While you’re reading through these tips for riding in the winter, think of hints you’d like to include and add them to the comments below. This is what will make your human-powered winter travel easier.

Clothing

Bike clothing

• Lobster claw gloves.
• Cycling/running tights.
• Arm & leg warmers. My favorites!
• Cycling Gaiters.
• Booties/shoe covers.

Non-Cycling specific clothing

• Long underwear. Avoid cotton like you avoid riding over nails. It will absorb water from the rain, snow, or your sweat, and conduct heat away from your body. Go for wools, silk, or synthetics.
• Wool socks. Is there a finer fabric than wool? Tough. Not so stinky, since it’s naturally antimicrobial and it can keep you warm even if it gets wet.
• Ski goggles. You know the weather is nasty when you’re glad you had your ski goggles!
• Neck gaiter or balaclava.
• A hat that will fit under your helmet. Here’s an example.

Other Gear & Accessories

• Front and rear lights.
• Fenders are good for preventing the "skunk stripe" on your back from mud and slush.
• Reflective vest/safety triangle.
• Bar mitts.

Who needs fenders?

Bikes

As for a bike, there are many options!

• Mountain bike.
• Fat bike.
• Anything with fenders.

But what if you’re not spoiled and only have one bike?

• Wider tires.
• Knobbier tires.
• Studded tires.
• DIY zip tie studs, disc brakes only!
• DIY studded tires.

The Care and Keeping of your Winter Bike

• If possible, never leave your bike out in the weather.
• Be aware of changes in tire pressure — cold air can do weird things.
• Clean and LUBE YOUR CHAIN. Please. It will help when the toxic de-icer strikes.

Winter Biking Strategies

• Lower your tire pressure to the recommended minimum. This gives your tires more contact with the ground.
• Hold your line. If you start to wobble, keep loose — don’t freeze up tightly.
• Go slow. Leave early and allow yourself more time to get where you’re going.
• When braking on ice and snow, use your rear brake.
• Take turns more slowly.
• If necessary, you can always put your bike on the bus if there is public transit available in your community.

Some other articles that may help you.

• Live in the Pacific Northwest? Here are winter biking tips for rainy climates.
• Bike camping in the rain or snow? You can do it!

Hope these help — leave your own suggestions in the comments!

This post was originally published December 2015 and was updated December 2022.

The post A Winter Biking Guide! appeared first on Adventure Cycling Association.

To stabilize your own bike travel, you can make your own studded tires! It’s probably easier than you imagine. Rachel Stevens made a video to share this ever-rewarding DIY with you.

For this do-it-yourself, you will need:

1. Set of bike tires
2. About 200 ¼" pan-head screws
3. Drill
4. Screwdriver
5. Tire Liners

Special thanks to Josh Tack, Evan Smith, Winona, and Patrick for their collaboration and support.

Blog post originally published February 2013.

Rain and Snow? Just Go.

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Wildfires used to be an issue that mostly affected the western U.S., but as many of us know, that is no longer true. Just by glancing at a drought map of the U.S., it’s easy to see the extent of potential fire danger this year. No matter where you plan to pedal in late summer, it’s likely to be impacted.

In the past, Indigenous Peoples in many parts of North America managed landscapes with widespread controlled burns, especially grasslands. These methods continue today but on a much reduced scale.  These low intensity fires were allowed to burn in a controlled way, clearing out the underbrush and reducing fuel loads. However, for the past 70 years, this approach has been replaced by fire suppression (extinguishing a wildfire as quickly as possible). The result of this approach is dense forest growth and a buildup of woody debris in the forest understory or grasslands, which can become prime wildfire fuel. Hotter, drier summers (and winters) bring more drought, insects, and disease, increasing tree mortality and the fuel load on the ground. The more fuel we have, the more intense and severe the fires can become.

Fire intensity describes the characteristics of the fire, such as flame height and rate of spread. Intense fires can stretch up tree trunks to the canopy (known as “crowning”), allowing it to easily jump over a road or other fuel break, spreading with shocking speed. These high intensity fires, when fanned by high winds, can develop to severe fires. Fire severity refers to the ecosystem impacts of a fire, such as mortality of trees and bushes, loss in biodiversity, and impacts on the soil. A severe fire can reduce entire forests to large, sooty toothpicks that take decades to regenerate. In contrast, after a low intensity fire, a landscape can return to its former glory in a few years.  

Much of the federal land in the U.S. is fabulous to cycle through: Bureau of Land Management parcels along the Southern Tier route, Forest Service lands along the Great Divide Route, and the forests in the southeastern U.S. The Smoky Mountains are a historically humid area straddling the deciduous forests of Tennessee and North Carolina but experienced an unprecedented fire in 2016 after a record-setting drought. The fire quickly took over 17,900 acres, damaged or destroyed 2,000 buildings, and killed 14 people. Then of course there’s our crown jewels, the National Parks, one of which (Yosemite) has 5,000 acres burning as I write this. 

Fires will likely impede some of our bike touring this year, especially out west. Or some of us may have to turn around mid-ride, as I did last summer on this smoke-darkened day. Of course we all need to do our part to prevent wildfires by knowing and obeying local regulations on campfires, drowning campfires and charcoal, and reducing the risk of sparks. 

Most of us check the weather before we head out on a ride, so adding a check for signs of fire danger can easily become part of our bike touring routine. Warm temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds are assessed by the National Weather Service (NWS) to determine fire risk. A Red Flag Warning is issued by the NWS when dangerous conditions are ongoing or imminent in the next 24 hours; a Fire Weather Watch is when fire is possible in the next 72 hours but not imminent.

Each NWS office creates local criteria for fire risk, so make sure to check out what’s going on in your area in order to keep yourself and others safe. Even if fires are hundreds of miles away, smoke can affect our ability to pedal, or to do anything outside. I am hesitant to set out when the air quality index is bad, especially on remote hilly routes. You can find beta on your local air quality here. 

If a fire does start near you, or in the path of your intended travel, there are several places to get updates online.

• The National Interagency Fire Center lists fires by state and updates the status and size of the fires daily.
• The Incident Information System, also called inciweb, tracks fires by region, and I find it rather user-friendly, even for the not-tech-savvy cyclists like myself.
• Specific to California, Cal Fire also has an incident map that is updated often.
• If you’re traveling on an Adventure Cycling route, check their forum on Temporary Road Closures for short-term route changes. This is not an extensive list; there are also state or regional-based resources out there.

I am optimistic that we can all continue riding through this summer of heat waves if we take a few precautions. Cycle touring can be a sustainable way to travel, and here’s to hoping that if more folks join in, maybe — just maybe — we can curb climate change enough to reduce the risk of massive wildfires. I at least have to hope. As for here, I’ll do my best to stay informed, stay safe, eat ice cream, hug my loved ones, and keep pedaling when and where I can.

The post Blazes Beware appeared first on Adventure Cycling Association.

There’s a not-so-fine line between being prepared to accept a bit of discomfort and being foolhardy. Before any tour, check the weather forecast and look up the average low temperatures. You don’t want to put yourself in a life-threatening situation, but you do want to be prepared because bad weather can find you on top of high mountain passes in summer, or in fickle foothills in shoulder seasons. Winter can also be a rewarding and peaceful time to explore on roads or trails. 

Most regular touring gear will work fine in the cold with a few additions and adjustments, but there are some additional steps you can take to stay warmer and safer in cold, rain, snow, or all three. 

Before You Go

Like with any tour, make sure you are familiar with your gear. The stakes are a little higher in inclement weather, so if you haven’t yet, set up and take down your tent several times and boil water on your stove. You don’t want to be fussing around with poles and fuel attachments in freezing rain — you want to be an efficient machine.

What to Wear

You want to keep your core warm while minimizing sweat, which can be a tricky balance if you’re going up and down a lot of hills. At one point, you’ll be too hot, and at another point, you’ll be too cold. Just try to keep the pendulum from swinging too far in either direction and remember you’re not Goldilocks. 

You want all of your layers to insulate but also ventilate so your sweat can evaporate. Synthetic quick-drying material and wool are both good options and can insulate when wet. Wool can air out and rid itself of some stink, whereas synthetic layers are prone to some bad-smelling juju for a bit longer. Avoid cotton. It does not dry quickly and will make you even colder when wet. My college friends and I had a saying: “cotton kills.”

A regular packing list plus a few items should suffice for mild winter cycling or unexpected bad weather: base layer, middle layer, puffy jacket, rain jacket, rain pants, leg warmers, or leggings. If it’s especially cold, you’ll probably want an insulated waterproof jacket and pants, though you’ll still want some ventilation. You might want a face mask to protect your cheeks, nose, and chin, which are vulnerable to frostbite.

Wear thick wool socks to keep your toes warm while riding, and pack wool socks and long thermals just for sleeping in a waterproof stuff sack. If the forecast is nasty and your feet get really cold like mine do, you might want to ride in winter boots or rain boots instead of clip-in bike shoes. If you decide to go with cycling shoes or tennis shoes, you can put plastic bread bags between your socks and shoes. The longer, narrow shape fits over feet nicely! Alternatively, or additionally, consider wearing shoe covers. They come in a variety of materials from thick neoprene to thin windbreaker material.

Your gloves should be waterproof and windproof. For the head and ears, I prefer a wool buff over a hat because they keep my forehead and ears warm while letting some heat escape from the top of my head, preventing overheating or copious sweat. Buffs tend to be longer than I need them, so I cut off a quarter, sew the seam, and use the small part as an ear warmer and the longer part for my neck. A synthetic or satin bandana can be added or removed without taking off a helmet, and can be commonly found at thrift stores! Your neck layer can be put over your nose and mouth to warm the air you breathe, preventing some of the burning irritation in your throat and lungs caused by cold weather.

While Riding

Take short breaks so that your body temperature doesn’t cool down too much. If you need to take a longer break, choose a sunny spot where you can go uphill afterward. If you have a really long descent, it’s worth stopping at the top to layer up. Think about where all your layers are while you’re riding uphill, so you can be efficient and not left shivering while looking for your leg warmers. Keep an eye out for parts of the road that may be icy in the shade, even while the rest of the road is dry. Take it slow to navigate safely, and be prepared that a route may take you twice as long in the winter as it does in the summer. 

Setting Up Camp

Stop to set up camp BEFORE you are dangerously cold and your fingers have stopped working.  Most of the time, getting into dry and warm clothes immediately is best. Having a wet layer against your skin and close to your core can bring your temperature down precipitously, so get your wet sports bra off FIRST! Put on dry clothes that you also plan to sleep in, and the rest of your layers on top of those. Then you can set up your shelter more calmly, and maybe put some water on to boil in the meantime.

The exception to this is when it’s pouring down rain and you’re already soaked. You’re already about as wet as you’re going to get, so set up your tent first. Once you’ve got your little shelter up, you can throw all your gear inside and get situated. Hang a strong utility cord (often called paracord) inside your tent. I leave mine there so I always have a miniature clothesline to dry things out. Unfurl your sleeping bag and pad as soon as you can, and let them start to fluff out. The air between the particles is what keeps you warm, so you want to take full advantage!

Stove and Fuel

Both white gas and propane burn well in the cold. Alcohol and butane can be a little more problematic, and you might need to warm the canisters in your hands or pockets before lighting. Make sure your alcohol fuel is at least 90 percent pure or higher. Bring plenty of fuel, because water takes longer to boil in freezing temperatures. Bring an extra lighter or three, and store the extras in plastic bags deep in your drybag. If you’re cycling through a region with plenty of wood, a campfire is cozy and warm but check local regulations first. 

If your vestibule is large enough and you feel safe doing so, you can cook and boil water there. This can help warm up your tent a bit more, but it can also be very dangerous, so take precautions or cook elsewhere. Speaking from experience, if you are cooking in your vestibule, DO NOT put any water in a pan with hot oil, or you will have a ball of fire that will burn a hole in your mesh, or rainfly, or worse. 

Food and Water

After you’ve changed clothes and set up your tent, heat water if you haven’t yet. Pour some for yourself to drink and put some in a non-insulated metal bottle with a lid that can’t leak, like this one. Be careful not to burn yourself, melt your sleeping bag, or spill water in your sleeping bag. You can wrap wet socks or gloves around this bottle to dry them out, and then watch the steam evaporate. Rotate through your wet things until they are only damp, and then put this bottle in the bottom of your sleeping bag, or reheat it if necessary. 

Eat more food than usual. Your body is burning more calories trying to stay warm. Choose foods that aren’t severely affected by the cold (honey, for example, becomes a solid brick), and try to plan simple meals that don’t require much preparation or cleanup. You’re not going to want to chop vegetables when it’s freezing. Dehydrated meals that only require boiling water are ideal. Or you can prepare foods that only need to be reheated. 

Your thirst naturally decreases when you’re cold, so it’s easy to get dehydrated. If you choose to carry a Thermos, it will not only be delightful on cold days but also help you stay hydrated.
If you’re using a bladder in a backpack, your body heat will prevent freezing while you’re riding, but keep an eye on the line and the mouthpiece to make sure they don’t freeze and get blocked. It might be hard, but try to avoid alcohol when it’s really cold. Alcohol expands your blood vessels and allows more heat to leave your body. Personally, I am a southerner and I still have a nip of whiskey. But just a tiny nip!

The Big Event: Going to Sleep

When the weather is just below freezing, your body heat should keep the inside of your tent warm enough to prevent things from freezing. When the weather is far below freezing, you may have to bring water bottles and a few other things into your sleeping bag to prevent them from freezing:

• Water filter — it can crack and break if water freezes inside of it. Put it in a plastic bag so it doesn’t leak.
• Contact lens solution
• Batteries — they discharge quickly in cold weather, so put your lights in your tent and your phone in your sleeping bag
• Energy bars can freeze solid, so if you plan to eat these for breakfast, keep them near your toes (unless you’re traveling through bear country, that is).
• Your damp (not wet) clothes from the day can dry out in your sleeping bag. 
• Put the clothes you plan to wear the next day in your bag or use them as a pillow if they are not too smelly yet, or you are beyond the point of caring. It’ll make it much easier to get dressed and get going in the morning.

There are a lot of rewards to be had by getting out there in the rain or cold. No matter how uncomfortable you might be at times, you’ll feel like the badass cyclist you are when you look back at that photo of your bike covered in snowflakes.

The post Rain and Snow? Just Go. appeared first on Adventure Cycling Association.

I have occasionally been teased for my snakevangelism, singing the praises of rattlesnakes as timid, polite ground dwellers who are kind enough to let us know when we’ve gotten too close for their comfort and that they may possibly feel the need to maybe potentially protect themselves if we don’t heed their warnings. I spoke with Ryan Dumas, Head Keeper in the Herpetology & Fish department of the Cincinnati Zoo, to see if my affectionate interpretation of that unmistakable sound was accurate or naïve, and whether he had any tips on how to keep humans, pets, and even the snakes safe as people venture farther from their dens and closer to the snakes’. These answers have been slightly edited from their direct quotes.

I am under the impression that rattlesnakes are very sweet and timid snakes that give us the courtesy of letting us know they are stressed and may attack before actually defending their space. How naïve is this?

It’s nice of them to give you that warning. You don’t always get it depending on how close you are. More people get injured and bitten by snakes by trying to kill them or relocate them than just leaving them alone. It’s best to either just let the snake alone or call a local county official or park and alert them there’s an animal in need of relocation.

If a rattlesnake is giving warning signals and is in my path, can I go around it? Is it protecting eggs? Is walking through the brush more dangerous? Should I turn around? 

Definitely do not mess with it. Rattlesnakes all give birth to live young. If they are gravid (carrying eggs), they may be basking (lying in the sun), but if it’s ready to have young it will likely be hiding in a spot. It’s very circumstantial. You can’t go wrong turning around. If you turn around, bike a bit, then come back, the snake will probably be gone because they don’t like to be exposed.

What are good places to avoid where rattlers might live if you’re hanging out on some dirt paths?

Anything that you can see that has a place to hide where they can feel secure. If it’s the heat of the day, they’re probably sheltered up somewhere. If there’s a tumble of rocks somewhere, that’s probably a place you want to be careful because it will be a nice cool place. Any kind of old debris, old mattresses, carpet, large pieces of something manmade, a lot of shade.

If you’re on a paved road, snakes may be on pavement around dusk to soak up some of the heat still in the tarmac after the sun’s gone down. That can be true for dirt roads that have a lot of sun exposure as well.

Their optimal temps change from species to species and region to region, depending on elevation, size, atmosphere, etc. They get energy to do things from warming up. They don’t need to regulate the way we do and use all that energy that we do, they just do it in the sun.

Where do rattlesnakes sleep? Underground?

They usually are going to rest wherever it’s coolest. Most of them have optimal body temperatures that aren’t nearly as hot as most people think. The longer they’re out, the larger chance they have of being predated upon. They don’t want to be seen and exposed. They like to feel secure. They are positive thigmotactic, which means they like to feel touched on all sides. If you have a big box, a rattlesnake make feel secure, but if you have a smaller one that’s the size of their body, just a few feet off the ground, that would feel best. They don’t burrow but they will utilize a burrow.

How far can a rattlesnake leap?

They can’t really jump. They can strike half their body length or a third their body length. Some small ones can strike with enough force that they leap off the ground. If you are close enough to get struck, you are either very unfortunate as to where you put your hand or foot, or you interacted purposefully in a way to make the snake feel threatened.

Is it true that baby rattlers don’t know when to stop injecting venom so they’ll actually just kill you?

No, it’s the same venom. You may be able to say it’s more concentrated because they haven’t lived long enough to inundate their body with water. They may give more venom because they are more scared because they’re smaller. A baby rattlesnake is only a half an inch tall so a five-foot human looks like a giant. I imagine a baby can control it to some degree, but that’s speculation.

Is there a difference between rattlesnakes in different regions, and should someone who grew up, say, in Appalachia use the same skills they learned there when interacting with rattlesnakes in New Mexico? 

Yes, if your skill is to just avoid them. If you do it in the east, continue to do it in the west. If you limit your interactions, you limit your ability for something bad to happen. Snakes in the east are more heavy-bodied and slower moving, where snakes in the west are a bit faster and more aggressive.

What’s the best way to prepare a snake (for cooking/eating)?

The best way is to go to a restaurant that prepares it and eat their recipe.

Do venom antidotes really work?

Antivenoms are not antidotes, but they do save lives. They are dangerous in their own ways, but a professional who knows how to use them can save a life. Most areas that have a high population of rattlesnakes or other venomous snakes will have some and will transport it if you need it. Many antivenoms work for many breeds and species of snakes. Profab is the most commonly used, and that’s good for pit vipers, which is copperheads and rattlesnakes.

Besides not getting bitten, what’s the best way to treat a rattlesnake bite, and is that different from other venomous snake bites?

The best thing you can do is stay calm and limit activity. Seek help. The more spooked you get and the faster your heart pumps, the more the venom will get into your bloodstream. By keeping calm, it will slow the process. If you have a friend with you, let them care for you, let them drive. If you are the friend, keep your bitten friend calm, ask them questions about positive things, which will help keep their mind off the bite but will also help keep an eye on how well the person is doing cognitively. 

My advice for everyone is to avoid [getting bitten]. Most are active at dawn and dusk. If you aren’t familiar with the area, then maybe avoid going out during that time if it’s not a well-maintained trail. Limit interactions as much as possible. Keep your wits about you, and if you hear a rattle, stop and listen to where it’s coming from so you can avoid it. If you hear it, slowly and calmly move away from it. It won’t chase you or attack you unless you are actively threatening it. The snake’s best defense is camouflage, so in most circumstances they see you and just try to keep hidden because that costs them nothing.

If you are in a new area and are concerned, call the local park authority and ask them if there’s been any activity and if there’s any behavior you should adopt or adjust to keep you and the snakes safe.

It’s good to keep in mind that there are only like three rattlesnake deaths per year, if that. Additionally, a quarter of bites are theorized to be dry bites. Venom is not free to produce, it takes energy, and they don’t want to make more or have to use it if unnecessary. If they unload venom with a defensive bite, it may mean they can’t eat. 

Dumas finished our conversation with a jewel of wisdom. We were discussing festivals that celebrated the killing of rattlesnakes, and general regional cultural habits aimed at eradication rather than cohabitation. “One of the tougher things for people to do is to open up and be available to different perspectives,” he told me. “All animals play a vital role in the ecosystem and keep it in check, and that includes rattlesnakes. The more you interact with the rattlers, the higher your chance of getting bitten, which is a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are things that predate the traditions of killing snakes, like hawks and rodents, and by killing off the rattlesnakes it negatively impacts a lot of other species.” As a lover of rattlesnakes for all their danger and charm, hearing the best thing I can do for them is to leave them alone is music to my ears, even more beautiful than that highly sensory chchchchch of my favorite reptile.
 

The post A Rustling in the Rocks appeared first on Adventure Cycling Association.

After learning of a tragic incident close to the Adventure Cycling office that resulted in the death of a cyclist, I called our friend James Jonkel, the Wildlife Management Specialist for Montana’s Fish, Wildlife, and Parks department, for some personal education as well as some helpful information to pass on to our readers and members who may be venturing into the Great Outdoors for some bikepacking this summer.

There are a few main takeaways worth sharing:

1. Scope your surroundings.

Are there huckleberries or other snacks nearby? If so, then a bear and possibly her cubs could also be nearby looking for a snack. Check the dust (or mud, if you’re lucky enough to get some precipitation) for tracks. Check trees for scratches. When and if you come to a clearing, check the next stretch of range you’ll be riding toward to see if there is anything coming up on your path. Bring binoculars! Most importantly, take it a chunk at a time, scanning as you go.

2. Make noise.

A bear bell is a good start, but it’s not really the sort of noise that bears are paying attention to because it isn’t organic and it can become rather rhythmic depending on the terrain. Talk, sing, whack trees with a stick so it sounds like something big is coming. Don’t just start making noise out of nowhere because it could startle a bear, but keep on making it. Not necessarily the entire time, but whenever you start going into a valley or somewhere dense, knock rocks downhill, talk loudly (don’t yell), knock on trees, etc. Bears have about as good hearing as humans do, so you want to make enough noise that you’d be able to hear from a fair distance.

3. Get comfortable with your spray.

Jonkel walks around playing with his bear spray, twirling it, shifting it from left hand to right, tossing it up in the air. He holds it in his left hand, then his right, and gets a feel for how easy it is to get in and out of the holster. In an ideal situation, you will never need your bear spray, but if you do, you don’t want to be as afraid of your bear deterrent as you are of the bear.

4. Set up camp.

Find a nice spot, a blow down with some nice brush. Cut off a few spruce limbs with a saw and make a circle around the tent with an extra by the tent door so you can hear if a bear or other predator cracks the sticks. Keep fire and cooking a bit far from tent. Some people hang bells on string every few feet. Keep in mind that deer and elk will come by to eat where you’ve gone to the bathroom, so do that away from tent too. There are also ways to make a backcountry electric fence, though it’s heavy.

If you are using a campsite used by people regularly, you don’t know what sort of traps other people have left for you, whether it’s having dropped a peanut or dripped bacon grease on a tree stump. Bears have a good memory and sometimes keep coming to the same spot every few days. Look for scratch marks on trees, rocks, and dirt, and keep in mind where you pee so you don’t put a salt lick right on your tent. When asked whether this means we should avoid common campsites in the backcountry, Jonkel dismissed the idea, saying it’s important to be bear aware, but we must also protect the environments we’re visiting by limiting our footprint. It’s a fine balance but one certainly possibly to maintain through smart actions.

5. Be dog-gone smart.

If you travel with a dog, you want a dog with a good, calm disposition and that won’t chase after an animal but will alert you to an animal in their space. You don’t want a dog that will bring a bear back to you by going after it. Bring your dog into your tent with you at night if possible. Their barking should be a good enough deterrent to keep the bears away, but you don’t want one out there on a lead protecting its family and turning into bait.

6. Ride smart.

“Don’t go blasting through an area where there are bears,” Jonkel said. “People end up smacking right into a bear, and that’s a death sentence.”

Also, don’t ride with headphones; speakers are okay because they alert the wild animals, but they’re also annoying. In Jonkel’s opinion, new trail systems that invite bikes to go fast are a bad idea in the backcountry. Bikes are not compatible with commonsense bear awareness.

“They are too fast and too quiet. Quieter and faster than a mountain lion,” he said, “enhancing the level of danger by 10 to 15 times by how fast they are moving.”

Bears often end up taking trails because they are also easy for the bears to travel compared to bushwhacking. Bears in traveling mode just put their heads down walking the trail and not paying attention to their surroundings as they are headed to their feeding or swimming spot.

I have only come into contact with bears from a relatively safe distance and have had the privilege of being distant enough to be in total awe of these animals without being afraid. I know I am incredibly lucky, though, and asked Jonkel to give me a rundown of best- to worst-case scenarios of bear encounters and how to react appropriately to ensure the best results for everyone. Here is his breakdown:

1. In the best-case scenario, the bear hears you and you scare it off, and you never see it but see its tracks.
2. You see the bear running off into the woods. 
3. You see the bear on the trail before it sees you, and you turn away and it doesn’t see you and you make noises. It now knows you’re coming and moves out of the way so as not to be bothered. 
4. You have a standoff and the bear doesn’t want to get off the trail. You have to get off the trail and give it a wide birth. About 10 yards is good. 
5. The bear starts to charge and you use your bear spray. Read the instructions on your bear spray canister and hopefully you have been making yourself comfortable with the canister so you know what to do. Wait until the bear is extremely close so the spray doesn’t dissipate and become ineffective. “Think of bear spray like a skunk,” said Jonkel. “If the bear is getting way too close that it’s a legitimate threat (not just an emotional threat), then use it like a skunk spray. Don’t spray too soon.”

The vast majority of bears are not looking for conflict. They communicate by going in one direction and indicating they want you to go in another direction. I’m from a city, so my association with being nervous around creatures is much more from humans than animals, and Jonkel agreed it is a good comparison. If you see a person down the street and they give you bad vibes, you don’t spray them with mace from across the street just for the heck of it. You cross the street and see if they cross with you, you see if they start speeding up to get close to you, and then you react.

“Treat bears in their surroundings the way we treat humans in city environments,” said Jonkel. Be aware of your surroundings, not in such a rush to “win” the ride. 

I hope to have more articles throughout the summer about bear awareness and other good practices to help keep us all safe and able to enjoy the things we love. In the meantime, thank you so much to Mr. James Jonkel for taking the time to speak with me. This knowledge has helped calm my nerves, and I hope it’s helped calmed yours as well. Please take a moment to read our other blog posts on bear safety, linked above.

The post Bear Necessities: A conversation with James Jonkel, Wilderness Specialist appeared first on Adventure Cycling Association.

The good thing about weather is it’s always changing! It’s okay to stop, take care of yourself, stay safe, and wait for the skies to clear. Good gear and patience will get you a long way.

Our Recommendations for Bad Weather

Think safety first. If you have to stay in a hotel or stop riding for a day to avoid dangerous conditions, do so. We’ve heard stories of people taking cover in all sorts of out-buildings, churches, forest service outhouses — smelly but a welcome sight in the backcountry during freezing temps and precipitation — and more. 

In the Midwest and plains of the U.S., you can generally see bad weather, and serious events like tornadoes, from a long distance away. Take precautions before a storm or tornado hits. If you get stuck outside during a tornado, seek the lowest spot around (a ditch for instance), cover your head with your arms, and be sure and stay away from cars and trees if possible.

Crosswinds: An Invisible Danger

Tornadoes and hail definitely require cover but even in moderate rain, it’s best to go with your gut; if you feel unsafe, stop and find shelter. 

Wear waterproof layers and keep your belongings dry. If your tent is already wet, strap it to the outside of your bike bags instead of stuffing it inside.

Rain and fog reduce visibility for you and those around you, dramatically increasing risks. If you insist on riding in inclement weather on a road with cars, wear bright colors and flashing lights on both the front and rear of your bicycle so drivers have a better chance of seeing you. Also, ride slowly so that you can see road hazards like railroads tracks, cracks, and storm drains before it’s too late.

6 Road Hazards to Heed

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Bears have a keen sense of smell and have been known to detect food up to 20 miles away. In addition to being omnivores, bears are opportunists — if it’s easy for them to take your food, they will. That would make for a bad situation for you and the bear.

When you’re camping in bear country, your first concern is how to separate you and your camp from any food or food smells. Always, always know and follow any local regulations to stay safe.

Locals know their bears and their habits and have reasons for any regulations they put in place. National Parks and other areas often post specific guidelines for visitors at entrances, visitor centers, campgrounds, and trailheads.

In general, however, there are some basic precautions you can take to ride and camp safely in bear country.

Don’t run if you see a bear.

Like dogs, bears have a “chase response.” If you see a bear, back slowly away.

Don’t keep scented items in your tent.

This includes food, drink mixes, cooking pots & utensils, chapstick, toothpaste, and soap. Instead, keep scented items in a bear-resistant food container, a bear-resistant locker provided by the campground, or in a sack in a tree, called a bear hang.

It sounds silly but bear hangs are common practice in bear country. Put all scented items in a sack and hang it from a tree limb: 200 feet away from your tent, 15 feet off the ground, and ideally 10 feet from the trunk of the tree. These target distances aren’t always possible, but try your best.

Carry bear spray.

Be sure to read the instructions and know how to use the bear spray properly. Bear spray is like pepper spray, NOT like bug repellent, so do not spray it on yourself — the result would make you extremely unhappy.

Make noise on trails and backcountry roads.

Bears can react violently if surprised, so it’s best to alert them of your presence. Shouting, singing, or ringing your bike bell frequently are good ways to let bears know you’re coming. If you’re riding in a group, you can talk loudly to one another.

Cycling Safely in Bear Country

Handle food carefully.

Cooking, eating, and dishwashing are best done far away from your campsite. Some cyclists actually stop short of their campsite to cook, eat, and wash dishes before continuing on to reduce the food odors in their sleeping area.

When washing dishes, it’s best to sieve out any food particles and put them into a tightly sealed ziplock bag. Then dig a shallow hole far away from your campsite, pour out the dishwater, and cover again with soil.

Keep a clean camp.

Any garbage, food particles, and wrappers should be kept in a bag, which stays inside your “scented items” container.

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For a long-distance touring cyclist, riding in a crosswind may be unavoidable. Whether it’s a gust blowing across a prairie or a stiff ocean breeze coming towards shore, crosswinds pose a real danger to cyclists — especially fully-loaded touring cyclists, whose panniers and trailers can act as sails, catching the wind and pushing them either off the road or into traffic. 

Windy Wyoming

I remember encountering my first crosswind near Rawlins, Wyoming. It’s a region that’s famous for wind, and I’d been seeing the same postcard in all the gas stations for over a week. The postcard featured a black and white photograph of a heavy metal chain being blown sideways. “Wyoming Wind Sock” read the caption. Haha.

I hadn’t been tempted to take the hype seriously. Sure, it was my first bicycle tour, but I’d already pedaled over one thousand miles from Oregon to Wyoming. I was feeling pretty confident about my riding skills. Too confident, as it turns out. 

I was crossing the wide Separation Flats towards Rawlins when a stiff wind began pushing my bicycle toward the ditch at the side of the road. I tensed up, cocking my shoulders and using a surprising amount of upper body strength to keep my handlebars pointed forward. My tires were rolling over broken glass and tire wires, but I couldn’t dodge a thing. All my energy was needed to keep from flying off the road. 

The wind was roaring so loudly in my ears that I didn’t hear a semi-truck coming up from behind. Suddenly a high wall of metal was whizzing past, temporarily blocking the crosswind. My bike was sucked into its slipstream, veering suddenly towards the truck’s massive wheels. When I yanked my handlebars away, I shot off the road and plowed to a stop in the loose gravel. I was stunned, straddling my bicycle and breathing hard. Another semi truck roared by. And then another.

A Gale of a Situation

I dismounted, hauling my bike back onto the pavement. I knew I was not the first rider to be smacked around by the wind, and I wouldn’t be the last. So I began to pedal forward again. Other cyclists probably do this all the time, I told myself. I just need the right technique. 

But it wasn’t a matter of technique. A few semi trucks later, I was once again standing ankle-deep in gravel, heart hammering. I’d been careening back and forth across the highway shoulder, buffeted by the crosswind and the trucks’ slipstreams to the point where I felt as in-control as a ping-pong ball. 

A Breezy Solution

So I did what any wise cyclist does: I stopped riding. Bracing my bike against my thighs, I stuck out my thumb and was rescued by the very first pickup truck to appear. That’s my advice for navigating dangerous crosswinds: don’t. Play it safe, know your limitations, and accept help when you need it. You’ll live to ride another day!

Ever been caught in the crosswind? We’d love to hear your story in the comments below. 
 

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On unloaded, go-fast bikes, it’s easier to stop or maneuver quickly around hazards. But on our gear-laden, traveling steeds, the following road features can quickly become pitfalls. 

1. Cattle guards

These grids of metal slats found across the rural US keep cattle and other livestock from crossing into other pastures and can be a threat to cyclists if not approached with caution. A heartbreaking example occurred just this summer when cyclist Frank Uher, traveling from Missoula to Denver with his brother and friends, approached the Split Rock National Historic Site. Frank’s front wheel was caught in a gap in a cattle guard, causing him to lose control and be thrown from his bike. He landed head first on the pavement and passed away at the scene.

The design of the four-panel cattle guards makes them particularly hazardous, so the Bureau of Land Management is working with the state of Wyoming to create a safer design and place hazard signs at the cattle guards.

When approaching any cattle guard, cyclists should be aware that the spacing between slats can vary, and there may be other gaps associated with the guard. It’s best to cross slowly, as perpendicular as possible, and when in doubt, walk your bike.

2. Dogs

Though Kentucky often gets a bad “rep” for dogs, loose Fidos can be encountered anywhere. While chasing moving objects is an innate behavior for dogs, most canines aren’t out to viciously attack. The best method of defense is to stop riding, get off the bike and keep the bike between you and the dog. 

How to Stop a Charging Dog

3. Railroad crossings

Most traveling cyclists will encounter railroad crossings on tour, and will often go out of the way to avoid the worst of them on commutes and recreational rides. Most importantly when crossing, check for trains and traffic and cross the tracks at a 90-degree angle or perpendicular to the gaps. This means you might have to veer across the road in order to stay perpendicular to the tracks, so cross only in low or no traffic.  

4. Thick gravel and chip seal

Gravel and chip seal can cause instability and difficulties while pedaling down the road. On my recent long-distance trip, I unwittingly routed myself onto a number of Wisconsin “rustic roads” and endured some of the scariest, most difficult riding of my 2000 miles. I frequently felt as though I was about to fall over. Holding a steady line proved nearly impossible. I quickly routed myself over to the parallel highway and breathed a sigh of relief.

5. Menacing metal

Manhole covers, sewer grates, open grated bridges — all of these have three words in common: slippery when wet. Not only could your wheels slide out from underneath you, but metal can also be loose or uneven, causing pinch flats. Some have gaps, causing your wheels to become trapped. It’s best to avoid them but if you must ride over them, ride straight and try to refrain from braking or turning.

6. Cracks, filled and unfilled

Roads settle and heave, and sometimes the resulting cracks can eat your wheel. It’s best to avoid them if you can and cross them as perpendicularly as possible when you can’t. The flip side of these cracks is when they’ve been repaired and filled with tar: on particularly hot days the tar reheats and turns squishy and slippery. This is a hazard, not only on roads but paved, multi-use paths.

This story has been updated and was originally published on October 18, 2017.

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