Family (Biking) Matters is a monthly column that addresses questions and issues you may have as a person or family biking in the city. Don’t forget–– families come in all different shapes and sizes! If you have a question, write to hillfamilybiking@gmail.com.–– María Helena Carey
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Family (Biking) Matters: I had such a great summer biking all over DC with my kids! But as soon as the weather changed, my kids turned into anti-biking pumpkins. What can I do to encourage my family to bike during cold weather months and have fun while doing it?
Frostbit Family Biking
Dear Frostbit: With the first chill of fall, I get a touch of sadness as the daily decrease in sunshine hours becomes apparent, reminding me winter’s just around the corner. The District’s typical winter is somewhat mild, yet it’s punctuated by our classic weather pattern of 36 degrees and raining. However, one source of great joy for the past 12 years in our family has been winter cycling with our kids, starting when they were just infants.
Winter biking with your kids requires a different mindset, preparation, and equipment. With a little bit of planning you can enjoy some of the coziest and most delightful family riding of the year.
The Basics
Here are some basic tips for the winter biking:
- Stay in control: Wear gloves and eyewear that allow full control.
- Less tire pressure is better: Release some air pressure from your tires towards the low end of what the manufacturer recommends to increase traction in wet, slushy or frozen surfaces
- Plan your route: Give some advance thought to exactly where you will ride on the roadway or trail to avoid any prolonged stretches of frozen surface. DC clears the snow and ice from bike facilities, but it doesn’t happen immediately. Ongoing freeze/thaw cycles can put water and ice back on the roadway, so keep a lookout when these conditions are present.
- Stay warm and comfortable: You likely have most of the gear you’ll need for your family. Helmets with ear flaps are especially great, and most ski/snowboard helmets meet an equivalent impact standard to bike helmets, and have space to fit winter goggles over them. Wear layers on your body’s core that you can easily take off on longer rides, but hands, feet, ears, eyes and noses are the places we first feel winter’s chill, so cover these up with decent winter apparel for the conditions.
- Check the bad attitude at the door: A good attitude is a great thing to bring for winter biking, and needs to start with parents. Happiness and joy are infectious! Enjoy some crisp fresh air and movement at a time when we can all use more of that. And make your destination a cozy place with hot cider or hot chocolate or a fun event like ice skating or a neighbor’s bonfire.
The Gear
Cargo bikes have great accessories to make winter biking comfortable. My family has enjoyed owning the little snuggly seat blankets that have openings in the back for child seat restraints to go through. It was terrific for pretty much any chilly day or even light rain, and they can be found widely as a bike seat/car seat accessory. Many longtail cargo bikes now have shades and plastic flaps that can be secured to block wind and rain, and rain covers for individual rear child seats are available online and at bike shops. Front “box bike” cargo bikes also commonly have rain/wind covers, space for warm water bottles and room to carry a prized stuffy with you. There are blanket options that have snaps or Velcro straps that you can secure onto the bike so they don’t get dragged and keep your little ones cozy.
Covering your hands, your feet, your ears, and your eyes when temps drop below freezing is key. If your child is riding their own bike, gloves ––rather than mittens–– are a must so they can continue to operate the brakes and shifters. Helmets do a good job keeping heads warm. You can add a thin hat, balaclava, or scarf to cover any exposed areas. Kids riding also need to be in clothing that is flexible enough to comfortably pedal, and step on/off the bike, so avoid the Ralphie-esque snowsuits and try several thin layers instead.
Passengers aren’t moving their bodies as much, so kids will need better wind protection and insulation. Try a rain/ wind cover, and you’ll dramatically cut the wind as you keep a mildly insulated bubble around your little ones. Tossing a cozy blanket on top of them adds to the comfort: they can curl up as they like and not feel much of the outside chill.
Specialized outerwear can also be a good option. When my kids were still in daycare, we found it was easiest to dress them in their normal clothes, then put a “commute suit” – a one-piece zip-up insulated waterproof suit – over everything so we could quickly get them back out of their outerwear as soon as we arrived to our indoor destination. There are a variety of rain garments (pants, jackets, ponchos) that are intended to be pulled on quickly, and put away in a compact sack which can really save the day if those low clouds start drizzling on you and your team.
In case of warmth emergencies, I like to keep one or two packs of hand warmers on my bikes in winter. If you or a passenger have chilly hands or toes to the point it is no longer comfortable to ride, activating these safe chemical warmers can turn attitudes around in an instant and save the day. Keeping an extra handkerchief or scarf around can do wonders for a cold nose or lips when temps dip down unexpectedly.
The Destinations
Finding a warm place at both ends of your ride is key to promoting winter family biking joy. Outdoor destinations aren’t off limits as there are many places with space heaters or bonfires on outdoor patios, like The Wharf. If you do need a respite from the outdoors, we have a wealth of free indoor spaces that will welcome you, like our public libraries, the National Building Museum, or the many other free public museums and monuments in Downtown Washington.
Getting out on our bikes through the winter season has really made us love living in The District with all the open spaces, seasonal events, and incredible public buildings we have just a short bike ride away. But you don’t need to make every ride a monumental outing, just going to the grocery store to pickup things for dinner can add a little joy and a sense of accomplishment to your day, all while getting your crew fresh air and exercise.
Don’t be intimidated by the changing weather and sometimes adverse conditions. With a little preparation and forethought, you’ll be loving taking spins with your young riders and passengers, making unforgettable memories, and maximizing your family biking time.
Luckily, the weather for The Hill Family Biking Halloween Ride won’t require any of this cold weather advice. See you Saturday!