BUSTED: In the busiest winter cycling city in the world, cycling is more dangerous per km in June than it is in January (source: Navico Oy). In that same city, overall rates of injury and death for bicycle users is a fraction of what it is in less bike-friendly places. They just happen to be riding in winter too! When you start to think about that, the likely cause of summer conflicts should not be surprising. Most traffic dangers are, in one way or another, related to speed — and when it comes to severity, it is specifically the traveling speed of cars. Across North America, it is already well known that car collision severity spikes during the first nice long weekend in the summer — not in January.

Winter slows everything down. When people speed up, they make errors and the faster they go, the more risky it is.

Of course, what can make riding a bike feel "scary" (at any time of year) is not the bicycle itself or the act of cycling — but rather the conditions we are asked to put up with. Road conditions and the quality of design and maintenance can certainly make things feel more or less scary and too many people have to put up with poorly connected bike networks and bad maintenance for no good reason. By and large, the cities with this problem (usually a lack of good infrastructure) have the same problem in July. As anyone who plays hockey or uses a toboggan can attest, even falling in the winter has its upside.

So the next time you head out the door wondering if winter cycling is dangerous, or your work colleague looks impressed that you chose to do it, you might be pleased to know the slower speeds of all vehicles is actually working in your favor, and besides, if your ultimate goal is to live longer, we should all know by now that driving cars is not very good for us and daily exercise is critical for keeping us healthy.

BUSTED: This one goes squarely into the "myth" category because of how much "slippery surfaces" is overused as an excuse to avoid the minimal effort that would otherwise be required to create the right conditions for cycling.

Right now, hundreds of thousands children, youth and adults ride year round in winter conditions without fear. Part of our role is to show cities that "slippery conditions" should not be used as a reason to neglect investments in cycling and maintenance.

Yes, the "typical" winter city is one that experiences periods below 0 degrees, and, yes, water does, indeed, freeze. Yes, we know ice is, well, slippery. However, with good maintenance techniques in place, snow and ice can be maintained very rapidly to a surprisingly hard, textured, grippy surface — more than adequate for any bicycle. The choice to ride that bicycle also happens to be much safer than the main transport alternatives available to cover that same distance.

What we find perplexing — and why this is most definitely classified as a myth — is the double-standard that is applied to bicycles vs. driving heavy, fast moving cars. A 2 500 kg car or a big surly semi-trailer can/will/does also slip on ice, as we all know, and the results at these high speeds are far more catastrophic both for the driver and everyone else in your community. A city full of cars and with no bicycles is a city guaranteed to have high rates of death and serious injury by nature of the vehicles being used. Whereas a city where everyone cycles in winter (i.e. cycling in the absence of cars) would almost certainly mean that almost no serious traffic injuries or deaths would occur in traffic. All of this tells us that slippery is not just an overblown concern, it is also an ethical red herring being applied to an issue that must always be considered in context. If you decide not to ride a bicycle because a car is safer when it is slippery, think again.

As for skill, well, we suggest trying to ride a bicycle and deciding for yourself. You might be surprised at how easy it is.

BUSTED: Hmmm. Explain that to half the school-aged children in Oulu, Finland or numerous other cities across northern Sweden, Norway and Finland where this is already the norm.

BUSTED: Wait. Now that's just silly. Nobody stands around in an empty parking lot wearing skates waiting for a hockey rink to appear. Plow it and they will come.

BUSTED: Neither riding a bike nor cold weather can make you catch a cold. It's viruses that are responsible for that. Funnily enough, colds have become associated with cold weather mainly due, ironically, to being inside… mingling with new people and their various viruses indoors, especially once children return to school. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it should probably be that avoiding viruses is probably best done outdoors, in the fresh air.

BUSTED: What is considered special? A winter coat? Hat? Gloves? Sure. You dress warm in winter whether you walk, bike, ride a bus or drive a car. But, there's no need for any special gear for most town/city commutes — especially so in the cities that take it seriously. If you are from a place where the consensus is that you need special bicycles or gear like winter tires for everyday commuting, it is probably a sign that your community could use a little "snow-how". This is important, strategically, because in the places where cycling in winter is already very popular, even the peoples' choice of jacket and tires speaks for itself. The vast majority wear clothing they would wear to walk, and they don't bother changing to studded tires. They simply keep going.

For those of us looking to elevate the discussion and show how cycling can be a great choice for the masses, it is important not to overcomplicate the individual person's decisions.

Of course, if you do actually live on the side of a mountain in Alaska or are planning a trip to the North Pole (yes it can be done), and/or you simply prefer recreational cycling in the forest or mountains then, yes, special bicycles and special tires do exist. There are adaptations that work even in deep snow and, you bet, they are a lot of fun. But they are not necessary, as a rule, and are unlikely to have a profound effect on daily transport habits for the masses. Simply put, if you are doing it right, your community can almost certainly be made bikeable for whatever people are wearing and riding now.

BUSTED: While climate change is causing the Earth's overall temperature to rise, it does not mean that all places will be warm all the time. There are regions around the world with populations of millions that will still have temperatures way below zero and lots of snow during the winter. Enabling people to use the bike as a mode of transportation year round can reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses and thus help tackle climate change.