If you’re new to Bike to Work Week, do you need gear or anything to be ready for the ride? (Besides a bike and a helmet, obviously!)

Well, I turned to the experienced cyclists at TransLink for their advice on preparing for the Week. (I’m going to need it, as I’ll be cycling to work!) Let’s see what they have to say.

Clothing

What clothing do you need to cycle in winter? Especially if it’s raining? 

The short answer is that you don’t need that much past a few basics.

The key items for winter cycling are gloves, a jacket, and shoes. 

These items form the base of your winter cycling outfit. If it’s cold, they will keep you warm. If it’s raining, waterproof or water-resistant versions of these items will keep you dry and give you a much more comfotable bike ride. 

Wet, cold hands and feet can make it very hard to ride. I’m also told that it really sucks to ride in squishy wet shoes!

Essentially, you can start with what you have, and later on, if you get more into cycling, then you can decide to get more clothes, or upgrade to better clothing. 

You don’t need every piece of bike clothing to start, and you certainly don’t need the most expensive versions of everything. Do what works for you! 

For example, cheap stretchy magic gloves are perfectly good for winter riding.

Water-resistant jackets will be cheaper than waterproof jackets. 

For your feet, if you already have hiking boots, those are a great option. You can also get a cheap pair of rubber boots. Or use your regular shoes, but buy special “booties” to keep them covered. 

In a pinch, you can cover your regular shoes in plastic bags (no, really!). Or you can even just wear an extra pair of socks, so you have extra warmth and wetness protection. Or take an extra pair of socks to change into once you arrive at your destination.

And in case you do want a bit more clothing for the ride, rain pants, and a helmet cover are some other items you might try. These will really help keep you dry in a downpour.

Gear for your bike

Lights are the only item that your bike absolutely needs. You’re required by law to have lights on your bike after dusk, to help you stay visible to cars and other traffic. 

Headlights obviously go in the front of the bike, and taillights in the back – adequate headlights cost roughly $13 and taillights about $6. Many models use LEDs, so you won’t need to change the battery often.

But besides lights, you can always just start with what you have, and then choose to upgrade as you bike more regularly.

There are certainly items that can make your ride better, though.

Fenders keep you from getting sprayed by water coming off your tires. Bring your bike to a bike shop to get the right size, and you can have the store install them or do it yourself. 

They can cost from about $12 to $50 for a set of two. At the low end are clip-on fenders, which will protect you from the worst splashes. In the $25-30 range, you can get ones that fully attach and cover the wheel. These will keep you pretty dry.

And bells can help you let others know that you’re coming through. 

To carry things to work on your bike, there are a variety of strategies.

You can take a good old fashioned backpack. Waterproof is nice! Or use a rack, which goes on the back of your bike. You can then hang bags called panniers on the rack, which carry all your stuff.

And baskets go in the front of your bike. 

If you don’t know what solution is right for you, do head down to your local bike shop and they can help kit you out and install your selection, if needed.

Resources your work might offer

One last thing to do is to check out what cycling resources your workplace offers.

For example, if you want to shower after your ride, some companies provide shower facilities for employees. Or if your building has a gym inside or nearby, they often have showers that you can access.

(If you don’t plan to shower, I’m told you might want to bring some deodorant to freshen up, just in case!)

There may also be secure bike parking available to you. For instance, the Metrotower office complex offers secured bike parking in their parking lot. You need to sign up to get a key, so that’s something to get organized before biking to work.

You can obviously still park quite safely at many bike racks. And there’s some good strategies for picking a good bike parking spot.

Choose somewhere that’s visible, with high pedestrian traffic – that way bike thieves don’t have a secluded spot to work on taking your bike. Double lock your bike if you can, with a cable lock and a U-Lock.

And please share in the comments if you have more bike locking/security strategies, or other bike prep advice too!