Cycling to work is possible when there’s snow and ice but it’s not always prudent. Here’s what to consider – and how to stay safe when you do ride

Snow and ice always seem to catch British commuters by surprise. For most of the country it doesn’t get very cold very often, so we’re unpractised at travelling in sub-zero conditions, and relatively few of us adapt our vehicles for the winter. Cue sliding cars and horizontal cyclists. To avoid becoming one of the latter, read on.

To ride or not to ride?

Well-used roads are likely to be gritted and easy to cycle on, even when adjacent side roads, cycle tracks and footpaths are ice rinks. So how much of your journey to work will take place, or could take place, on treated roads? Find out online which roads your council will grit and adapt your route accordingly. You might only need to push your bike to the end of the street before riding the rest of the way.

Not all cyclists want to ride on bigger roads with more traffic on them, however. If you don’t fancy it, or if too much of your commute seems unrideable due to ice or snow, don’t ride. It’s not compulsory. Take alternative transport or see if you can work from home instead. Wintry spells seldom last long in the UK so you’re unlikely to miss more than a few days of cycling. If you break a hip or collarbone in a fall, on the other hand, you’ll be off the bike for weeks or months. Discretion is the better part of valour!

Cycling when it’s icy

When it’s below zero and you can see and hear the gleam and crunch of frost, it’s obvious that you might encounter ice. Yet it can be several degrees above freezing and you still might ride over icy patches. Ice lingers, especially in favourable microclimates – north-facing slopes, for example; bridges over rivers; hollows and valleys that cold air can sink into.

If your breath plumes when you get on your bike, assume there might be ice somewhere on your commute. Ride steadily and predictably, without sudden accelerations or decelerations. Take corners gradually and slowly, without leaning over too much. Don’t let your speed creep up. Take special care where the road is cambered, where there are speed bumps, or where you cross surfaces that can be slippery even without ice, such as ironwork or road markings. You can’t even see black ice.

Riding like this should keep you upright even if you cross a short section of ice, as long as you’re going in a straight line at a moderate speed. If you are unlucky enough to fall, however, it will be so sudden that you probably won’t have time to react. For that reason, it’s worth using a helmet when it’s icy even if don’t always wear one.

If you find yourself riding over a longer section of icy road, try not to panic. As far as possible, keep riding slowly in a straight line. Stay off the front brake; it’s imperative the front wheel keeps rolling and doesn’t lock up and slide. You can feather the rear brake but only use it if you have to. If the rear wheel starts to slide, be ready to put one or both feet down. You’ll need to come forward off the saddle to do this, unless your bike has a dropper seatpost, and it’s easier to do with flat pedals than if you’re clipped in with cleats. Drag your foot (or feet) until you can come to a controlled stop. Then walk your bike until you can safely remount.

Cycling in snow

Snow offers more traction than ice, although it can still be slippery when it’s compacted or if there’s a layer of ice underneath. Cycling on snow is easiest with wide, low-pressure tyres with large tread lugs. Tractor tyres, essentially. Fat bikes, which are a kind of mountain bike designed to be ridden on sand and snow, have tyres 4-5 inches wide. While it’s unlikely you own a fat bike, a standard mountain bike will do well enough in snow. Just lower the pressure to the minimum shown on the tyre sidewall and use your mountain bike instead of your normal commuter bike until the snow clears.

You can cycle through snow on narrower tyres but the narrower and harder they are, the more difficult it is. Road bikes are a poor choice. Bikes will small diameter wheels don’t work well in snow either, as they get bogged down easily. Aim to ride a bike with full-size wheels and at least medium-width tyres; a gravel bike or a hybrid, for example.

Snow collects underneath mudguards and rim brake callipers as it comes off the tyres. This can be enough to jam the wheels; you’ll need stop to scrape it clear if that happens. A bike with bigger clearances – more space around the tyres – is a better bet, which is another good reason for using a mountain bike.

It’s physically harder to pedal through snow, particularly when it’s more than an inch or two deep. Select a lower gear so that you can keep pedalling at your normal cadence. This will enable you to stay seated, making it less likely that you’ll lose traction on the rear wheel.

A blanket of snow can hide anything underneath. Sometimes it can be hard to see where the edge of the road is, let alone potholes or sunken drains. Road positioning is therefore more important. Keep out of the gutter! You’ll be more visible to drivers if you take the lane, too. If it’s actually snowing when you’re riding, make sure you stand out in the murk by using good lights and bright clothing. Keep snow from interfering with your own vision by wearing a cycling cap underneath your helmet.

Bike advice for snow and ice

Bikes with more stable handling are better to ride in slippery, wintery conditions. That means bikes with a shallower head tube angle, bigger wheels, a longer wheelbase and more ‘trail’. Bikes like this are easier to keep pointing in a straight line, which is exactly what you want. Mountain bikes, burlier hybrids and gravel bikes are good choices.

These bikes come with, or can be fitted with, wider tyres. As noted, wide tyres work better in snow. They also provide more traction on roads that are merely wet. On ice, nothing grips except tyres with metal studs. These are readily available from Schwalbe and Continental. Whether you need them depends on how often you expect to use them. You might only need studded tyres for a week or two each winter but that could be a week or two for five years or ten years. So their long-term value is good. If you live in the north of Scotland, meanwhile, you might use them much more often every year.

Gritted roads are good for staying upright without special tyres but come with a significant downside: the salt in the grit can ruin bicycle drivetrains, turning them orange with rust overnight. Whenever you’ve ridden through wet or slushy roads with a lot of grit on them, some basic chain care is crucial. At the very least, throw a bucket of hot water over the chain, chainring and sprockets to get rid of the salt, then use a water-dispersing spray oil.