by MARITES CARINO

Two winters ago, I picked up my bike post-snowstorm from a friend’s and attempted the ride home. Not really accustomed to winter biking, I gingerly pedalled down an alley on the packed snow, and unexpectedly gathered speed. Next thing I knew, I was flying through the air, my right shoulder smashed into the ground, and I couldn’t breathe. Tears were stinging my eyes and a man stood over me asking if I was okay. After that experience, I swore I would never ride in the winter again—at least until now.

For those who get chills up the spine when thinking about winter riding because of fear and the dropping mercury, Concordia’s volunteer-run bike organization Right to Move is offering a possible cure called the Runny Noses workshop. The one-night event gives tips on how to bike safely and warmly over the snowy months, winter bike maintenance and parking your steed.

Alex Livingston, who has been teaching the workshop for three years, first discovered winter biking when he moved to Montreal from Vancouver, where urban bikers ride through all the seasons. Since biking is something Livingston does every day, he had no choice but to adapt to the climate in la belle ville. “I had to get around,” he says. “I had a bicycle, and one day I just did it. Put on my boots, my tuque and gloves and just went riding. And it’s been happily ever after since then.”

Wet and wild

However, as Livingston points out, in order for this to be an enjoyable experience, you’ve got to be prepared. “You have to be ready to work on your bike, and keep it clean,” he notes. “Rag it down and don’t let stuff sit on it. And when you get home, bring it in.”

Rust is the bike’s worst enemy in the winter, and workshop participants will learn how to avoid it. Livingston gives this advice: “If you have a steel frame, wherever there are scratches, it can rust. So just put on wax all over the scratches for the winter, like car wax, candle wax, just make sure it’s there.”

As for gear, it’s all about being waterproof from head to toe-clip. Waterproof pants and jacket are a must for winter riding. Beware if you don’t have fenders, warns Livingston, “You get the big skunk-tail when you’re riding, and you get soaked. And there’s nothing like wet pants in minus 10 degree weather.”

Once your bike is ready and you’re geared up, what about riding? Everything from cornering to braking is going to take longer than usual. “If you’ve never really ridden in snow before, find a field and ride around,” Livingston suggests. “You get used to it, and fast.”

Over the years, he’s gotten used to it, so much that he’s only got good things to say about snowy riding: “It’s so nice riding in the winter. It’s so quiet, it’s peaceful, and you get a whole street to yourself sometimes. It’s bright because you get the moonlight reflecting off the snow and it’s good exercise. It’s my favourite time of the year to bike.” :

The Runny Noses workshop will be held in the coming months, date to be determined. For more information or if you’re interested in volunteering for Right to Move, call 999-4885