Here's some winter riding links: Sunday Winter Rides Iditasport Photos Alaska Ultra Sport Yukon Arctic Ultra All Weather Sports.Com

• Health - Winter riding can be a fine aerobic workout.
• Sanity - Getting out in the sun helps avoid "cabin fever".
• Fun - Whether alone or in a group, riding on snow is great.
• Environment - If riding makes you drive one day less a week, it's that much less gas in the car.
• It's Cool - It's fun to brag about riding (warmly) at -25F.
• Beauty - Sun sparkling off the trail and branches is a treat for the eyes.
• Summer Riding - Winter riding puts you in good shape for summer riding!

Winter Riding Safety in the presence of cars
Some people maintain that winter bicycling is dumb and dangerous, needlessly putting the bicyclist and motorist at odds with one another. This is only true in the worst situations, where a careless motorist encounters a careless bicyclist.
As a bicyclist, you can take a few safety measures and have a safe winter biking experience.

• Wear a helmet.
• Stick to trails or bikepaths whereever possible.
• Stay as far right as safely possible.
• Don't weave; maintain a straight course.
• Assume that motorists cannot see you.
• Wear reflective clothing.
• Use bright tail-lights for dusk or dark conditions.
• Use a bright headlamp. Oncoming motorists will appreciate it.
• If visibility is poor, be extra careful, or don't ride.
• If you routinely ride on glare ice roads, get studded tires.
• Think like a motorist. If you were in the car behind you, what would you think of you?

Staying Warm
This is much easier than you would think. Generally, all that is needed are one or two light layers, topped off with a wind breaker layer. Even this needs vents, so that you don't get too damp.

Core
torso, arms, legs
At 10F or above, try a single polypropylene shirt, followed by the vented windbreaker layer. Bring an extra shirt until you figure out what works best for you. Bicycle shorts and insulated bicycling tights will probably be fine for your legs, but you may need a pair of light poly 'long-johns'. As the temperature drops, you might find that you require an additional light layer. Experimentation is key.

Head
Unless it is nasty cold, you probably don't need a face mask. A headband made from windstopper fleece will take care of your ears, or you might favor an expedition hat with earflaps. If your windbreaker has a hood, you might only need a light hat. A neck gator or scarf is indispensable. Remember to wear a helmet. You may need to remove the pads from the inside of the helmet so that it fits comfortably over your light hat, or hood, etc.

Hands
Folks use pretty much everything there is here. We've seen yellow work gloves and giant thick mitts, out on the same ride. Generally, you can get away with minimal insulation if you can keep the wind off your fingers. Many riders enjoy "pogies", which are big mitts that are attached to the handlebars. They have a little insulation, and are wind-resistant, allowing you to ride with your summer biking gloves down to 0F or so.

Feet
This is where folks have a tough time. The constant pressure of the ball of your foot against the pedal restricts blood circulation, leading to cold toes. While solutions are as varied as can be, the common elements are:

• Loose, dry socks (poly)
• Loose, dry shoes or boots.(wind resistant)
• Don't over tighten the laces. You need the circulation.
  There is a "pogie" like thing for feet as well, which is a boot that fits over your shoe, and is open on the bottom, allowing you to use clipless pedals. If you are committed to wearing Sorels or Bunny Boots, there are some monster pedals available, complete with toestraps.
  If you find that your feet get chilled, get off and walk a bit. Your toes will warm right up.

Bicycle Requirements
Basically, any mountain bike will do. Purists and snobs might maintain that you absolutely need some particular bike with certain pieces of gear, but this is not true. What is true is that a determined, but low-tech rider can get out and enjoy winter riding on a clunker.
That said, here are some basic equipment guidlines:

Bike
The better your bike, the better your ride. Ensure that your bicycle is in good condition. If you don't do your own maintenance, having a local shop get your bike in top shape is a great idea. If you are in the market for a bicycle, resist the temptation to buy a bicycle from a supermarket or department store, at least not until you have visited local area bicycle shops, browsed the line-up and spoken with their sales folks about the bikes. Bicycle shops typically carry much better mountain bikes, and can help you find a bike that will fit you AND your budget.

Accessories
• Tires - For trails and snow, knobby tires with a 'paddle tread' can really help get through the loose stuff. For ice, studded tires are great. Get tires that fit your need from your bike shop.
• Wheels - Wide rims, like the Snowcat rims built by the folks at All Weather Sports are trully excellent for handling soft trails. The extra width spreads the tire out, putting more tread on the trail. Additionally, the tire pressure can be run extremely low (5 to 10 psi) for a stable, high traction ride in loose snow conditions.
• Lighting - A headlamp helps you extend your riding hours, and is essential for navigating trails in the dark (which is great fun!) A tail light is even more essential (is that possible?) to let others see you, especially important in traffic.
• Suspension - Depending on how much riding you are doing, your comfort level on the bike, and your budget, you might decide that you'd like suspension. Though far from a requirement for winter riding, front or full suspension bikes can be great for dealing with a bumpy or 'roller-coaster' trail. Keep in mind that as the temperature drops, your suspension may get stiffer. There is even danger of destroying seals in extreme cold, so use caution.

Technique
Winter riding requires slight adaptations from summer riding. It's not rocket science, and you'll figure it out as you go along. As with many physical activities, experience is the best teacher. You'll find that you need to make different accomodations for road riding, and trail riding.

Road
Obviously, you need to be really cautious. You can end up getting whacked if you don't. Additionally, you need to maintain good control of your bike when motorists pass you. Sudden, jerky movements may cause the driver to swerve into oncoming traffic, causing serious accidents.

This is not meant to dissuade you from winter riding, but to make you aware that, like driving a car, you have safety responsibilities to yourself and other people. Just remember to put yourself in the motorists shoes; what would you think about you?

• Wear a helmet, use lights front and rear, and use reflectors. If it is dark, you've got no business on the road without lights. You can be ticketed, just like a motorist would.
• Avoid wild corrections. The road is probably icey, and sudden corrections will cause you to lose traction.
• When the shoulder is soft and you have no choice but to ride in it, gear down. If it is really soupy, push your bike.
• Be careful of the transition area between open pavement and the snowy shoulder. This is frequently icey.
• Keeping your balance on ice is all technique. Focus on keeping the bike underneath you. If it slides a little bit, try to under-react. You'll be surprised how often things just line back up again.
• Don't slam on the brakes. You'll lose traction and slip, perhaps falling.

  Trail
  Trail riding is not fraught with as many hazards as road riding. You still need to be aware of other trail users, and you must also watch out for sticks (getting poked in the face or eye really hurts), but that's about it. If you crash, you pretty much just have to stop laughing, pick the snow out of your ears, and keep going.

• Wear a helmet, and use lights at night.
• When the trail is soft, let some air out of the tires for better traction. Snowcat rims, mentioned elsewhere, can be of great help.
• Again, with soft trails, look at where you want the bike to go. Don't look at where you don't want to go. Keeping your attention focused on the path that you want the tires to travel really seems to help keep your bike moving.
• If possible, keep your speed up. When faced with a soft trail, the inclination is to gear way down. Unfortunately, the longer your bike stays in one spot, the more it digs in. Moving faster keeps you from digging in as much, and improves control.
• Like road riding, avoid sudden, over-corrections. Otherwise, you'll find yourself bouncing from one side of the trail to the other, constantly putting a foot down, or falling over.
• If you find that things seem to be tougher than they should be, try relaxing. If you can ride with a loose grip, and keep your neck and shoulders relaxed, you'll go better, straighter, and last longer.
• Give mushers and ski-jourers the right-of-way. Be considerate of everyone on the trail.