For many people, transportation biking ends as summer turns to fall, the rains begin to drip down, or a cold snap brings the first snows.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. With some wardrobe experimentation and expansion, riding in the rain and the cold can be ultimately enjoyable. Ok, perhaps not AS enjoyable as tootling about town on a pretty summer day, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Jonathan Maus, long time principal writer at the Bike Portland blog, in the video below gives his tips for riding in winter to Meghan Sinnott of Nutcase Helmets and Ayleen Crotty of ORBIke — how to dress, stay warm, and even arrive presentably to work meetings.

«I ride every single day through the winter…it’s dialing in the layers,» Maus said.

Maus even approached the dreaded question of tights for men, and admits that he puts his long johns on in late fall and doesn’t remove them until late spring (except for regular machine washings, we hope!).

Admittedly, Portland, Oregon has a mild maritime climate when compared to say Minneapolis or Copenhagen. But those both happen to be cities where year-round riding is considered to be eminently possible.

As we are all-weather cyclists at TreeHugger, we’ve touched on this subject before, and there are some evergreen posts on this issue here, here, and here. If you want to ride a little further into your winter, it’s best to make sure your bike can brave the elements, too. Especially when dealing with snow and ice, a well-serviced bike with proper ‘fat’ tires and good brakes is a must.

Happy riding!