Three layers plus the extremities
| Area | What to wear | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Wicking base, warm mid layer, windproof shell | You warm up after five minutes, so start slightly cold |
| Hands | Windproof winter gloves | Keep feeling on the brakes |
| Ears and neck | Thin cap under the helmet, neck warmer | They take the wind head on |
| Feet | Overshoes or thick socks | They move little and chill first |
| Eyes | Clear glasses | Cold wind makes eyes water and blurs vision |
When to skip
- The morning after snow — melt that refreezes overnight, shaded spots under bridges and ramps on riverside paths are the slipperiest.
- Rain or sleet below freezing — black ice becomes likely.
- Strong wind — open riverside and coastal paths feel far colder.
- Your body — a cold coming on or a bad night’s sleep is a rest day.
Lights on short days
Winter commutes home are mostly in the dark, and most countries require lights on bicycles at night. In Korea, for example, the Road Traffic Act asks cyclists riding at night to use front and rear lights or wear a reflective or luminous band. Batteries drain faster in the cold, so check the charge before you leave and carry a spare light if you can.
A separate winter goal
Keep your spring and autumn target through winter and you collect a string of missed months, which is how many people stop logging altogether. Try halving the monthly goal for the coldest months and adding a days target such as “ride at least twice a week”.
Winter in the app
Lower the monthly goal
In Daily Bike Log, open Settings, then Goal settings, and change the monthly target. It must be more than 0 and shows up straight away on the Log tab.
The streak works day by day
The streak stays alive if you logged today or yesterday. So it holds until the end of today even if you have not ridden yet, but a whole day with no ride breaks it. Your best streak is never erased.
See the winter dip
On the Stats tab, set the range to this year and look at the monthly trend to see how much winter cut your distance. Use that number for next winter’s goal.
Screenshots show the app in English with sample rides; dates use the year-month-day format.
FAQ
Should indoor trainer rides go in the log?
Your call. Leave them out if you only want outdoor distance, or include them with “indoor” in the memo.
What about a long tour in winter?
Ice and short daylight cut daily distance. Redo the maths in the cross-country route plan with a lower figure.
Daily Bike Log: Ride Tracker
A cycling journal where you just type the distance you rode. No GPS pairing, no sign-up, and your rides stay on your phone. Free on Android.