Does anyone commute to work all year round?

[Fordulike]

Thinking of ditching the car and commuting the 7 miles to work. Will buy a UK legal electric bike for this task.

Does anyone here commute all year round? If so, are harsh winters doable, or not recommended?

Plus, any other advice would be most welcome.

 

[Danidl]

Thinking of ditching the car and commuting the 7 miles to work. Will buy a UK legal electric bike for this task.

Does anyone here commute all year round? If so, are harsh winters doable, or not recommended?

Plus, any other advice would be most welcome.

Hi Fordulike. I am now retired 8 years, but for the 6 years before that I commuted daily .. The distance was about 4 miles each way and I used an electric bike for those years. And that was all weather. Now you haven't indicated where you are and that matters . If your commute is somewhere in the Cairngorms, is different than cross London. A journey of 7 miles each way very doable by ebike ,and only needs proper foul weather gear. .The advantage is that you will not be very sweaty even wearing oilskins. As a younger person and its now 50 years ago, I travelled 9 miles each way commute on a variety of non electric bikes through dense city traffic, for about 7 to 8 years, and the time penalty was neligible compared with buses.
Now advice.. back then, I would replace the tyres every year without fail.. well I might allow myself a single puncture and then replace the tyre. Nowadays and with an ebike, I would demand Marathon tyres and slick anti puncture gloop in the tubes. Good raingear and a bike with a hub dynamo for preference .. you don't want iffy lights. Finally and this is the killer ... Bicycle Theft, I was lucky in that one bike lasted 4 years, but then I was replacing them every year!
Oh .. use a pannier .. a backpack , is just not sensible. The height is unstable and the bag tires your shoulder every pedal push

 

[matthewslack]

Thinking of ditching the car and commuting the 7 miles to work. Will buy a UK legal electric bike for this task.

Does anyone here commute all year round? If so, are harsh winters doable, or not recommended?

Plus, any other advice would be most welcome.

Yes, although only 2.5 miles hilly gravel track each way, and no traffic. Typically 20 minutes each end of the day.

Good waterproofs, Goretex for the jacket, any lightweight breathable for the legs, wellies to keep feet dry, warmth from wool layers, and don't rush to keep sweating to a minimum.

The range of the bike means maximum assistance all the time, so physically really easy.

If you are office based, having a shower at work would be helpful.

 

[egroover]

yep, for 4 straight years before lockdown, every day, 5 days a week all year round, in all weathers. probably about 2 or 3 days a year when it was very icy did I take the car, but snow not a problem.
As mentioned, get all of the gear, waterproof jacket, trousers, deep winter gloves, balaclava, shoe covers, merino wool socks etc...
Max assist all the way, charge battery every night. full mudguards, decent high power headlights, a couple of rear lights.

loved every minute of it

 

[sjpt]

I commuted 5 miles each way in pretty much all weathers on a conventional bike. One significant hill (but not huge) each way. Not in icy weather after a fall on an untreated back road. Slowly to avoid sweat. Wellies (as Matthew says above) are brilliant in wet weather; waterproof trousers outside the wellies. I never found a good way to keep the trousers from flapping; clips and velcro bands too short, but string did the job. I should have made up the right length velcro but never got round to it.

 

[StuartsProjects]

When I first started work, I used to commute the 4 miles every day for 5 years, no problems at all. Decent set of waterproofs for the rain.

Harsh winter weather was never a problem either, and on one ocaision when very heavy snow closed the city down, apart from a guy who lived a couple of hundread yards away, I was the only person to turn up for work. When the snow drifts got to big it was easy to pick the bike up and carry it.

 

[IanGlasgow]

I used to commute 7 miles each way to college year round - though I did have the option of getting a lift if I couldn't be bothered.
For the last 6 years I've commuted a couple of miles each way. Managed it every day for the last 2 years.
None of it on an eBike though.
Waterproofs for the rain. Gore-tex boots or shoes (my Five Ten Trailcross are amazing!). Endura Hummvee clothing is quick drying. I change when I get to work (I keep shoes, trousers, jacket, etc. at work so just need pants, shirt and socks each day).
I used to abandon the bike when it got icy or snowy, but I got myself a cheap SH mountain bike as a spare for when mine was away being serviced or repaired and then fitted it with Shwalbe ice tyres for the winter. I've now got hold of a spare set of wheels so it's quick and easy to switch to the spiked tyres when the forecast suggests I need them and take them off again when not needed.
Having a spare bike is useful because parts can be hard to get hold of which leaves you bikeless for a few days or longer.
Swapping wheels on an ebike isn't a cheap option if you have hub drive (but could be if you have a bottom bracket motor). The spiked tyres are OK when it isn't snowy or icy - a little noisy and slow - but I don't now how long they'd last if used that way for any length of time.

 

[Nealh]

I have cycled to work for the last 9.5 years for every shift, down here I can't really remember a harsh winter during that time.

 

[Fordulike]

I have cycled to work for the last 9.5 years for every shift, down here I can't really remember a harsh winter during that time.

As in south of England? I'm in the urrrrm, sunny north

 

[guerney]

Does anyone here commute all year round? If so, are harsh winters doable, or not recommended?

My trips to work can be 20+ miles. Winters are tough, especially as it's an electric bike, because there's less blood being pumped around if the bike is using high levels of electrical assistance, therefore feet and hands can get very cold in the winter - I wear silk socks with thick wool socks underneath, for windproofing and warmth. Even when wet, wool keeps you warm.

Most gloves are only good for dry cold conditions, none I've tried so far have been any good in the rain.

Wearing a dust mask and a jawguarded helmet keeps my face warmer, or one of those flimsy blue easy to breathe through covid masks. A jawguaded helmet also keeps my ears warm. Keeping a rain cover over the helmet keeps cold wind out. When it's extremely cold, I also wear a very thin waterproof fleece hat underneath my helmet.

Thermal underwear is a must, as is windproof and waterproof outer clothing. On the coldest journeys, I wear down-filled jackets under Gore-Tex layers (one of each).