Why Canadians Can't Bike in the Winter (but Finnish people can)
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- čas přidán 18. 05. 2024
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When talking about bicycle infrastructure in Canada, the number one excuse I hear is "winter." Many Canadians see the cold and snow as a fundamental barrier to year round cycling. But one city, Oulu in Finland, with winter weather worse than most Canadian cities, shows that winter cycling has nothing to do with the weather, and everything to do with safe cycling infrastructure.
Want to learn more about winter cycling? Every February, the Winter Cycling Federation holds a Winter Cycling Congress where experts and advocates get together and talk about best practices in cycling infrastructure and maintenance. More information is here at wintercycling.org/
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This video would not have been possible without contributions from:
* Pekka Tahkola: / pekkatahkola
* Anders Swanson: / swansonanders
* CycleYYZ: / @cycleyyz
* Dave Edwards: / davelikesbikes
* Joonas Olli: / o_joonas
* Vélo d'hiver - Montréal: / about
* My Brother
* Wimpy snowflake Canadian who can't handle a little bit of cold
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Winter cycling study (in Finnish):
TALVIPYÖRÄILYLAAJUUSMOTIIVIT JA ESTEETTERVEYSVAIKUTUKSET
docplayer.fi/7216725-Talvipyo...
Map of bicycle underpasses in Oulu and the surrounding area:
www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/vie...
BLUEGRYB | Rotating Icebreaker
GRYB (CZcams/CC BY)
• BLUEGRYB | Rotating Ic...
www.bixi.com/en/where-do-all-...
How to Keep Cyclists Riding Even in the Frigid Snowy Winter
The two key lessons learned by Northern European cities.
www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...
Ice cycles: the northerly world cities leading the winter bicycle revolution
www.theguardian.com/cities/20...
Music: "My Touque's Too Tight" by Drool Puddy
---
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:05 You can't cycle in the winter
0:36 Introduction to Oulu
1:29 It's not the cold
2:21 First: safe cycle paths
4:20 Second: proper winter maintenance
6:08 Lessons from Oulu
6:39 My experiences with winter cycling
7:37 Gushing over how awesome Oulu is
8:00 It's not as cold as you think
9:40 Progress in Canada
10:48 Canadian excuses
11:29 Winter Cycling Congress
11:59 Conclusion
12:24 Patreon shout-out
12:37 Drool Puddy music video
![Why American Cities Are Broke - The Growth Ponzi Scheme [ST03]](/img/n.gif)
The 2024 Winter Cycling Congress will be held in Edmonton (Canada) in February 2024. More information and registration can be found here:
www.yegcyclingcongress.ca/
Here in Slovakia, we treat cyclists and drivers equally in the winter. We don't plow anything and it is safe for no one.
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
"the Dutch and the Germans"
*shows French and Belgian flags*
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
I had a friend from Iceland who would always say, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing"
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".
"people will ride a bicycle in the winter if the city is designed for it." I'm sure more people would ride a bicycle regardless of season if cities were designed for it.
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
Winter cycling, or as the Finns say, "Cycling".
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.
Around 10 years ago in Saint-Petersburg (Russia) government representatives traveled to Helsinki, Finland to learn "secret" of Finnish clean streets at winter. That they got was bitter disappointment - there was no magic secret. It turned out that to keep streets clean and nice at winter you actually need to clean them...
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 secret is the plowing and NOT putting salt on the paths. I have had friends who winter cycle in Toronto and their bikes are eaten away by the road salt.
The over use of salt is a plague in Canada that damages everything including the environment.
I remember being pulled over for biking on the sidewalk in bc Canada during the winter. It was the most infuriating situation because there’s 3 feet of piled up snow in the bike lane so I don’t know what he expected me to do, other then bike in the middle of the road. He let me off with a warning ticket but even a warning ticket pissed me off because I’m being as safe as I can, while the city neglects the bike lane, intentionally pushing snow into it. Making it impossible to use 🤦♂️.
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.
And here I am... A Brazilian, in Sydney Australia, feeling weirdly invested in a video about winter snow-cycling in Canada's and Finland's winter.
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!
"The Dutch" showing a Franch flag............ "and the German" showing a Belgien flag...
Darn it...
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!
as a year-round cyclist from Oulu I appreciate this video. I guess the ability to do that was something I had taken for granted and it's slightly surprising to hear that it's not common sense to do it the way we are doing.
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.
9:03 I like how you used a French flag for NL and a Belgian flag for Germany at the same time.
Those slush-filled "cycle paths" give me so much anxiety 😨
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
In elementary school I tried to make a habit of biking to school everyday, but it was just IMPOSSIBLE. When I biked on the road, I got honked at and had to dodge all the cars, ESPECIALLY all the parked cars that made it impossible to just bike on the curb. When I biked on the sidewalk, I had pedestrians yell at me and tell me to go on the road. I WAS ELEVEN. Why can't Canada just get some dang bike paths in our towns and cities already??
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
Over a year later and the swapped flags are still triggering people. And most people only notice one of them!
Edit: also the number of people who seem to think that this was a mistake and I'm just "covering" for it is hilarious. Yes, I "accidentally" downloaded the wrong flag, twice, from Wikipedia. Yes, I "accidentally" got confused by the filenames 2880px-Flag_of_France.svg.png and 2560px-Flag_of_Belgium.svg.png.
Screwing up flags is the best comment engagement strategy, ever. I am going to swap, rotate, or otherwise screw-up flags literally every time it's possible, for every video, forever. 🤣
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.
I think what impresses me the most in this video is how everyone can leave their bikes laying around without fear of it being stolen. Here in America, that would never happen. They’ll snatch it as soon as you turn your back on it.
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.
i'm from oulu and never realized that in rest of the world cant cycle on 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
So to recap if people cycle in winter:
1, does your city have a cycling network?
2, does it have one in winter?
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.
As a Canadian i can confirm i have fell off my bike multiple times slipping on (literally) 1 inch thick dumping grounds of salt on sidewalks all over the city, and 0 times on ice. Not to mention gross brown slush everywhere, and every creek/river becoming saltier than the Dead sea
8:20: this is extremely accurate. if anything there's an art to **not** dressing too warmly, because otherwise you end up drenched in sweat and open yourself up to hypothermia risk.
Edit: Granted, that's based on heat management over a 10-15 mile ride.
One thing I've noticed about the Finns. They don't debate & argue over what needs to be done. They just do it. When WW2 was over they were the only country that payed off their war debt. When asked why they said: "because we owed it."
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..
THANK YOU for NOT using background music! Such a relief that I can pay attention to your excellent content!
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! 😳
The sarcasm in your explanation of winter cycling is amazing. As a Dutchie I was immediately triggered when our flag was turned but then I realized you did the same thing with the German flag. Making fun of the Germans and Belgiums is our favorite thing so it levels out
I love this utopia where you can just stand your bikes without fear of them disappearing
As far as gear is concerned, I feel I need to add there points:
1. Make sure your gloves are proper, i.e., don't let the wind right through.
2. Don't wear cotton on your skin. It will soak up when you sweat and will drain the heat right out of you when you finish your commute or make a stop. Only wool, synthetics etc.
3. Underdress. You want to be a little cold when you leave the house, so that you don't sweat profusely when you warm up.
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.
In fact, having a proper winter with temperatures below freezing and plenty of snow makes it easier to both ride a bike in winter, and to maintain routes. Cold snow is pretty grippy, clean and dry. What's problematic in terms of biking and maintenance are temperatures that go back and forth around freezing point. Ice, slush, water, slippery, wet, dirty, constant spreading of grit that punctures tires and salt which corrodes bikes. It's hard to copy Oulu without the weather. Just saying as a Finn.
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.
Snow removal of bike lanes and pedestrian lanes was always obvious for me in Sweden. There are even sections of streets in Stockholm that are heated during winter to prevent snow and ice. And the city has trials in the winter to try out new techniques for dealing with snow and ice.
I just figured it was the same everywhere where the winters are harsh.
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!
2:59 I hope Dutch cities take note of that projection tech! That's cool even in normal dark conditions. This could appeal especially to the city-of-lights of the Netherlands, Eindhoven.
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 fully appreciate the segment where you show, name and describe the super-specialized winter biking attire.
-
Here in the US, many people view adult on bicycles as either too broke to have a car or waiting out their DUI sentence. Particularly adults who cycle in the winter.
We're so brainwashed into being a car-centric society...
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
Sitting over here in the southern US like "You guys have public transportation and bike lanes?"
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 grew up in Colorado, and the neighborhood I lived in just so happened to have a pedestrian/cycling path that ran along a creek. This path just so happened to run very close to both the middle school and high school I went to. And let me tell you, nothing got me more excited to hop on my bicycle than a fresh snow. I could avoid all major roads and ride for miles along this path, and even though it cut through the middle of suburbia, it looked aesthetic because of how the path was incorporated fairly naturally into the scenery.
I now understand why it was so great, it's because I didn't have to deal with the noise and the stress and the pollution of cars every day. I got in a lot of good cardio, and it was fun. If there were more bike and pedestrian trails around that connected the city, I think it would be a fantastic first step towards rebuilding cities that make sense for people.
Dutchman here, who cycles to work every day and works outside every day, year round. The physical movement on a bicycle warms you up as you go. I always laugh a little when I see people on mopeds being miserable in the cold. With work outside it is the same thing: we have a saying that when you're cold at work you're not working hard enough. And for the rain: when being outside all the time it doesn't seem to rain as much as you might think.
I love how this feels like a huge diss on Canada
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.
As a person who has lived in Oulu all my life, I haven't realized how good we have it here. I have pretty much cycled 20 years of my life to everywhere 15 km north and south of the city centre. All of that time I assumed it was the norm and even had the audacity to complain about the cycling paths. I'd recommend everyone to try cycling to work and hobbies because it really helps with your overall mood and it's really healthy too. Thanks for the video! Really eye-opening!
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.
I live in Norway and cycle all year. One surprising benefit of winter cycling is how rough bumpy paths actually smooth out when divots fill up with snow and ice.
I'm Finnish (not from Oulu) and I also biked to school and work most of my life (and so do my parents cause taking the car is lazy), even on the coldest of days. I guess it's just a completely normal thing here, and I've never actually realized it's not elsewhere.
As someone who lives in the US and cycles year-round due to income, I can confirm that shity infrastructure makes it infinitely more difficult than the weather, I actually prefer colder weather because I don't overheat as easily
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
When people ask: "How can you ride a bike in the cold winter?"
I answer: "How can you ski in the cold winter?"
@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
As a Canadian who has done plenty of winter biking I wondered what this video was going to be; but you are absolutely correct. The worst part of winter biking here is that half the time I have to bike in the middle of a road.
As someone born and raised in Oulu I can confirm it's all about smart design. The bicycle routes are amazing.
Contrasting that with Saigon where I've been living since 2015, cycling here is not easy as there are no dedicated bicycle trails. You're forced to take your chances in the middle of swarms of scooters. Needless to say, it's been a while since my last bicycle ride.
As a Torontonian and an avid cyclist, this video is completely spot-on.
@@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.
I'm a 64 year old cranky old man. I commute every day, 15km each way. In the cold, snow, rain, heat. In Toronto. I do it to piss off people. It works. Such fun! But seriously, it's not difficult. Anyone can do it. Wish we had decent, maintained bike infrastructure like Oulu. Cheers to my Finnish friends. Saku Koivu, Teemu Selänne and winter cycling. 👍👍👍
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.
I live in Toronto, and this video is completely true. It is absolutely terrifying to try and bike in the winter. The snowplows which clear the road always push the snow into the bike lane, so you have to cycle through the road with all of the cars, or through a slush filled swamp. I basically just give up on biking the second the first snow happens.
I live in Ontario, and one time during the winter I missed my bus to school so I tried taking my bike. I tried to make a turn around a corner at an intersection then got caught in some slush and fell out into the street. Luckily there weren't any cars at that moment so I was able to quickly get off the road. Also luckily my mom agreed to drive me to school after I called her, thanks mom :)
I’m sorry that you were raised in London Ontario I hope you recovered well and are doing better now
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.
I can't get over how it's totally safe for children to ride their bikes to school, friends' houses, etc.
Where I live in the US it's not even safe to ride a bike alone in the neighborhood where you live.
Then I googled for more info on Finland and guess what? Finland has first place in the World Happiness Report.
Apparently in Finland the majority of the population is happy and feels safe.
(: 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.
There's a lot to this. I don't bike in the winter as part of my commute (Chicago area) for many reasons:
- salt on road killing the chain and steel parts on my bike
- hard to maintain
- ice forming on drivetrain and brakes
- drivers having less control when on shared roads.
- added costs for studded tires
- pogies are great fyi
- darkness and lighting.
I live in Turku, Finland and when the winter properly hits in about November-December I stop commuting to work on an electric unicycle and start biking. This goes on as long as there is ice on the roads. The streets are nowhere near as well maintained here as in Oulu.
Been cycling to school/uni/work for 30 years+ , studded tyres make it so easy that it's similar to summer riding, however these few years I haven't bothered to swap tyres at all. When cycling with summer tyres on ice, one learns the different types of ice/snow that are either not at all problematic or are near-deadly. The worst are the black ice that looks like asphalt but isn't (also traction, isn't), and you only see it if you can expect it (expect it from a slight shine in the asphalt, or if there has been a bit of moisture on the street and then sub-zero temps again). The other is when the snow melts a bit and overnight freezes again and then in the morning melts a bit again -> previous bike or car tracks become frozen solid and then additional little bit of water on top makes it the most slippery of all ice types. This will catch your front tire and if that happens there is nothing you can do to save it. However, when it's really cold, under -20C the ice that forms has good traction bc of its surface properties. Also, packed snow is perhaps the best for biking. You learn to watch the street surface and to determine when it's a problem and when not.
Even if the surface has absolutely no traction at all, it's bikeable as long as you continue straight and do not try to turn,brake,accelerate or do anything other than to continue forwards. The problem is when there is good traction and downhill and you gain speed and suddenly end up in a no-traction zone. Then you're f*d. You learn these fast, though..
Canadians: "You can't cycle in the winter, it's too cold!"
Also Canadians: *Pays $400 to stand for 4 hours in the cold to strap boards on their feet and ride down a mountain*
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...
Yeah. As someone who lives in Canada, it's not the cold that stops me from biking in the winter, it's the lack of bike paths and the amount of bloody snow that is just left to pile up everywhere and the town's response time to clearing it out.
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.
Love the video! Do you have any resources on the opposite weather conditions: tropical? In tropical cities people prefer cars partially because of airconditioning. Would be great to see what kind of solutions tropical cities have that help cyclists deal with heat and humidity. For example, after our office installed a shower we saw a huge uptake in cycling commutes.
I have just found a channel about cycling and urban planning in Singapore. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the topic: czcams.com/channels/4Fu_PxKyYXszbDDhxrbxoA.html
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.
I found your channel yesterday and, gotta say, I'm not a cyclist, but you're changing my way of thinking. Even want to start cycling! Though here in Argentina it's very unsafe still...
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.
It's funny. I've lived in Oulu all my life and I surely take the winter maintenance and biking for granted. The biggest thing why biking in Oulu is so comfortable is the fact that most of the bicycle ways goes elsewhere and far away from general traffic ways. You can get to city center from far away without ever need to cycle near heavy traffic. The ways usually goes through forest and silent neighborhoods.
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.
09:02
- Says "dutch and germans"
- Shows french and belgian flag
Nice job there, that must be on purpose :D
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
Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-why-canadians-can-t-bike-in-the-winter-but-finnish-people-can
Or visit: go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes
One thing Canadian cities really suck at too is providing places to secure your bikes. I live in Metro Vancouver and the municipalities are rolling out good biking routes, but 99% of businesses including every place I've ever worked does not have spaces to secure your bike.... bike infrastructure here is largely built around new luxury developments, and nice offices are generally the only workplaces that have somewhere to store a bike besides a few Skytrain bike lockers.
Any time I see a Canadian or American on TV saying it's "so damn cold", they're standing there with their jacket open, no gloves, nothing. Well no wonder you're cold...
And the worst thing is they are without a proper hat. It seems they don't know that significant part of the heat loss happens from the head.
Not Canada, most of America cries if it’s -10C lol
Meanwhile in Singapore my countrymen started Instagramming themselves in winter wear when our temperature dropped to 23ºC (during our start of year/year-end monsoon season in recent years)
Well here in regina its just so damn cold, we talking negative 30s that feels like negative 40s. Also the wind is just horrible because of the flat land
@@UniqueliAnimationsSN you think that’s bad? Lmao in stoon it hit -42 feels like -55 😂
i live in Winnipeg and 100% the only thing keeping me from cycling to work is dedicated bike routes. Sharing the road with cars just feels too risky to me to do everyday.
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
Literally at the begining tof the video I was like “It’s snow removal isn’t it?” My city can’t even plow a spot for people to get onto the bus so we have to stand int he STREET to wait for a bus. Cycling isn’t safe in my city in the SUMMER either. I am not confident enough to cycle on the road and we barely have bike lanes which cars always drive in for some reason. I was terrified of driving but because of all of this I forced myself to get my license when I was 26. So here we are.
In my home town I used to work at a bicycle shop in a town that gets -50 Celsius in some parts of the year, one of the mechanics, who was like 600 lbs would hop on his e bike and ride about 3 km to work, in that weather. I have allot of respect for him
In the Yukon, we just ride fat-bikes through the forests and hope we find the city centre somewhere along the way.
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.
"There's no such thing as bad weather. There's only insufficient preparedness."
German saying.
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)
I think there is a difference between season long snow cover and more mild climates where you get slush that re-freezes, I live in Birmingham England and my dad use to cycle about 8 miles into the city centre to the train station every day and came off his bike twice a couple times due to ice, snow cover for us is rare and doesn't happen at all some years
I live in Canada and biked to work for two winters (and yes I also own a vehicle). I stopped the last year.
First people can bike even with our poorly plowed roads, but you need the right bike. So I had a fatbike with studded tires. Despite the trash roads I only had one instance of falling due to the road condition over hundreds of rides.
However I stopped for a few reasons. First, despite being able to right on the unplowed roads, they were really annoying to ride on. Only about 30% of my route was on dedicated plowed cycling trails because the tiny bike lanes that made up the rest of the trip were full of plowed snow. So I was stuck on the road or going super slow on the sidewalk (which also wasn't often plowed). The winter is really dark and I constantly felt like I was going to be hit by a car, even with both myself and my bike fully clad in reflective layers. Lastly, and probably the biggest reason, was security. The paths in my town are frequent areas of assaults and the trails are often empty outside of drug deals going on under bridges. Also there are very limited placed to securely lock up a bike.
So while I did enjoy a lot of the days cycling, there are just a lot of impediments compared to me getting in my car and driving down the plowed road that goes right to work. You are right, the weather had nothing to do with it and it all has everything to do with the attitudes and infrastructure (which sucks).
I live in Massachusetts and cycle every day even all winter. Everyone else thinks I’m legitimately crazy. I agree vigorously with this video. Thanks for posting this. I love my bicycles, travel 20 miles a day, and have spent $20 on gasoline ALL YEAR. I work with “environmentalists” who drive their cars around for “fun”
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.
The salt in this video could de-ice several miles of bike path.
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!
What an excellent video! I’m Canadian and long past my cycling days, but when I think back to school years, and packing away the bike in the shed when winter started. What a difference it would have made, if we’d been able to bike to school instead of walking. Biking to work and leaving the car at home. This would also be such a boost to protecting the environment as well. I wish local governments would look into this and begin promoting it.
Minneapolis is no Oulu, but it's regarded as having probably the harshest winters of any major U.S. city, and there is a LOT of winter cycling here... because of the extensive network of bike trails, and the fact that the parks department is usually faster to keep them plowed than the city is with the streets.
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.
As a person from London Ont, and living in Finland I really loved the video! I cycle year-round in Helsinki, not because I'm superhuman but because the cycle paths are amazing. The idea of riding my bike(or my kids riding theirs) on the road now seems so outrageous. Finland definitely gets it right when it comes to cycling! Hyvää Suomi!!
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.
1. I highly recommend to wear a helmet even in winter. If your bicycle helmet is too cold, wear a ski helmet instead (it's designed to protect against the same kind of impact).
2. Oulu seems to illuminate their bike paths really well. This is essential because riding an unilluminated bike path with two-way traffic really, really slows you down, since every approaching vehicle blinds you. It's more irritating than a high beam car.
I cycled to work (3.5 km each way) for three years, through rain and snow and heat. Never have I been less cold in the winter as those days. The early morning exercise made my metabolism better at retaining heat throughout my day in the office.
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.
"Cold is not the issue, snow is not the issue. Winter is a lazy excuse used by ignorant people to make the discussion of safe road infrastructure (for bicycles) go away" LUV IT!!
Well, the Finnish deserves it well, after all more than 50% of their income 😮goes to government. Are Canadians willing to pay that?
@@typical_watcher4599 umm where did you get that 50%?
@@typical_watcher4599 maby it is like 40 for top earners
@@typical_watcher4599 Yes, I think many of us would be willing to pay that. We already pay a lot of income tax but we also get a lot of value for that in my opinion. There are plenty of glaring flaws and Canada has as much fallibility in its human leadership as any nation, but we have also managed to do a good job on having accessible healthcare, an abundance of well maintained national and urban parks/greenspaces, decent public transit, and a reasonably effective social security net. On top of that, we are generally a safe and peaceful place to live though we have much work to do with how we treat our first nations peoples. Canada is not perfect and our income tax is high, but on the whole I'm pretty darn thankful I get to live here and I gladly pay my taxes - would pay more if I knew it was going to meaningful public services/infrastructure that benefits all. Sure call me a socialist but I'm proud of Canada and of our democratic social values.
Maybe it was a false impression given by the video chosen, but to me it looks like Oulu DOESN'T SALT THEIR ROADS/BIKE PATHS.
Biking over hard packed snow is infinitely preferable to biking through slush.
The only problem I've had with studded winter tyres is when getting off my bike and realising my shoes don't have enough grip!
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.
I find it easier to ride in the winter than in the summer, because when it’s hot (my city gets at least a week worth of over 40c every summer) I arrive at my destination dripping with sweat. When my destination is work, that doesn’t go down well. In winter cycling keeps me warm!
Winter cycling is also safer than driving a car in the winter, we have so many accidents and deaths due to people having to drive to work in a snowstorm. This is in central Wisconsin, US.
Oulu resident checking in and i can attest to all this
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
As an amateur cyclist from Oulu, it was crazy recognizing the places in this video after just randomly stumbling upon it. I even saw my elementary school!
I've lived in Chicago for just shy of three decades and was born and raised in rural Michigan. I love winter and the snow and was unphased by cold and snowy commutes on public transit. As you said, a warm jacket, gloves, toque, and a pair of boots with rugged soles and you're g2g. I could not imagine living in a city where I would need to drive to get to work.
I ran outside all winter ❄️ here in Quebec and the number of bad weather days is really not that much. I only had to reschedule my runs a few times (no running in snowstorms to stay safe). I just developed the taste for cycling as well and I wish there were more separate bike paths plowed here in winter
‘The snow never bothered me anyway.’
-Oulu
In Turku, southwest Finland we got like half a metre of snow back in January. It was really hilarious to see cars stuck and skidding while cycling past them effortlessly.
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 feel that first one deep in my bones. riding in the midwestern winters has demonstrated a clear corrolation between ambient temperature and motorist attentiveness/patience. almost all of my close calls happen in the beginning of the year, and some days i just don't have it in me to roll those dice.
I live in WI, and I was cycling to classes even on the coldest days. The only thing that bothered me was the difficulty of traversing uncleared sidewalks, and the fact that bike paths never got salted
I ride year round in Canada. It's even more fun in colder weather than in warm weather, because you can exert yourself hard for a long time without getting too hot, and you sometimes have to continuously pedal hard when going through deeper snow, so you get a more intense workout. It is a suicide mission to ride on a busy road though, backstreets only.
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
About winter cycling: If you are not freezing at the beginning, you will have to slow down and still arrive overheated and sweaty.
It is a balance and a skill you need to acquire, but worth it for the money you save on gym membership, car fuel, public transit tickets and fewer respiratory infections. You don't have to work up a sweat to gain health benefits from moving around under your own power. And if you live in a place with decent infrastructure but bad traffic, you will save time as well.
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 😝
when this video came out i thought that Not Just Bikes did go too far. But this year i decided to give winter cycling a chance and bough myself a pair studded tires and it works! So thanks NJB to show me that i can bike all times of the year!
As a bicycle messenger/courier, Montreal was my favourite city to work in, Calgary second and Vancouver last. Cycling big city streets was{Thanx a lot, Internet}my full-time job, and water "proof" in my experience, should be labeled as "temporary water resist" with a factor scale of the expected performance over time. Dry, cold weather can be more effectively fought with quality, although expensive gear, but worth every penny.
This video should be mandatory viewing in city councils around the globe...
His entire video library should be
@@coastaku1954 The issue is not whether cars are fun or not. They're really fun. But it's a pricey transportation method, and other alternatives are necessary socially, economically and environmentally
@@coastaku1954 Cars are the least efficient method of transporting people, in terms of flow. Bicycles are the most efficient. Having people bicycle over drive is just better for everyone trying to get somewhere.
I disagree with the original comment though. Most modern urban councils know that cycling is the most efficient mode of transport for people, they have experts that tell them so. The problem is often the car centric residents. The council is beholden to its citizens and people that are used to driving don't want to get rid of car infrastructure for the sake of improved overall efficiency of the transportation network. They already drive a car down those roads and their independent desires overrule the benefits to society as a whole.
Educating the populace would be great, but urban planning isn't high on the list for education programs.
@@coastaku1954 most people just want to get from A to B. There's a relevant video of his, do check it out.
@@coastaku1954 You must be a riot at parties.
That's a great trick: you use deliberately wrong flags and languages, to get more comments :-)
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...
im from canada and have lived in tons of different parts of canada and there are lots of places that do year round cycling but not many people do it because the snow removal sucks or your bike gets stolen lol vancouver and other parts of BC and lots of people in calgary do ride year round.
Absolutely wonderful video. In Helsinki it's sometimes difficult even during summer, people shout to me (while I'm going on slow speed on my city bike - not rush 30 km/h like some do) that I'm in the wrong line - while I am, in fact, on a pedestrian-cycling path.
They are not marked, you have to jump all the time because it's hard to get onto the road and from it, go around the islands with lights cause they're done terribly. And the cycling paths end abruptly, leading you nowhere.
Oulu is amazing in that regard. *sigh*
The term “painted bicycle gutters,” is my new favorite.
Honestly, the moment you see biking as merely a method of transportation is the moment you stop using weather as an excuse; after all, you've still got places to be.
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.
Great video, it nice to see other cities bicycle infrastructure. BTW, I do cycle all year round in Canada, Toronto. It’s not hard at all, mitts, thin hat for under your bicycle helmet and a couple of thin layered jackets is all you really need for winter cycling as you do generate enough heat to keep you warm, even on cold winter days. (And it’s not really that cold here in Toronto in the winter:)
Ah, riding to school in the dead of winter; pitch black, -20° and it’s 6:50am. I do not miss it 😅
I moved to Oulu in 1982. Even then, almost forty years ago, the people who came here from southern Finland, were STUNNED by the fact that how well the bicycle ways were built and maintained here.
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
In my city, Kelowna BC Canada. The bike lanes are " dedicated snow storage".
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.
Moved to Ottawa from Charlottetown and was so impressed to see how many more bike lanes there were... until they get used as snow gutters in the winter. I've been told "just bike on the street" while having narrowly avoided so many careless drivers that treat cyclist as an inconvenience.
I cycled all year round in Edmonton, AB, Canada and the only reason I stopped cycling in Canada because I moved to Australia 20 years ago and I still ride all year round.