We all know that gravel riding is fun in the summer when the sun is shining and the sky is blue, but what is it like in the winter? Specifically, this means riding in temperatures below 0°C (or 32°F) and likely on roads with snow. This post will help you understand some of the unique considerations for riding in these conditions.
First and foremost, check the weather for the area that you are going to ride for all the parameters. Unlike rides during the summer, you will need to pay close attention to the wind strength and direction, as well as the humidity level. While we love a tailwind home on our summer rides, there is a bit more to it when you’re planning your winter ride. Depending on your region, winds will likely bring some kind of weather change, which means a south wind could be warm whereas a north wind could be cold. Here in Alberta, if the wind is coming from the north, it is likely that it will bring cooler weather and air with it. On top of the temperature of the wind, you also need to consider in the wind chill factor. As you can see in the chart below, the wind chill can drastically change what the temperature feels like.

The condition of the roads will also greatly affect how fast you’ll be able to travel. One of the big perks of riding gravel in the winter is that the gravel is frozen in place with snow and ice. On our ride, the roads were quite a bit smoother than during the summer, because of this. How recent the latest snowfall was, how traveled the roads are, and what the weather has been like, all play a role in the gravel conditions. Should you be attempting a ride during or just after a snowfall, expect to travel significantly slower than after the snow has been packed down.

Humidity is another important aspect to be attentive to. In Alberta, when the temperature is hovering around -30°C, we make light of the situation by saying: “It’s not that bad; it’s a dry cold.” It’s how we pretend that we are ok with the weather. What does that mean though? When the humidity is higher, the heat transfer from your body to the outside air is significantly increased. Add in that you’re likely sweating and the situation becomes even more extreme. Given the choice between a ride at -10°C with 15% humidity or a ride at 0°C and 85% humidity, I would happily choose the colder temperature with the lower humidex. You simply feel warmer and it’s easier to dress and control the temperature.
When choosing a route for a winter gravel ride, especially if it is your first one, having bail-out options to get home quickly is crucial. Riding in the cold weather takes quite a bit more out of you than a nice summer ride and fatigue tends to hit harder and sooner than you might expect. I would strongly encourage you to start with a shorter route, close to home so that if you misjudge the clothing or conditions, you aren’t hours from home and in a dangerous situation. On my recent winter gravel ride, I was reminded that when riding roads over creeks or near lakes, the temperature will feel much cooler than average. Not only are these areas lower in elevation than the surrounding areas, but they also trap humidity. Each creek crossing that I did felt at least 10°C cooler than the area on either side of the valley despite there only being a 30 m difference in elevation. Keep an eye on the elevation profile of your route as well, long descents will cool you off quickly. On my ride, even a 40-second descent was enough to rob me of all the warmth I had generated. Luckily, there was always a hill following the descent which made warming up quite easy.

Choosing your clothing for a winter gravel ride is going to be the toughest part of the whole ride. The saying is “be bold, start cold,” but you also don’t want to chill yourself, as not only is this the best way to hate your ride, but it’s also very dangerous. This means you should feel a bit cool at the start of your ride. If you’re feeling warm when you first throw your leg over your bike, you’re likely going to be a sweaty mess within 10 minutes. If you are planning to stop along the ride for snacks and photos, it would be worth bringing a light-down jacket to toss on over your kit. These pack down very small and can be a lifesaver if you for some reason run into an issue and can’t ride to generate heat. The reality is, it is unlikely that your clothing choice will end up being perfect on the first few rides. Choosing your clothing takes a bit of trial and error, but here are a few considerations to help guide you.

As the contours of the land change, you will experience different conditions. It is unlikely your outfit will feel well suited for the whole ride, meaning you will feel too hot at times and too cold at others. You’ll need to choose which parts of the ride you are dressed for. Wearing layers is the key to success when it comes to cool weather riding. If you’re prone to always being cold, pack some chemical hand/foot warmers. They don’t take up very much space and can warm the coldest digits up quickly. Merino wool is the gold standard material for anything that is touching your skin. The temperature dictates how thick my merino base layer will be and if I will use a long or short sleeve shirt. My go-to lower body attire for winter gravel riding is a pair of Windstopper bib tights. Not only are they warm but they fit tight to the skin so there is no loose fabric flopping around like you would experience with fat bike pants.

You’ll want a nice pair of merino wool socks on your feet as the last thing you need is cold toes. The big perk of merino is that it doesn’t lose its insulating properties when wet. What goes over the wool socks? My go-to boot for any winter riding is a pair of the 45nrth Ragnorak boots. I have never been a big fan of overshoes for any kind of riding as they are a pain to put on and, in this case, likely won’t offer enough insulation. Not only are dedicated winter cycling shoes wind and waterproof, but they also have extra insulation that your summer shoes don’t have. You’ll also want to run the shoes a bit looser than in the summer as having them too tight will constrict the little blood flow that is in your feet. If you have a pair of fat bike boots, such as the 45nrth Wolvhammers, you can use them, just be prepared for sore hip flexors as they weigh significantly more than a normal cycling shoe, and the longer the distance, the more you’ll notice the weight.

Up top, I would strongly recommend a soft-shell style jacket over a hard-shell jacket. Hard-shell jackets are built for riding in wet conditions, which you are unlikely to encounter on a winter ride. While Goretex and similar membrane fabrics are marketed as breathable, they will never be able to touch the breathability of a soft-shell jacket, and you’re going to sweat. The fabric on a soft-shell jacket evacuates moisture much faster while still protecting you from the wind. Another thing to look for on your jacket are inner sleeves that you can loop around your thumbs. These keep the sleeves from riding up your arms while stretching out over your bike, preventing your wrists from being exposed to the elements.

Your headwear, neckwear, and handwear are likely the most important parts of the equation due to the heat loss you’ll experience through your head and the lack of blood flow that most people experience in their hands. I’m a huge fan of thin windstopper hats as they don’t interfere with the fit of most helmets and provide enough extra warmth. If you can find one that dips to cover the ears, you won’t be disappointed. A neck buff is critical as well. The carotid arteries run through the neck, acting as a major blood supply to the brain, neck, and face. Keeping your neck warm will allow you to stay warmer without wearing more layers. You can also easily remove and store this small piece of clothing to quickly moderate temperatures. On top of that, a buff will prevent wind from going down your jacket and it can also be pulled up over your face if the air is colder than you’d like. Again, merino is the material of choice here as the buff is likely to be saturated by your breath. I have a variety of gloves ranging from thin windstopper glove liners all the way up to leather, primaloft-filled gloves that I’ve used for ice climbing. The ice climbing gloves have been my favourite as they provide enough dexterity for shifting and braking while keeping my hands toasty warm. If your jacket doesn’t have the inner sleeves that go over your thumbs, I would suggest using gauntlet style gloves so that the wind doesn’t creep up your sleeves. Carrying a second pair of gloves is always a great idea, especially if you’re prone to sweaty hands when you’re riding. If the sun is shining, don’t forget to apply sunscreen as, despite the weather being frigid, you can still get a sunburn!

Eye protection in the winter is equally as important in the summer. I know a few people who swear by ski goggles for winter riding but I’ve never found them to be overly comfortable on the bike. Large sunglasses are my go-to as not only do they keep the sun out of your eyes, they shield your eyes from the wind. Riding without eye protection in the winter is likely to result in your eyelashes freezing shut (this happened to me on a recent run!). It’s also good practice to keep your eyes protected from debris. Riding with people especially, there is always a chance that your partner will kick something up with their tire and you want to keep your eyes protected, especially when speed is involved! Unlike fat biking, where the speeds are slower, I have not had an issue with glasses fogging when riding gravel in the winter. If you are running into this issue, you can try anti-fog treatments or simply moving your glasses away from your face a little bit.

Keep in mind that none of your clothing choices matter if you don’t plan around the pace of the ride. Maintaining a steady pace in the winter is critical, as you want to balance effort against clothing choices and weather to keep sweating to a minimum. Once you start to sweat, stopping to rest isn’t going to do you any favours, as you will cool off quickly and struggle to warm up again. Consistency is your friend in the winter. Descents are the only place where your pace is beyond your control and you will inevitably cool down as you coast down the hills.
Now that we’ve covered what you’re wearing, it’s time to look at what you’re fueling with. Fueling in the winter is largely the same as in the summer but has a few extra considerations. The first obstacle to overcome is that your water is likely to freeze. Adding drink mix and a pinch of salt to your bottles helps slow this process down but doesn’t prevent it entirely. I haven’t had much luck with the insulated water bottles, as the nozzles on them freeze. The Camelbak-style bottles, with the rubber valves, freeze quickly, forcing you to deglove to unscrew the lid to access your water. You can avoid this entirely by wearing a hydration pack under your jacket and routing the hose up through the collar in the front, taking frequent sips to keep the nozzle working. This is the only surefire way to ensure that you have access to liquid water for the whole ride. I’m not a big fan of this method as I find that hydration packs cause me to sweat more, and in the winter, sweat is your enemy. For this reason, I find that cheaper water bottles with drink mix work the best, as salt and sugar prevent the water from freezing and their nozzles are simple and easily forced open when they do freeze.

You’ll want to keep your snacks inside your jacket as well, as I assure you that soft bars are more enjoyable than trying to gnaw on frozen ones while you’re riding. Having your packages opened beforehand helps as well, as opening wrappers with gloves on is an exercise in futility.
The bike is where you’re going to change the least, if anything at all, for winter gravel riding. I kept my Checkpoint setup the exact same as in the summer, which you can read about in my review of the bike. Tire choice is the big one and, contrary to what you might think, more aggressive tires aren’t necessarily the answer. First and foremost, make sure your tire sealant is rated for cold weather. If your sealant is frozen, it won’t seal and your wheels won’t be balanced.

I ran my 43 mm Panaracer Gravel King SS tires, the same as I do in the summer, just with 2 psi less per tire (28 psi). If you’re riding in an urban environment, you may want to consider studded tires for ice. Remember, studded tires aren’t going to allow you to rail corners as you would in the summer; ice is ice and it doesn’t care what you’re running for tires. If you’re riding rural roads, studs are unlikely to add any extra safety. The gravel king tires had more than enough grip on the climbs and the descents, as the roads we were on had hard-pack snow. The ice we did encounter was not an issue at all. If your bike is equipped with electronic shifting, make sure that it is fully charged or that you have a spare battery with you. Cold weather greatly diminishes the working life of batteries so don’t be surprised if you see your battery life cut in half. I am a huge fan of day time running lights on any ride where there is a chance of seeing traffic. During the winter, the sun is low in the sky, the days are shorter and there is a higher chance of overcast weather. When you compound those factors with drivers not expecting to see cyclists on the roads, I would consider both front and rear lights, a critical safety aspect when winter riding.

I use a wax-based chain lube in all conditions. Luckily, when it’s below zero, the gravel roads are frozen, so your drivetrain is likely going to be as clean when you finish as when you started. Adding fenders wouldn’t be a bad idea if you’re expecting the temperature to exceed zero during your ride, again, that is a personal preference. One area on the bike that many people don’t consider is the grease inside your hub, especially for pawl-based systems. Factory grease is often quite thick, for longevity. Unfortunately, in cold weather, this means that the grease thickens and slows the engagement of the pawls in your hub. This means that the pawls could slip and strip out your hub body which would leave you stranded. Using a lighter-weight oil means you need to refresh it more often but will ensure a smooth running hub, no matter what the temperature is.

Winter gravel rides can be wildly fun, unique adventures. I hope that this post has helped you plan your first cold-weather gravel ride and that you too, will enjoy winter gravel riding as much as I have.
