Cooler temperatures and shorter days in autumn are no reason to leave your bike at home: with a few tips, you can stay safe on the roads even in fog and rain. We give you tips on how to arrive same at home to enjoy the nationalcasino.com.
Autumn is a beautiful season to enjoy nature in all its colorful glory on your bike. But with the arrival of darker days, new challenges arise for cyclists.
Cycling: What to consider when it comes to clothing and other gear
While it is often quite cold in the morning, late summer temperatures can still prevail in the afternoon. The German Cyclists’ Association (ADFC) recommends dressing in layers: put on or take off several thin layers of clothing as needed.
To ensure that cyclists are easily visible in traffic in rain, fog, or backlight, they should wear bright, reflective clothing. An alternative is reflective strips that can be attached to pants legs or arms.
The low autumn sun can dazzle cyclists. Sunglasses or peaked caps are a good choice, and there are also helmets with integrated “peaks.”
When it rains, rain pants and/or rain capes, as well as a saddle cover and waterproof overshoes, are helpful.
Also: mudguards with splash protection.
A neck warmer protects from the cold and wet.
Waterproof gloves keep your hands warm and dry.
Waterproof bike panniers also allow you to transport shopping and other items without them getting wet.
A waterproof cell phone holder can also be helpful if you need your cell phone for navigation.
The right light in traffic
Particularly important in fall and winter: effective lighting. And not just so you can see the road ahead clearly. Above all, you need to be clearly visible to other road users.
The ADFC recommends the use of hub dynamos and LED lights. This combination is characterized by its reliability, low maintenance, and durability.
How to winterize your bike
- Non-slip tires make your bike winter-ready
A good investment for snow-covered paths: spikes. The tire covers with small metal spikes are not exactly cheap (around 50 euros), but they can be worth it if you live in a snowy area and use them for several winters. Unlike cars, spikes are permitted on bicycles in Germany. The disadvantage of spikes is that they make riding on asphalt less comfortable.
- Cycling in winter: more light
To stay safe when cycling in winter, proper lighting is essential. Be sure to check that your bike lights are working and that all reflectors are in place.
The dynamo also plays an important role when cycling in winter. If you have been using a side-mounted dynamo, you should replace it with a hub dynamo by winter at the latest. This is because side-mounted dynamos slip on wet and cold tires, causing the light to fail. A hub dynamo is therefore a must on every winter bike.
Many manufacturers now offer bicycle lights with integrated automatic parking lights. This is particularly worth considering in the dark winter months – it means that drivers can see you even when you have to stop at a red light, for example. You can buy this type of light from Rose Bikes or Amazon, for example.
If you want to put your bike in even better light, you can use spoke reflectors (available from Rose Bikes or Amazon, for example). It is best to attach the small tubes to each spoke of the wheel. An additional bicycle tire with built-in reflectors will make the whole bike reflect light. When buying tires, look for the labels “Reflex” or “with reflective strips” (available from Rose Bikes, for example).
