Summer’s over.

You need the right equipment—good quality headlight and tail light, at minimum. Also, decent, wicking, insulating clothing. Reflective top layers (jacket, tights/leg warmers, etc). The biggest challenge for me is keeping my hands and feet comfortable—I resort to chemical hand/toe warmers on the coldest days. Since I try to ride all winter, so long as the pavement is dry/clear, I’ve invested in winter bike shoes (Lake MTB). Once you acclimate to the cold (takes a couple rides), it’s not too bad. One benefit is that the trails are less crowded.

Darkness is a bigger issue than cold, but lights and reflective gear are easy to obtain and use. The goal is to make sure you’re seen by drivers; seeing where you’re going is not much of a problem in Arlington. I don’t like to deal with snow and ice, but most winters there isn’t snow on the ground very many days. Hopefully last winter was an aberration, not the new normal. Streets are clear and ice-free sooner than trails; that may or may not improve. I agree with Dirt RE raingear and fenders. The fenders stay on my bike year-round. I actually welcome cooler weather because I can wear raingear when necessary without being too hot.

Joe, thanks for pointing out the reflective clothing and protective gear. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen cyclists on the road in dark, non-reflective clothing, without any lights, and sometimes not wearing any helmets. It’s dangerous for everyone.