Cycling and cold, not so much a nice combination, heh? But here in the Netherlands, doesn’t really matter if it is raining, snowing, storming or windy, the Dutch are always with their bikes. It is because cycling has become part of the daily mobility for everyone in the Netherlands. Of course, when it rains hard, it isn’t very easy for most of the people to go to work by bike. But some did manage to go out there in a cold and rainy moment. Here are some tips for you to cycle comfortably during the cold and/or wet season:
1. Wear good and suitable clothing
Good jacket, with a scarf, gloves, closed shoes and a hat will help you to stay warm when you are cycling. However, make sure that you don’t wear too thick clothes since your body will get more heated when you cycle. Moreover, if you are planning to go while it is cold and rainy, make sure that your shoes are waterproof.
2. Forget the regular umbrella. The wind will eat it up. Use raincoat or rain ponchos instead.
Most people will grab an umbrella when it is raining. But the Dutch rain sometimes has a bit more wind than the rain itself. So, prepare yourself with a raincoat. A raincoat is better than an umbrella because you will have more control on the bike (since you will have both of your hand on the steering handle) and you will save your umbrella from being destroyed by the wind. If you want to use the umbrella, I suggest using it when you walk (although, the Dutch wind can also destroy your umbrella too while you walk). You can also get a wind-resistant umbrella to combat the wind and the rain.
3. Bike on the dedicated street for cyclist
Follow the cycling path that your municipality already made for you. Living in The Netherlands means you have a dedicated road, specially made for cyclist. It usually has a red colour and placed on the since of the street between the pedestrian way and the car. This road is continuous throughout the Netherlands. If you are following the cyclist road, you won’t have a problem cycling. Moreover, there are also tour available via the cycling road in the Netherlands. You can explore this on the sunny day as a relaxing activity.
4. Know where you want to park your bike
There is nothing more annoying than having to look for a bicycle parking spot in the cold. Therefore, LUMIGUIDE offers a Mobile Parking App where you can check the parking facility near you. This means that no more looking around and waiting. You can check it from your phone which parking facility near you that have an available spot for you. Besides, LUMIGUIDE also provides P-route information system to guide you to the parking facility. This P-route information system is located in the city centre, which makes it easier for you to navigate. Check the example of the P-route information system in Utrecht.
5. Make sure you have a right tire
Make sure that your tire has a good grip and puncture resistant. You could get more punctures in the winter due to the ice rain. If it turns into ice, you can also slip easier than in summer. Therefore, check your tire before you go through the cold or the rain.
6. Check on the rain radar. Usually, it is pretty accurate
Check on rain prediction in the Netherlands is pretty accurate. So if you want to avoid to get cold and wet, then you can check these websites. They usually can predict when the rain will stop and you only have to cycle through the cold.
7. The harder it is, the faster it went.
It is a rule of thumb in the Netherlands is that when it is raining very hard, it means that the rain will stop quickly. When it is drizzling, then it might stay the whole day. So if you see that it will rain hard that day. Better wait a bit and then cycle when the rain intensity is not that high.
Those are some tips that we have to help you to cycle in the cold. Let us know if you have more suggestions or if we miss anything. Good luck and keep on cycling!
