My first winter by bike was epic and kind of sketchy at the same time. I had relatively standard hybrid-oriented tires. I wasn’t working at Dumoulin, but as soon as I got there, my colleague encouraged me to keep on riding during winter. At that time, the winter tyre was the famous cyclo-cross tire «Schwalbe CX Pro». A soft rubber was a great choice for below zero temperatures. Treads were good enough to «go for the asphalt», just below snow. At that time (12 years ago!), it was THE solution.

According to me, you get the grip of a pancake in a teflon pot full of Pam… I was told that falls were part of the experience/game… «You’ll get better and you’ll have your skills practiced!».

Well… I was enthousiast enough to keep believing in winter commuting, but I have to admit that this one fall right in the middle of Saint-Denis/Bellechasse intersection just frightened me enough to get a wee bit more nervous that I wanted !

And then I turned out to be a father. I had to find a better way, a more careful way. Tires that could reinsure me.

Studded tires to avoid falls!

This little noise from my tires calm me and comfort me : I adapted my equipment to the weather. I can handle this !

Though the city snow removal strategies are impressive conditions are subject to sudden changes : icy roads can easily follow rains, wet and heavy snow can become ice… One has to get ready for that and observe the road conditions carefully.

Riding a bike is first and foremost more effective and more simple for me and my family. I need my bike to be reliable and I must trust it to go with my kids onboard my cargo bike. Safety, or more precisely, my safety feeling thanks to my studded tires, lights, brakes, all of my equipment is what makes me feel comfortable to get riding.

Take me one of those parts off and I feel more vulnerable. I trust my tires and my bike, I ride. That’s simple !