Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (But Finnish People Can)

I'm in Cambridge (MA) and until the plague shutdown commuted to work by bike pretty much every day. I've never bothered with studded tires because the number of days when it would really make a difference is not high enough to be worth the bother. The city recently put in some separated lanes on the main roads that they plow and salt (sorry, chain), but the painted bike lanes everywhere else gets slushy and rutted just as described in the video. And cars park in them because the spaces aren't cleared. Some of my coworkers think I'm nuts, but as the video says, most of them speak from no actual experience.

I lived in Whitehorse, Yukon for 4 years.

I rode ~25 minutes to work every single day of the year. My best was -44C (-47.2F). It's like a whole different world at that temperature, and a lot of fun! (especially when the northern lights come out at 4pm.

Mostly in the winter it was around -30C or -35C.

Around the 8:45 mark, the author describes specialized gear he uses while bicycling in winter: a jacket, some gloves, and a touque. I was surprised to find out that he doesn't wear pants!

Lovely idea to project signage directly on the snow.

Montreal is getting better about plowing bike lanes, they are still third in line behind car roads and sidewalks but they do get plowed relatively quickly after big dumps.

Also having experienced dedicated lanes, not just painted markings, it makes a world of difference. You can actually relax a bit and enjoy the ride, even if you're close to car traffic.

Try winter riding! I assure you, you will not be cold!

Ever since crime soared in the 1960's, it would be unthinkable for Americans to leave hundreds of bikes unattended like that not chained to anything. They would be stolen within minutes. Its a real shame what simply isn't possible here anymore.