Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (but Finnish people can) 

xD xD xD

🤔 We do plow here in Russia... Badass Slovakia😅

Sounds like a great place to own skis with skins

🤣🤣🤘🏻🤘🏻

good for you bro.. here in hungary they just sprinkle salt everywhere but they dont realize it'll eventually freeze

He's a master of trolling

Yeea i noticed too, wrote a comment and deleted it, i dont think hes serious, he would know i guess. Still kinda funny roleplaying the "ignorant north american who gets confused about EU countries"

Saw it. Thought "major fail". Looked for the comment. Liked it. - German efficiency.

@@Moses_VII and colors switched :)

Didn't catch that as a German lol, nice bait

not only cycling, public transit like subways and buses would be a lot more effective and efficient, problem is most of North America's infrastructure is built around cars

@@trawll8659 aw jeez no way... who told you that?

@@trawll8659 I agree. It just sucks that people in North America have been conditioned to sit for 2 hours in traffic while trapped in their metal boxes. I was talking to my dad a few days ago about how we need better public transport here in Halifax and he said he would never take public transport even if it was free, because it's "not manly". Go figure. I feel sorry for some people.

Cycling in the winter is cold. If there is no snow, there might be rain. Cycling uphill is exhausting regardless of the season.

@@donbow450 That's why you dress for the weather then lol. Wear a jacket and some goggles. That's been working perfectly fine for me. I live in Halifax (lots of hills) and I manage just fine. I usually will get off my bicycle and walk up a hill if I feel I can't bike up. Also, the more you bike, the stronger both your quad and heart muscles get. This will allow you to bike up those tough hills. Moral of the story is this: instead of having. a defeatist attitude, try getting out of your comfort zone once in a while. I reckon you'll enjoy it. Cheers

We say the same thing in Sweden, and it even rhymes: "det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder". It guess it's a viking thing. :)

Often heard that as a child in a Swiss city. Not from my parent, though.

Sounds very British! I've heard people say that around here.

I think that only applies to cold weather, when its 100°F and humid, its just hell.

@@ansatsusha8660 Keyword being "humid".

Or "Pyöräily"

@@zenshy2139 onse kumma ku jotku valittaa et ei talvel voi pyöräillä. Mää ajan joka päivä kouluun mopolla ja joskus on -24 joskus on -15 ja lunta on mutta hyvin se menee sivuttainki koulumatka:))

@@w203ilux Mopolla linttaaminen on kyllä hullu meta.

Hey im Estonian im friendly as the finnish yet not drunk as em (no offense) they still stronk though, ive cycled to school in the worst conditions

Yup. With the same logic: Walking during winter time...is it uhm.. Winter walking...? A term winter cycling sounds a bit funny. First I thought that someone has created a new type of sport..or something.. but its just cycling.

Yeah, but streets are pretty okay here during winter, I live in St.Petersburg. Usually it's bad only in the morning after a night of snowfall.

@@yeahnoway111 You just didnt seen streets in SaintPetersburg. Its maybe more or less Ok in center, but on outskirts piles of snow, dangerous ice patches and dirty snow under feet is kinda "normal". As they say, "Every year our government surprised by arrival of winter". Its also very dependant on local district officials - if they care they try to plow, if not they just shrug their shoulders. Usually at spring top-hats start talks about need of new snow-plowing vehicles but towards summer all talks just melts away with snow.

In Toronto Canada, they had (I think still do) salt trucks but not raw salt. They sprayed the salt after it was dissolved in water. The trick was to send the trucks out according to the weather forecasts. Spraying BEFORE the snowstorm. This prevents the snow from being ground into the road becoming ice by vehicles. Instead the falling snow just becoming slush and running off. (It’s also better for the equipment, not having to ‘scrape’ ice off the roads. Just cleaning up the slush.)

@@dericksmith2137 Salt isnt great solution. Its cause harm to footwear, metal constructions (including cars), harms animals and turn soil to barren wasteland.

@@Vednier Salt also doesn't work when you get below -20 or so.

The over use of salt is a plague in Canada that damages everything including the environment.

A lot of snow melts and makes slushy pools of snow that freeze and a city that is designed for biking can’t design it’s weather for biking

@@notchs0son Those weather conditions aren't a problem if the slush is plowed regularly and thus doesn't freeze to ice. And even when it's sloppily or irregularly plowed, you can still bike in those weather conditions with the studded bike tires mentioned above.

@@heidikuronen9491 yea but what city’s gonna want to waste that time for such a tiny amount of people when it just losses money

@@notchs0son it wouldn't be a tiny amount of people if they plowed it regularly. like Effigyy said it's common sense.

@@MrLdemo it would be common sense if it’s already common place and safe in general but you need to adapt how a city or country builds their Roads so even if the path isn’t great your fall and stumble isn’t into automotive traffic not just how often you might stumble and fall also it may surprise you but biker can become targeted simply bcs drivers feel entitled to the road way even if the bikers has just as much right to be in the center of a street as the driver. Simple incompetence is hard to correct unless you want to deal with how people are “tested” on driving and instate mandatory classes or programs.

I know Australia has corrupt development too. I dont know what mistake is being made but mark my words in a decade or so you will all be standing around wondering why you didnt half bury every building or something strange like that. Canada was conned and so many of our most interesting and oldest cities have been just totally abandoned to corporate retrofitting.

Puerto Rico is much the same, stroads everywhere, corrupt, disinterested and incompetent government, insulting bike infrastructure, over-reliance on highways, etc... Watching these videos is like looking into a portal to another world

I feel you ! I'm here in Puerto Vallarta beach

Kkkkkkkkkkkk mano eu moro no Amapá. Nunca faz menos de 24 graus aqui e aqui estou eu vendo esse vídeo.

Sorry, but you'll have to emigrate, again!

Must. Not. Get. Triggered.

I didn't even notice ... and I am Dutch,

@@buddy1155 nu niet meer. Paspoort graag bij de gemeente inleveren

@@buddy1155 weet je het zeker?

I came to be snarky and was one-upped, damnit!

Ignorant entitled oil burners piss me off too.

@@kevinnielsen1356 ..not near as much as ignorant entitled traffic law ignoring insurance scofflaw cyclists piss me off.....

@@TheWolfsnack Ahh, how we love to hate

Generally, yes, bikes are supposed to use roads with the cars if there's no bike lane. Sucks when shitty drivers hate people on bikes though.

@@dothedo3667 Drivers are the only reason I avoid the road as much as possible. There’s three gravesites of people who got hit while biking in just a 2km radius from my house. So yeah I’m not eager to be on the roads. Especially when there is a bike lane, it’s just not being maintained and purposely covered in the winter.

Here in the US you are treated like a lunatic, or worse.

Me here in the tropics: "What is winter? What is snow? Black ice? What's that?"

Because your Finnish city is a very rare anomaly when it comes to cycling infrastructure and cyclist rights. You do realize there is a major war going one between the autocentric majority against the cycling minority. Bikers do not have rights in most parts of the world. If they get run down from behind it automatically their fault not the motorist.

Man I wish México had the mentality of just Europe

Oulu gäng

Me too, man. And with the amount of potholes on Canadian roads, who knows what's hidden under that slush?

@@NotJustBikes Just my opinnion on this video: Avoid those separated bicycle lanes. Combine them with sidewalks to a "light-trafic-lane". This makes it lot easier to maintain as it is wide enough for machines needed for maintaining them.

Me and my friends drive in them as hard as possible and then brake as hard as possible. It went wrong sometimes, luckily nowadays Hollands doesn't hade snow

True. Especially when I'm near cars passing me. Just one slip could finish me off for good.

@@tommiturmiola3682 there's enough smaller machines that can maintain snowed over bike paths, especially if it's 2-way. So that shouldn't be a problem if the city invests in bike paths, because they will get used if properly maintained

Why? You can’t even ride them in the US, so what’s the point of stealing them.

@@nicoeggink7956 i ride my Mountain bike every day to the gym. And at least 2x a month in the AZ Desert. They definitely get stolen out here. Especially in Manhattan.

Here in Washington State most people are forgiving and yield to cyclists. But yes, there are the idiots who try and dictate to me where I should and shouldn't ride. I got honked, yelled, and cursed at a week ago for using a vehicle lane to avoid an obstruction which is legal per Washington State statutes. When cycling..NEVER let anyone tell you to get your bike off the roadways or sidewalks. Don't fight fair...stand your ground.

here in finland its normal to cycle on the sidewalk. and in many smaller cities theres sidewalks only in the city centre so you have to walk and cycle on the road and its fine.

Or just designate alot of the sidewalks as "paths" meaning they are open to pedestrians and cyclists.

I did same for high school.. used to ride like a bike messenger from NY... but I was in a suburb of Florida... gained a reputation as the bike guy

here the sidewalks are usually split into 2 lanes, one for bicycles and one for walkers, and if there is no designated bike lane then people under 12 are still allowed to bike on the sidewalk. Although I never followed this rule (because I didn't know it existed) and nobody ever told me to go bike on the road lol

Yup. I will never use background music, because I find it distracting.

Yes, but he makes up for the "lack" with extremely irritating music at the credits.

@J Hemphill Perhaps no one watches the credits. However, some people listen to the credits; in particular, people who have an episode running in the background while they are doing other things.

@@michaelkurak1012 Hey come on that song was hilarious!

@@TerenceMichaelReeves ...especially as it got faster near the end of the credits! 😳

You know how to trigger people 😂 Unbelievable that I miss the other flag from my favorite neighbors 😊 Again, Thx for your inspiring videos!!

Small nation syndrome; is that a thing?

Proud to be canadian 🇵🇪🇵🇪🇵🇪

the less people notice, the funnier (also I noticed) also its pronounced tsu-k not TOWK

@@weatherwaxusefullhints2939 The Belgian flag came before the German flag I'll have you know.

SISU, the Finns are a no nonsense country 🇫🇮👍❤️

Not exactly war debt. The Finns were forced to pay reparations because of their attempt to forcibly take land from the Soviet Union during the Continuation War despite the fact that the Soviet Union did forcibly take land from Finland during the Winter War.

I think you will find that Britain was the only country that paid off all of it's war loans to the USA. The last payment was made in 2006...

@@rossdavies8250 EUROPE ECONOMY UK finally finishes paying for World War I PUBLISHED MON, MAR 9 20159:52 AM EDTUPDATED TUE, MAR 10 20153:14 AM EDT SHAREShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email Almost 100 years after the debt was was issued, the U.K. government has finally finished paying for World War I. On Monday the U.K. Treasury redeemed the outstanding £1.9 billion ($2.8 billion) of debt from the “War Loan”, which was originally taken out in 1917 in order to finance the country’ huge debts incurred in fighting the four-year war.

@@Reitz86 Used to be, now it's just green vegan idiots mostly..

Well yeah but coming from Oulu even I think snow & winter can be plausible excuses, but what about the countries which have practically no winter and still don't bike

It's a huge diss to the rest of the Western world haha. I cycle all year round in England and enjoyingly so but I need a dutch bike

We can take it. We need to take it.

I used to cycle all the time in winter with bald ass tires. Never bailed until it was all nice after winter. First major and only bail that fucked me up bad

It is a huge diss on most cities in the world. Including some cities in Finland.

The heated streets are pretty common in walking areas with alot of people in Finland too

Those trials and techniques are NOT used in Canada. But they sound amazing!

Underrated comment

Mine has neither :/

I used to take my bike to school for over a decade, in winter and in the rain it was very exciting because on the fastest route that was an old wood bridge that ignored friction whenever it got wet. Let's just say I may have gotten to know the floor boards of that bridge quite well......

And, is it "flat"?

My city has exactly 40 miles of bike trails for 2.2M people. I happen to be lucky and live 3.5 miles away from it and it drops me off literally at work. Now for those 3.5 miles I have to ride next to cars. I've only almost died maybe 3 times in 3 weeks. Actually better than I would have thought.

When I was little,my dad told me that , if you feel warm when you left home for activities in winter, you ware too much.

Thank you, especially for that third point. That's something a lot of us don't think about, especially people like me who didn't grow up anywhere cold.

Winter tires. On bicycles and cars.

I wear poly next to the skin and wool over. Dry and warm.

On really cold or windy days a hood on your jacket is a lifesaver, when it gets really nasty a scarf wrapped around you face and the hood tied up tight with goggles can keep you going below -20C.

At 64, I am leading a parallel life in Ottawa and have tried to do the same, but it is so slushy and icy here that it is too damned dangerous to be out on a bike for the two worst months at our age. I no longer bounce worth a damn.

What cycling or pissing people off? Lol.

US has the worst city layouts.

Here in Seattle, you definitely see fewer cyclists in the winter (mostly rainy not snowy). I also love it because I have the bike lanes free from the Lycra people who (mostly) used to take offense at my e-bike. With the right gear, it's not bad.

As a teen, I rode my 12-speed road-bike in my US Northeast college town in the winter - on snow, on ice, etc. It worked well and I never injured myself, but got a lot of side-eye for the practice. But roads had pretty light traffic and especially the campus, of course, had a lot of pedestrian/bike paths. So, although it wasn't specifically built for winter bike-riding, the infrastructure worked for that purpose.

same here from canada. everyone here thinks im crazy

They are being used at a few locations. mainly as a try out test but then outside of the towns and cities and more in between.

I might remember this wrong, but I recall reading from some Finnish newspaper that a lot of countries and towns all over the world were interested on the projecting system Oulu has. I think they mentioned a keen interest from the Dutch overall.

they have it here in Amsterdam! Meer in drukke uitgaansgebieden

Eindhovuhh

They're probably nearly invisible in the sun though. The projector light would need to be ridiculously powerful. I think a better solution is to simply use signs that have lights on them. That way they're always visible regardless of snow, sun or darkness. For places without snow that want markings on the ground to be very prominent at night, they can simply use a small spotlight directed at those markings. This projection thing is unnecessarily complicated if the point is just to make things visible in snow or very prominent at night. Maybe not in the specific example shown in the video, since IDK about that specific situation. One advantage this has over signs is that it's visible from all directions. Also, if you have some rule which you want to apply only at night, this is great, but still you could make a sign which automatically covers itself at specific times.

I second the uplift for mood. Nothing like cycling to wake you up and keep you alert and productive for the whole day!

Its far better than Helsinki or Espoo thats for sure

I love this. I cycle everywhere when it's not freezing, otherwise it's far too dangerous here in Ottawa, especially where I live, because there are virtually no bike lanes here, all street parking, and narrow 50kmh streets. a bit of slush or ice and you could die... and many do die each year. It's insanity. So I just walk or drive... I'm part of a community association now though! So once I understand more about how city stuff works, I hope to fight for bike lanes... although also while biking for at least a few trees to provide cover on side walks and to have the least parks per capita of most of Canada... fuck I live in a really shitty city.... fuck the corrupt suburban city councillors...

Can confirm. I live in the San Francisco area and would dread my drive home everyday, but now I started cycling everywhere and it has made my stress levels go down so much! I very rarely drive any more.

It's amazing how people accept the good or bad of their life as normal. If people didn't travel we would have no idea how to improve things.

it's so annoying. even here in vancouver where they brag about transit it's quite bad comapred to any place outside of north america

There's also not enough bike paths to everywhere.

Yeah, that's why there are so many fatties in America, because being lazy is seen as a good thing.

@Jacko Sargs Salty?

@@QoraxAudio what are you talking about? They're all just being body positive and keeping me employed in healthcare because they take little personal responsibility. I'm American and I love to ride but riding here in the states in taking your life in to your own hands. I've been to 87 countries so I know what it's like to ride in other places, some are worse than the USA of course. Too many inattentive drivers in the USA and they are the most important person on the road. It's sad but true. I prefer to MTB, if I have a bad accident it's usually some tree that came out of nowhere or some damn rock that got in my way. Hahaha

@@garygjl9036 imagine taking a lane on St. Clair @ 5pm in a snowstorm :D :D I've had people try to fight me in the summer for less, just tryin' to ride my bicycle (the dufferin bus driver running you off the road is quite unprofessional).

​@@garygjl9036 Yeah, we just take the bus instead. Toronto is one of the few cities where people actually use the bus.

@David Davison Bruh, so homeless people drive cars then? Toronto has decent public transit, so you can just use the bus or train to get around. God there's even a LITERAL 30km underground tunnel system to help get around, stop defending cars. Cars make the street a dangerous place for homeless people.

@David Davison Well, maybe bike lanes aren't for us, but if we need to make the sidewalks larger to accommodate for homeless people throughout the city, then we can. And I know, nobody uses bike lanes in the winter, and you can't wear a toque with a helmet, so I agree, bike lanes aren't the most ideal infrastructure for a place like Toronto. Instead money should be spent on something that is used more often like streetcars.

@David Davison Kind of a dumb comment confounding completely unrelated issues. I've been biking in Toronto year round for many years now. Over time the number of fellow bikers has been increasing in *all* seasons and I expect that trend to continue. As the person in the video pointed out, people have preconceptions about biking in the winter in Toronto that reduces the numbers. The overall benefits to the individual, and to everybody else by reducing congestion, will make biking an increasingly popular option. The city is right to promote this as in time it will greatly reduce the need for even more really expensive infrastructure. As far as the homeless problem goes, maybe it would be better to refer to that as the opioid or substance abuse problem. Yes we should try to help these people address that issue in their lives.

This. We have lots of bikers in the winter here in Minnesota. And for the most part, were just as anti-bicycle and anywhere in the USA. But once we get cold, it doesn't get warm again until the end of April.

as dutchy, that is indeed the biggest issue with snow/ice here as well. When snow falls at night, then turns into water during the day, and then becomes ice again at night, and the next day you get this layer of snow -> ice -> water, it's super slippery. The sludge is also super slippery Just ice or snow when it's dry and cold? No issues at all

You know what else I notice about this video about Oulu? All the outdoor lighting. That also makes it easier to bicycle in the winter -- and to do anything else outside in the winter. You guys definitely gave a big middle finger to the concept of light pollution and said "nope, if the sun isn't going to stay up 12 hours a day, we'll just make our own daytime." And you know what? I'm fine with that. It's better for people's mental health. Being able to look up at the stars is nice, but it doesn't keep people from killing themselves.

@@deusexaethera its actually shockingly easy to make it bright outside in winter if theres snow and cloud cover. A couple street lamps make everything perfectly clear

Climate change makes it worse in North America. Even if you have the infrastructure right, how does one assure the snow quality not being melty sludge, refreezing cycles, etc.

savage

I want to visit London Ontario just to feel the fleeting happiness when i leave that town.

It could have been worse, it could have been Chatham.

Yup, visiting London is . . . something. 😬

He's gone to a better place.

@Typhoid Mary the Finnish (I think) fighting in WW2:

And it’s not even that cold since you’re moving and exercising

There's no such thing as cold weather, there's only the wrong clothes.

@@DieFlabbergast Exactly. I have different clothes for every 3-5 degrees step down. At about -20C I use a ski mask and ski goggles and have no big problem biking down to -30C then it starts to be a real problem with breathing the cold air. If we would have below -30C often I would have to find a way to heat up the air I breathe but we don't.

@@morzh1978 you should were clothes to feel slight chill all the way to the office, once you arrive with a slight cold you take hot tea or coffee and you’re ready to work. The problem is ppl not used to cold tend to wear too much clothing, but i get your point

Also from Winnipeg, can confirm. Only reason I cycle to work is that I'm lucky enough to live near bike paths.

Also from winnipeg and the only ways to get to work by bike require crossing pedestrian priority bridges where they are either too narrow to bike safely or you get dirty looks for not dismounting -_-

I've biked over 200,000 miles over 50 years, zero car collisions, almost all with roads. Think of yourself as a slow motorcyclist, could you "drive" your motorbike safely in the road? Most do (till they go fast :) I have seen terrible bike lanes, going downhill on Roosevelt in Seattle, bike lane between parked cars, bus stops and sidewalks, pedestrians in bike lane (and Wesstlake) possible if you bike

I been doing it with no bike paths in Winnipeg, you just have to hold the lane (bus lanes are also bike lanes)

I agree

(: I wonder why that is

If you, in the US, doesn't feel safe, please don't ever go to Brazil. But I get your point, I'm a Brazilian that recently moved to Canada due to safety concerns and I completely get your point. Feeling safe is the bare minimum to start being happy, so it just makes sense that safer places have better happiness statistics.

I'm not sure how accurate my image of the US is since its based mostly on TV, but I find it staggering how different it is to be a child in the US and in Finland. Here in Finland kids from 6 years up walk or cycle to school alone if the trip isnt too long. Or if the trip is too long they take the bus. No safety concerns whatsoever.

@@StanleyMilgramm that's something unimaginable to me, as in Brazil it is not surprising when 15yo kids won't walk 500 meters to school because we're afraid of what could happen. Usually 12 to 15 are ages where most kids can just take the bus or walk to school alone, but not all. Not worrying about them and letting them go alone to school at 6 sounds like a dream to me

@@StanleyMilgramm I've found in most neighborhoods where kids grow up, cycling to school is very safe in the US. The distances are usually a mile or less. There are residential streets and bike path cut throughs avoiding heavy car traffic. The problem is overprotective parents. Dutiful mothers drive their kids to school in the family SUV and come pick them up after school. I've ridden on urban MUTs for 30 years. It's gotten worse for kids. Very stupid. They become clueless wimps, or cynical, rebellious teenagers.

How about bicycle theft there? I stopped cycling a couple of years after moving from the countryside to a bigger city. After the third bike I just couldn’t take it anymore.

@@iidamietola274 Probably not, judging by how more than half the bicycles in that school bike park are left unlocked (Doesn't seem to be the school's private grounds.) Either way, given the fact that more than 75% of the city population cycles occasionally, as well as the existence of some sort of bicycle rental scheme, it's no wonder that bike theft would be almost non-existent.

if only finnish wasnt so different and difficult...

@@iidamietola274 It's pretty bad almost everywhere in the city. Maybe in the most peaceful neighbourhoods you could in theory leave your bike un locked but thieves are everywhere. But in the busiest areas your bike will be gone in a matter of minutes if you leave it unlocked. You need to have very good locking systems here if you need to keep your bike safe.

Digging a little deeper, things like this are why entire civilizations rise and fail. Someone or some group long ago in Oulu showed us an ingenious system, but the world seems to reject it. I believe what you need is philosophers to come there, take a look, and convince the world to accept this as the correct and best way. Will the the world listen? Not in a million years.

I was in Buenos Aires and Mendoza a few months ago, coming from Amsterdam, where I bike regularly like everyone else. In Buenos Aires, even as a pedestrian it can feel quite dangerous. Let alone biking, would be suicide. Of course that coming from The Netherlands it makes it feel more extreme. But I’ve grown up in Portugal, which has no bike infrastructure. But Buenos Aires is on a different level for sure when it comes to traffic madness. Other Argentinian cities are not as chaotic, but still a long way to go.

I have just found a channel about cycling and urban planning in Singapore. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the topic: ru-vid.com/show-UC4Fu_PxKyYXszbDDhxrbxoA

The worst part of biking in hot weather is being stuck at a traffic light. Haha. At least on an ebike, the air moving at you is sufficient cooking unless it's particularly hot. When it is, I just wet my sleeves and torso before heading out and bring water. Some coworkers do use the showers we have at work, but I'm usually fine with just a baby wipe and some extra deodorant (perks of an ebike, again).

I generally deal with heat by wearing light breathable fabrics and even bringing a change of clothes, specifically clean underwear. But there are also specially designed clothes that "funnel" away your sweat so you won't get clammy, and they look just like a regular tanktop ( a bit sheer, so you put something over them )

Lmfao. A fucking shower? At an office? One of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

EXACTLY!! I actually had this conversation with someone who said nobody would ever ride a bike in the winter because it's too cold *while we were in the chalet of a ski resort* after a day of skiing.

@@NotJustBikes And I would say riding a bike is a higher level of consistent exertion than skiing, so you are more like to stay warm. In many ways, riding on a cold day is nicer than riding on an overwhelmingly hot day. You can just wear warmer clothes and go about your day in the former, the latter it is hard to avoid needing a shower afterwards.

@@NotJustBikes lmao that would be funny if it wasn't so telling

It looks like the the Canadian bicycle paths are far more slippery with all of that sludge during the winter. The Finnish path is at least compacted snow.

To be fair, skiing is actually a winter sport...

Yes exactly. I used to live in Philadelphia and when there was a heavy snow it was so bad entire streets of parked cars would be inaccessible for WEEKS. Too narrow streets and no where to put the snow. Can't even really walk around in winter let alone bike!

That still seems like winter's fault.

Driving on snow is quite allright when you learn it, need to take your time to break and turn :) also falling on a decently flat road with snow is not at all painfull. Also bike skill! Insane

No to mention that even if the roads are plowed, you often still have ice to deal with. (I used to live in Detroit)

@@grijsmanya7292 They're not talking about driving _on_ hardpack, they're talking about driving _through_ snow. There's a difference, as anyone who has had to simply walk through loose snow can attest.

Once when I stopped at an intersection and put my foot down it immediately slipped and I fell.. A bit embarassing. I have Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro tires, very nice grip.

@@erik.... Same here, Ice Spiker Pro are the business. I feel far safer in icy conditions on my mountain bike that has Ice Spikers than in almost any kind of footwear walking around. The bike feels like a tank.

Can you put these winter tyres on a fixie?

@@andrevictorgomes the only limiting factor is the tyre clearance your frame and forks provide, as this will decide how wide (and tall) of a tyre you can mount. Winter tyres are typically offered in slightly wider sizes, because for the most part your typical cyclist doesn't consider riding their road bike in the snow and ice. Also, the metal studs add a bit of height to the tyre too which can sometimes interfere with caliper brakes assemblies. I doubt Ice Spiker tyres are available in sizes that would suit your typical fixie, but there may be other options you can look at.

Sounds the one and only strategy of Canada, in order to promote winter cycling... ;-)

agreed... salty on a bike is a way of protecting ones self assurance

Too much salt is bad for plants, foundations, footwear, cars. Basically just about everything except safety :)

I think the point is compacted snow is safer than slushy melted snow and not as messy either.

@@ArthursHD not to mention bikes!

Well, at least you've got internet, so you can see how much better socialist Europe is 😉😂

Ha,ha, most of the US has some form of public transportation, even in Rural areas. Its how they get around being sued for not complying with the Americans with disabilities act.

@@twotone3471 haha yes "some" public transportation

We do, but since a law was made that means infrastructure is going away from separate bike paths and replacing them with bike lanes next to the road, people just consider them road as well, meaning there isn't a proper bike lane anymore. In the winter, it's where the snow from the road is dumped.

You guys get snow? -West coast

I'm from kitchener, it's always interesting seeing people who recently lived near you so far away, what caused you to move? And how are you liking it? I've always had moving to Finland of Sweden jn the back of my mind.

I really wonder where did you find good cycle paths in Helsinki. They are really under-developed.

@@KL-wp8ip It's pretty good in suburbs and in new neighborhoods like Jätkäsaari and Kalasatama, but I agree that there are many narrow streets in the inner city with lots of side parking for cars but no cycling paths.

Best explanation ever !!!

@@ligametis My work cycle commute is away from the city so it's relaxing, I can stop and collect groceries somewhere along the cycle route since there's a supermarket next to it. Weekends are for lying in late, taking park walks/picnics/ meet ups with friends/DIY/ a swim and buying the odd thing. I deliberatly choose a career where I'd have the choice not to be heading into the central city.

@@AttackStart Exactly I recall seeing a news report of a good Samaritan getting a poor man in the USA a car after observing him walking over 10 miles to work daily and eventually asked him about it. I was wondering why no one had offered him a second hand bike that's easiest and cheapest to maintain. However I don't know if he knew how to ride a bike or his local road bike ridingconditions or if he didn't know people or organisations willing to offer a secondhand bike and advice on upkeep. Growing up my friend was poor so she got bits and pieces of bike discarded by others put out in the trash and built her own bike. She believed in doing what she could to enable herself. Even where I live now they ran a summer course on bike building for teens with bike bits being donated from old bikes and at the end of the course each teen had their own bike that they'd made themselves. I hope they manage to run this course again this year in some form because it's really needed in these times. They did offer pandemic bike repair vouchers in the UK last summer to those who applied for them so they'd be able to take whatever old bike to the bike mechanic to help refurbish it. I always knew bikes could be transport since my grandfather had been a cyclist since his teens becaus it was best for his foot disability and even though he got a driver's licence he never got a car but continued on his bike. The first thing I bought when I moved out on my own was a bike just incase I needed it for alternative transport since I wasn't sure if I could afford other means of transport.

yagbos: yep, american cities are badly planned. But not for everyone. If you live in the city center, you should not need a car to get around.

@yagbos Finland is one of the more car-centric countries in Europe. It was mostly built during the age of cars

@yagbos In large part Finnish cities developed during the age of car, not during the age of walking. Only couple the largest cities have significant amount of buildings that were built before the 2nd WW, and even then they tend to be in a very small area. Most of the development is relatively new and used to be very car centric. Finland is one of the most car-centric counties in Europe after all. Cities are mostly far apart from each other (at least by European standards). The nearest city to Oulu (population of 200 000) is Kemi (population of 20 000), about 100 km north. To the south there is Kokkola (200km, population of 48 000), and Vaasa (300km, population of 67 000). To the west there is ocean and the east there is Kajaani (180km, population of 36 600). The closest city to Oulu with a population of 100 000 or more is Kuopio some 300 km away. In addition to all that, the population density in Finland is 18 people per km^2 compared to 406 in the Netherlands or 35 in USA. Oulu's population density is about 69 people per km^2, and the region as a whole has less cars per capita than other similar areas or even large cities such as Vantaa. Most people in Finland rely on cars. In Finland there are about 2,75M cars in active use, and another 0,75M cars that are not in active use. In comparison Finland has about 3M saunas and about 2,7M households. On average Finns drive about 14 000 km every year. And -20 degrees is only a matter of what you are wearing. It's not deadly, unless you choose to wear bad clothing. I've spent a whole week outdoors (also sleeping and eating outdoors, spending about 1,5 hours inside during the whole week) when temperatures were in a range of -10 ... -30 C. I'd bet about third of the Finnish population has done the same (i.e. military service in the winter). It's not deadly unless you make it deadly. With bad decisions you can make 20 minutes in -20C deadly (for example fall asleep drunk with inadequate clothing). North america is not Europe, but it doesn't mean you couldn't make population centers more walkable. Here in Finland any population center of over 2000 people tends to have cycling infrastructure that's by the very least capable to transport kids from most homes to school on safe, separated bike paths. It's not that expensive compared to parent's driving kids to school or having a school bus/taxi service on a large scale.

@yagbos wow, what a "deadly" temperature. Growing up in rural Russia, I used to ski for hours in below -35°C when school was canceled (I've found later that many places here don't cancel school for weather at all. Ever)

@yagbos eh, most of Oulu is definitely not within 10 minutes on a bike

In the USA we’re just fat.

That is awesome :D

Wait... what? There's a city centre somewhere in Yukon? 😮

@@pocketdynamo5787 Haha, I use the term loosely.

Yup. That was the joke to get people to comment and it worked brilliantly. 😂

@@NotJustBikes I, as a german, got so triggered by this xD

@@sr3tch103 Same :D

@@NotJustBikes Jokes on you, I'm from there and didn't even notice.

I was thinking on raging about it. But I hop to spend next school year in Canada so I have to be nice. hahhahah

What does that even mean?

It means snow plows push the snow off the road and into the bike lanes and then leave it there until it melts

​@@nommchompsky Yep, back in Montreal, the snow builds up all winter and doesn't melt until mid-March!

In southern Ontario that’s what they use sidewalks for. I’ve had to walk in the road to go over highways before.

In Helsinki, there is a dedicated municipal snow dump, and a fleet of trucks dedicated to hauling the heaps of ploughed snow away to that dump. One year it was said to pile higher than the rollercoaster at the local amusement park, and took almost all summer to melt. But they don't let it block the paths.

You must have been protected from the skidding cars. I ride in cold, but I draw the line at ice, both because I've taken falls while hitting ice, and also because I can easily see myself getting smashed by a skidding car.

We must live in different city because my experience was just opposite.

@@Suno75 Do your streets get covered with ice at least once a winter? I don't mean for a day. Side streets can be icy for weeks as temperatures stay below freezing.

Lääkkeet or drugs cause hallusination, 2mm snow in turku

@@webcelt yes, 2021 winter we had a LOT of snow, last winter the sea didn’t even freeze over. Turku usually sees mild winters, some snow and maybe 2-3 weeks of cold weather (-20-30c)

I cycle to work as well, but not during winter. The main reason is part of the path is not plowed, and my commute is 20km each way. It would be a lot of energy to cycle all year long... During summer, it takes me between 43 and 50 min to bike home, using a road bike. Using a hybrid with studded tire, I expect my journey to be like 1h15... quite long.

@@JeanMichelAubin True, that would be a lot of effort. Although I know a guy who cycles 30km+, each way, from home to work every day; he basically rolls his daily workout into his commute. But he also loves cycling as a sport, I did it just for the commute and to avoid the car.

So true about freezing when going out, pedaling like mad to warm up, then arriving at work hot and sweaty! The trick is to layer up, viz. polypro long sleeve undershirt, jersey or cotton t'shirt, fleece vest, long sleeve semi waterproof unlined jacket, fleece skull cap that also covers the ears, full fingered gloves or ski mitts if below freezing. Bib shorts work great covering the ribs and stay in place underneath lycra/fleece lined or unlined unpadded lycra tights. Add suspenders to keep them from riding down. Cover the feet with slightly heavier socks or waterproof shoe covers. Dressed appropriately by air temperature you'll stay warm at an energetic pace, but won't get to work hot and sweaty. Someone once said, "If you're not slightly cold the first mile, you're probably overdressed." Just make sure all limbs are covered, and you'll be fine.

Getting overheated and sweaty in winter is almost just as bad as getting cold But i think now all decent bikes are electric so you will not even get warm. if temperature drops below -a0 you need some helmet or goggles because it is impossible to withstand the cold wind blowing into your face and eyes get full of tears

@@deltaxcd I hear ya. Down here in temperate DC street eyeglasses work fine. Below freezing the wind chill sometimes tears up the eyes! It's been a while. Well, ok about electric bikes. You're gonna get really hot and sweaty if that damn battery gives out! I've always modulated efforts below anaerobic threshold, and cool down the last few minutes. Also change out of sweaty undershirt, splash some water on my face comb my hair, and good to go.

This... Its about balancing the clothing, "if you sweat, you die" they told us in the military, during tough cold in Sweden 😅. I comute w bicycle during winter, and depending on temperature I always/often adapt the clothing from day to day.

@Advanced Driving Not an option, must keep pace 😝

Like this one. And mine.. 😉

I'm doing my part!

And it worked much better than I could have expected. :)

@@NotJustBikes nice! Let the algorithm work for you. Lots of people can see a great vid now.

@@NotJustBikes You know what, it took me years to learn that the English term is NOT "handshoe", but a totally different word! So much about education in Germany...

Se on talvella 9000x helpompaa Oulussa, kun ei ole jatkuvaa sulamis-jäätymis-sykliä, vaan tasaisemmin kunnon pakkaset. Kyllä Helsingissäkin olisi pyörätiet talvella paremmassa kunnossa, jos rahaa tartteis laittaa pääosin vain isojen lumisateiden jälkeisiin aurauksiin, eikä sen lisäksi joka helvetin viikko johonkin loskan auraamiseen, tai märän jään hiekoitukseen.

Should be on every intelligence test in the world. If you hear about Oulu and don't like it, you lose about 20 points

yeah it’s great, love not being limited by the warm weather. still unable to find gloves that keep me comfortable in -35 & cooler, they’ve gotta be real short rides lol

I agree, if only it wasn’t almost all ice here in Indiana. I don’t like driving in the winter regardless because it absolutely decimates cars. Good thing we don’t have vehicle inspections because two of the three used cars I’ve owned had no rocker panels left and severe underbody rust.

@@evanverret3150 I got myself a pair of 45 NRTH gloves and I've been biking out -25C they keep me warm the entire ride (hour or more). Warmest biking gloves I could find so far!

@@evanverret3150 You need pogies.

Do you ride a fat tire bike mountain bike or gravel

Yes- and in spite of the amount of protected bike lanes, and immediate snow removal (much better than streets!) we still don't bike much in the winter! I'd like to see the creator compare % of protected bike lanes in Minneapolis with Oulu. BTW I'm a daily year round biker in Mpls - winter riding is a serious drag compared to other seasons. The salt & sand on the bike trails will dissolve your bike within two seasons.

The suburbs stink at handling it. We're in Brooklyn Park and they like to plow the road snow into the bike paths.

@@harveyhaines5383 Ugh… that is the worst!

I would ride my bike year round in Duluth, MN. Duluth has a lot of well traveled foot paths within the city's many parks as well as sidewalks to combine together for a fun work commute. An extra soft tire is all I would ever use to keep good traction. The colder it gets out, the stickier the ice becomes. May I suggest everyone start your work day with a 2 mile downhill bike run and to stop by the local ice rink on the way home to learn how to spin 360's on your bike. Peace/JT

@@pmhaeg Then your city should find a better alternative to snow-removal other than salt and sand- Well that, or someone should design a wheel that can stand harsher trail conditions. Either one.

Could you see yourself living there ?

Now imagine a peanut of that trillion dollars spend in afghanistan put into bike paths.

@@Pinhead101 yeah but the cities would still have to maintain road that were built with federal dollars. Cities are generally pretty good at getting an F- on maintaining roads they got for free.

@@77jesseday But bike paths would require little maintenance as they are far lighter than cars and don't destroy roadways.

@@77jesseday and their states don't send 💰to the feds?

@@warehousejo007 oh, they *do*, it's just that they mismanage all of the money that they *do* keep/get back. Also while less maintenance is required for a bike path, snow removal is expensive either way. And bike paths require more attention because ice is a killer on two lightweight wheels even moreso then cars. Our cycling network is great in this city, and they plow a lot in winter. But not thoroughly enough that a bike would be safe.

Been living in Oulu since I was born, and to be fair, the winter maintenance depends on which places get the higher priorities, which may sometimes be a pain in the butt. However, there are always Plan B routes which make Oulu the best place to bike :D

I know exactly where they learned that.. Might want to try winter clothing in Russia, just in the case your military operation takes a little longer than expected.. lol

In Sweden we say there's no bad weather, only bad clothing.

​@@anarfox that's how I know the saying in German as well. I suppose it's more a matter of attitude rather than where you come from.

It appears to be an international saying by now. heard variations of it in Norway and in Britain as well. 'only inappropriate clothing.' People always complain about the rain in the UK but with a good coat I don't mind it at all.

@@anarfox That's also the version I know! (German)