One of the benefits of an ebike is that you can travel faster with less effort than on a non-assisted bike.  This is a benefit in the colder months because you can get to where you want to go faster and with less exposure to the elements.  This is a reason those who commute on an ebike are extending their trips into the winter months with some hardy souls cycling all winter.  While most of the recommendations for winter riding are the same for assisted and non-assisted bikes, there are some areas unique to an ebike.

Did you know that the current land speed record for a bicycle is 170 miles per hour?  In order to achieve this speed, the bicycle must pace behind a motorized vehicle.  The bike is towed for the first mile and then released and the rider cycles in the slip stream of a race car for four miles and the last mile is where the speed is measured.  The current speed record was set by a woman on the salt flats of Utah.  This story, called The World of Speed, was one of the short films as part of the Bicycle Film Festival Chicago #2. 

Let me make it clear I have no intention of riding across the country or the world on a bike if there isn’t a support vehicle or a warm bed and flush toilet involved.  But it is a guilty pleasure of mine that I like to read about others who have.  I can’t really explain my fascination with long distance cycling because it is a hard, uncomfortable way to see the world with a few moments of wonder from the landscape or encounters with kind people interspersed with lots of drudgery, hardship, danger, and bad weather. But learning about those moments of wonder and figuring out the motivation and perseverance of those who take on the challenge of a multiday long distance bike trip is an opportunity to live vicariously.   

Bike lights have two purposes: to see where you are going and to be seen by others.  There is a misconception that if you ride a bike in the city you do not need bright lights because there is ambient lighting from street and car lights which allows you to see and be seen.  While any small powered bike light is better than nothing, a bright light will improve your safety by extending your ability to be seen from a greater distant and providing better illumination of the road.    

We all know we need to be visible when riding a bike so we can be seen by other road users and pedestrians.  But when we think about increasing the likelihood of being seen we usually think about bike lights and reflectors, that is, items mounted on the bike.  But there is another way a rider can improve visibility—clothing.  What you wear when you ride a bike can make a big difference in increasing your visibility and safety.