"On Business Trip" Episode 7: State of Emergency – Cycling in Winter Between Snow, Salt and Priorities

First of all, happy New Year! We wish you many safe and accident-free commuting miles. That brings us straight to the topic, because “accident-free” is anything but guaranteed in early January 2026.

Winter in Germany – apart from the high-altitude regions – has something ritualistic about it. Every early December comes the anxious question of whether we might get a white Christmas, followed by a certain fascination with disaster when it actually starts to snow, as it did last week.

Spoiler alert: Here in the Rhineland, just three snowflakes are enough to bring car traffic to a standstill. Once a continuous layer of snow settles, events escalate rapidly. Winter road services reach their natural limits within hours. Motorways and main roads can just about be kept passable, repeatedly treated with salt solutions. Cycle paths and pavements, however, are cleared more or less by lottery, while side streets seem to disappear from the priority list altogether.

Meanwhile, the tabloid press rolls out heavy verbal artillery: extreme weather, snow chaos, catastrophic winter – just a few of the familiar headlines.

Who Is Affected?

Of course, this affects commuters regardless of their chosen mode of transport. Social media fills with images of icy cycle paths, car crashes and stranded trains. Below them, heated arguments quickly follow. The tone ranges from “Equal treatment for everyone in winter maintenance!” to “Your own fault if you cycle in this weather!” and, inevitably, the classic: “Try paying taxes first!”

Some cynics claim that those who try to discourage winter cycling are often the same people who otherwise argue that nobody cycles in winter anyway – and that cycling infrastructure is therefore unnecessary. That claim is nonsense. The tracks left in the snow tell a very different story.

In such discussions, I often reply that I depend on my bicycle. Walking would take too long, and other forms of transport are too unreliable in my current life situation – especially in winter. That may sound slightly exaggerated, but there is a substantial amount of truth in it.

Is There a Solution?

I work in the logistics sector, where, shortly before Christmas, we regularly handle two to three times the average daily volume. That is a challenge every single year. So I fully understand that winter services must operate with priorities: hazard prevention, keeping emergency routes clear and maintaining essential public services. Resources cannot be scaled up year-round for a short seasonal peak.

However, other cities demonstrate that cycling infrastructure can remain attractive and safe even in winter. As a Finnish city planner from Oulu once put it in an interview:
“When it comes to snow clearance, cities show who they want to protect – and who they don’t.”

There is a lot of truth in that statement. In Oulu and other cycling-friendly cities, pavements and cycle paths are cleared first in winter. This prevents deep ruts from forming in slushy snow, which later become more dangerous than an even layer of compacted snow. Roads follow shortly afterwards.

People travelling in four-wheeled vehicles with winter tyres are far less vulnerable than those on foot or on two wheels, provided they adapt their driving to conditions. Yet in most German cities, main roads are almost permanently clear, cycling infrastructure is dealt with later – and pavements are often left to the responsibility of residents.

Anyone who argues that prioritising cycle paths would automatically obstruct emergency services or empty supermarket shelves ignores the fact that many people in critical jobs commute by bike – or even perform their work on bicycles.

Ultimately, this is about a reasonable and achievable shift in priorities, not about doing one thing and neglecting another. With the right approach, cycling in winter would feel far less risky, allowing people to make independent, self-determined mobility choices even in difficult conditions.

Personal Responsibility When Cycling in Winter

Until that happens, it is perfectly sensible to leave the bike at home if you feel unsafe. Many experienced year-round cyclists switch to a gravel bike with wider tyres, or fit studded tyres when conditions become truly severe and icy.

That may be the worst-case scenario for riding comfort, but at least your bones stay intact. And honestly – it still has its own kind of beauty. ☺️

For now, it looks like after one intense week, the worst may already be behind us.