Winter doesn’t need to end your love affair with biking. With the right gear and preparation, you can stay warm and keep pedaling even in the cold and snow.
“If you have gear to ski or snowboard then you have gear to winter bike,” ̽̽ Sustainable Transportation Program Manager Abby Bleything reminds us. “Snow pants, helmet, googles, gloves from your slope day make biking a pleasant winter activity.”
Learn more tips that will get you riding year-round by attending the virtual Winter Bike Workshop led by winter biking experts Peggy O'Neill-Vivanco and Daniel Liguori on Thursday, February 1, for a free winter biking webinar 12-1 p.m. .
Winter bikers come together on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, from 8-9:30 a.m. to celebrate Winter Bike to Work and School Day, an annual event that encourages cyclists to brave the elements and bike their way to work or class. Meet at the ̽̽ Bikes! Co-op at the Booth House (86 S. Williams St.) for hot coffee, bagels, and donuts. Students and employees are all welcome.
We are dedicating this year’s event to Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, our beloved colleague who passed away suddenly earlier this month. Along with his many other interests, Jarlath was an enthusiastic biker in any weather and a regular participant at Winter Bike to Work and School Day. We’ll invite visitors to write a personal message to Jarlath’s family and honor his warm and enduring spirit.
We will also have raffles of gift cards, bike gear, and goodie bags, thanks to partners at Local Motion, Old Spokes Home, Ski Rack, Patagonia, REI, and Terry Bikes!
You’ll also meet ̽̽ students, faculty and staff who see biking, including winter biking, as fun and a lot cheaper than a car—but also a very serious part of bending the trends on a quickly heating planet.
In 2019, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation accounted for about 29 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA. And in Vermont, that statistic is nearly 40 percent, the largest slice of the state’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, ahead of industry, home heating, and other sources.
