Comment 106394

By mikeonthemountain (registered) | Posted November 21, 2014 at 11:02:31 in reply to Comment 106379

Yes, can confirm, on road bike lanes are covered and not in use over here. I'm riding in-lane this week; others I see riding are on the sidewalks.

In the absence of this, taking the lane is much better; excerpted from a Calgary blog:

Unfortunately the best place to ride in the winter is right on the street. Cars are natural snowplows. The busier the street, the clearer it is. This is a double edged sword in that in order to ride on the clear path, you have to ride amongst the cars. If you are riding on the road do not compromise by trying to ride on the snow covered shoulder. Riding there can be very tricky and it is easy to lose your balance and veer into the lane you have left open for cars (or worse, crash). Instead, it is your right to take the lane, and you should. On heavy snow days you may have no other option but to use the sidewalk in places (legally, you are required to dismount on sidewalks, of course). Citizens are generally better at clearing snow from sidewalks before the city does the street -- side streets and many “designated bike ways” may never get cleared.

The irony that all the waste heat of ICE vehicles is a bug, not a feature, yet acts as a feature in this context, is not lost on me.

Also it should go without saying that just like there are days where it's smart to leave the car at home, there are snow days where it's smart to leave the bike at home too.

Also it should go without saying that the suggestion of winter tires for bikes was not intended as a substitute for snow removal, no more than snow tires on a vehicle substitute for snow removal. You put snow tires on your car, you put boots on your feet; some riders will notice a benefit and risk mitigation, especially given black ice and surprises even on the best plowed roads.

Finally, as long as lane sharing is tolerated while the nice wide bike lanes sit under snow mounds, I am okay. But I'm at the risk accepting end of the riding fear spectrum. To the end of increasing use and ridership, I believe a maintenance program will help to the extent we want and agree on one.

Comment edited by mikeonthemountain on 2014-11-21 11:16:44

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