or carbon emissions.
• Walking is an excellent form of exercise!

Check out this  about walking as a means of transportation.

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Boulder is one of the best places to bike. The city offers 96 miles of bike lanes, 300 miles of bikeways, 84 miles of multi-use paths and 50 miles of specific bike routes. Everywhere you go, you see someone on a bike within the city, and that may be intimidating, but we can all get into biking with the right resources. 

1. If you’re looking to change your commute to campus and want to start biking, look into the Bicycle Program on campus. You can find resources on how to register your bike, bike maintenance and you can subscribe to the CU Bike Newsletter.

2. Use , which includes an unlimited number of 60-minute trips. Please return the bike to a BCycle station within one hour.

3. When looking to get around the city, check out the city's  which provides information on the different bike paths within the city and bike safety tips.

4. Turn to the web! Many online retailers such as  and Backcountry provide resources on how to find the perfect bike for your experience level, or what type of cycling you’re trying to get into. Plus they have resources on the kinds of gear you might look into getting.

5. Look local! If you want to get a feel for the different types of bikes or equipment then stop by a local bike shop. In Boulder, there are plenty of bike shops where you can test out a wide range of different bikes, equipment and ask bike experts all of your questions.

6. Bike with friends. It may be nerve-wracking to dive into biking alone, so turn to your friends, co-workers or classmates who are into biking. You can chat about how they got into biking, and if they have any tips or tricks that might help you.

No matter what, it’s never too late to try something new, and to try your hand at biking. It might just be something you love. 

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Boulder B-cycle has been Boulder’s exclusive non-profit bike share system for almost nine years. With 300 bikes and more than 40 stations operating 24/7 in and around Boulder and main and east ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ campuses, Boulder B-cycle offers a convenient, reliable and safe alternative transportation option for everyone.

The Environmental Center has partnered with B-cycle to offer ALL CU students  beginning in fall 2019. The ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ student pass includes unlimited 30-minute trips for a whole year and has introduced more than 1,500 first-time student members to bike sharing at CU. These new riders helped trips by CU affiliates increase by 75% from fall 2018 to fall 2019; CU riders have taken nearly 25,000 trips by Boulder B-cycle since classes began in August 2019!

B-cycle installed three new station locations on the CU main campus in 2019, expanding the number of stations serving CU to 13 and making sure that no location at CU is more than ¼ mile (a five-minute walk) from a Boulder B-cycle station. The Rec Center location was a collaboration with Google and Ralphie’s Green Stampede where attendees at a CU Buffs game voted on the location.

The connectivity of all these CU stations means that the average time of a bike-sharing trip between all of them is only 10 minutes, making Boulder B-cycle an extremely fast way to travel from place to place. The most-utilized B-cycle stations since the start of the 2019-20 school year are all at CU: Center for Community, Williams Village and Folsom and Colorado, with the most highly ridden route during this time being C4C to Williams Village.

Redistribution of B-cycles from station to station is a great way for the ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ community to earn PIPs - Positive Impact Points. . At the end of each month, riders have a balancing score which is the net total of all positive and negative redistribution behaviors from B-cycle trips. Learn more about PIPs at ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������.

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Not sure what to bring as you head back to campus for the fall semester? Check out these sustainable living ideas below as well as our .

A bike and U-lock

• Bicycles are an excellent way to get around CU and Boulder; make sure to always lock your bike with a U-lock to keep your bike safe.
• Our bike rental program will have semester-long rentals available  and during the .
• We also have a used bike sale every year on campus in early September. The sale typically sells out, so arrive early if you plan to get your bike there. 
•  always has a selection of used bikes for sale.
• Make sure to register your bike once you're on campus to protect against theft and make it easier to locate your bike if it is lost or stolen.

Reusables for fueling on the go

• Buffs love reusables! These reusables are popular to keep single-use items out of landfills:
  • water bottle
  • mug
  • shopping bags
  • utensil set 

Used furnishings

• Almost everything you need to furnish your dorm room, apartment or house can be found at a thift store in Boulder County.
• Save money and add character to your space by buying used. Check out these .

Used books and recycled-content notebooks

• Save money and natural resources by renting your textbooks or buying them used - both are available at the CU Bookstore and many outlets online. Check for optional textbooks in the University Libraries catalog. 
• Look for notebooks and paper with post-consumer recycled content and re-fillable pens and pencils, all available at the CU Bookstore.

Green cleaning supplies

• Recent research from ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ and affiliates found that household cleaners are almost as dirty as cars in terms of air pollution. Keep youself and your roommates healthy by choosing environmentally-responsible cleaning supplies or making your own.

Power strip for charging your devices

• A power strip with energy-saving features will allow you to decrease  and protect all of your devices from power surges. 

LED and compact fluorescent lights and light bulbs

• Look for energy-efficient LEDs and compact fluorescent light bulbs (the swirly ones) as you choose lighting for your spaces.

PIPs' Fall Welcome trivia content starts Aug. 2

PIPs (positive impact points) are a 'currency for good' used on our campus that you can redeem for gift cards, scholarships and more.

Download the app today and start earning even before getting to campus. Be sure to sign in with your Identikey to access campus-specific earning options.

Check out the Buff Fall Welcome Trivia contest which runs Aug. 2-9, 2019. It doesn't matter where you are, you can play, earn PIPs for correct answers, and if you prove to be a top trivia Buff, you'll get to choose from a pretty awesome list of prizes. Just go to Challenges on the app's main menu, then the trivia contest.

Look for more ways to earn throughout Fall Welcome once you get to campus!

Good luck, safe travels and welcome to the ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ PIPs community! Got questions, justask@pipsrewards.com.

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