Snowfall in many places! When traveling on snowy days, pay special attention to these points!

Since the beginning of winter, many places have already snowed and the temperature has dropped a lot. In colder places, people have to be "fully armed" and take good warm-keeping measures when going out in winter.

However, some warming measures may bring potential safety hazards. Today we will focus on the warmth and safety of riding electric vehicles and bicycles in winter.

Should we use windshield?

The most controversial topic about electric bicycles, besides whether or not to wear a helmet, is probably whether or not to use a windshield.

If we only consider it from a safety perspective, there is no doubt that windshield quilts should not be used. After all, it poses many safety hazards. Even in our country, many areas have expressly prohibited its use .

The windshield blanket we see most often on the road looks like this. It provides very tight protection, covering the feet at the bottom, wrapping the hands in the middle, and hanging around the neck at the top. It is indeed very warm, but such tight wrapping brings a big problem - it is not flexible enough .

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In many places, e-bike owners often face the following traffic conditions during peak hours:

There is an electric tricycle picking up kids in front of you, occupying half of the road and blocking you slowly. On the left, a car turns on its lights and tries to merge in. On the right, you have to be careful of the cars parked on the roadside when you open the left door. From time to time, an electric bicycle brushes past you from behind and whizzes by. Suddenly, a rider going the wrong way appears from the opposite side...

Road conditions are so complicated... When encountering an accident, we often need to turn, brake, and stop the car quickly.

If we install a full set of the most common windshield, the flexibility of turning will be greatly affected, and the integrated warm gloves on the handlebars will affect our braking and turning signals. In an emergency, we will be delayed if we want to let go of the handlebars and get off the bike, and the windshield covering our feet will make it impossible for us to stretch our legs and support ourselves neatly. Moreover, if the windshield is installed, the space required for driving will be wider, making it easier to be caught by other cars, and the corners of the windshield may be rolled into the wheels.

In addition, gloves and windshields are often integrated, and being hit by other vehicles makes it easier to lose control and fall... The superposition of these risk factors will undoubtedly increase the possibility of accidents or even injuries. It is no wonder that many regions prohibit electric bicycles from being equipped with windshields.

However, as the saying goes, "accidents don't always happen, but it will definitely be cold if you don't block the wind"...so it's no wonder that many friends choose windproof quilts.

However, windshields do have various hidden dangers. If you don’t encounter an accident, it will just be a few shots of others in the news. If you encounter one, it will be a 100% loss. So let’s talk briefly about how to keep warm as safely as possible.

Safety and warmth, try to take both into account

First of all, we need to make clear a principle. Our thermal insulation products cannot meet the requirements of safety, warmth, economy and convenience at the same time. Here we suggest that you consider sacrificing a little warmth, investing a little money, don't be afraid of trouble, and increase safety.

Because people can tolerate a little cold, spend a few hundred dollars more is not a big deal, and a little trouble is acceptable, but if an accident really happens, the loss of health and money can be serious. Next, we list some options for your reference.

Change the windshield

There are many types of windshields, the most common of which are those that provide tight coverage and wrap the handlebars. As mentioned above, this type of windshield also has the greatest hidden dangers. For safety, we can choose some relatively more streamlined windshields.

For example, some windshields only have two thin straps tied to the handlebars, and do not include gloves, so they will not affect the braking operation. They are narrower from side to side, less likely to be caught by other cars, and more flexible in turning.

In addition, when a scratch occurs, the rope hanging on the handlebar is very thin, so it is easy to break, and it is not easy to bring us down. If we have to choose, we can simply choose such a windshield, but this may bring a problem, that is, what to do if your hands are cold?

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Change into thick gloves

When riding an electric bicycle, your hands will get cold easily when the wind blows, so you can choose thicker gloves. But you should also pay attention to one problem, that is, warm gloves are often too thick and not flexible enough, while flexible gloves are not warm enough, and stiff fingers will also affect riding operations...

For those with bigger hands, they can choose thicker ski gloves to keep warm while still being able to operate normally. But for those with smaller hands, wearing a pair of ski gloves may not even be able to reach the brakes.

At this point, you can actually consider buying heated gloves , and there are many products on the market now, and the price is affordable. In addition, there are also those handle windshields installed at the base of the rearview mirror, which can resist some of the cold wind and allow us to choose thinner and more flexible gloves.

Some friends may choose motorcycle or bicycle riding gloves. However, these gloves are often made relatively thin for control, and they also add some collision protection for fingers. Professional winter riding gloves with good warmth retention are often not cheap.

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Change clothes

We can also choose long down jackets with good warmth retention, which can keep us warmer and have little impact on flexibility. Some manufacturers have also developed electric heating vests, which can also play a good role in cold resistance.

There are also solutions for the lower body. Some down jackets are one-piece, some cycling pants are windproof, and you can also wear wind-blocking knee pads, all of which can keep us warmer.

Don't forget to keep your head warm

Stimulated by cold wind, people are more likely to have head discomfort, and patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are also more susceptible to stimulation. Parts such as ears are also prone to frostbite, so we should also pay attention to keeping the head warm.

However, most national standard helmets have a certain ability to block wind and keep warm. You can just wear the helmet normally. If you feel cold, you can consider lining it with a warm head cover. It should be noted that in winter, many friends will wear scarves to keep their heads and necks warm, but if they are not tied properly, scarves that are too long can easily get caught on other vehicles or rolled into wheels, causing danger.

Pay attention to the vehicle condition and ride more safely

In addition to keeping ourselves warm, there are also some aspects of the car condition that we need to pay attention to.

First of all, it is necessary to confirm the status of the brakes . No matter whether it is disc brakes, drum brakes or V brakes, the brake parts will continue to wear. If they are not very effective at ordinary times, it is more likely to be dangerous when it is cold and slippery in winter, so they must be replaced in time.

Then there are the tires. Whether it's an electric bike or a bicycle, the tires have a service life. When the tread is worn to a certain extent, the grip will be greatly reduced. If they are not replaced in time, they are prone to slipping and become dangerous.

In addition, it should be noted that for tires with normal tire pressure, the tire pressure will decrease when the temperature drops suddenly in winter, and it is necessary to refill air in time, otherwise it will cause the tire to wear and age earlier .

In addition, the battery capacity decreases in winter, so we need to check the battery level and charge it in time when riding. It is not a pleasant experience to push an electric bicycle in winter...

Finally, when we ride on the road, we must obey traffic rules, wait for the green light, do not go against the flow, do not modify the vehicle at will to exceed the new national speed limit, and ride slowly when the road is slippery in cold weather. Only by keeping warm and driving in a standardized manner can we enjoy the convenience of electric bicycles and ensure the safety of ourselves and others.

The above are cold-proof measures for riding electric vehicles and bicycles. As for ground issues that are closely related to driving safety in snowy weather, please read the following safety common sense for traveling in snowy weather.

Traveling in snowy weather

Please keep these safety tips in mind!

Planning and production

Author: Ding Zong

Editor: Wang Mengru