Introduction

A detailed understanding of how the weather affects cycling is lacking. Where research has been carried out, the focus has often been on temperate and hotter climates; little research has been carried out regarding cycling in colder climate communities. This study therefore investigated the lived experience of winter-season cycling to provide empirical data for planning winter cycling in cold-climate communities.

Methods

Between 1 December 2017 and 30 April 2018, the activities of 13 cyclists (eight female and five male, mean age 42 years, age range 11–74 years) in Luleå, Sweden, were surveyed. Methods: Structured questionnaires, individual travel diaries, and recorded data for outdoor temperature, precipitation type, and snow cover were used.

Results

1) Cycle level and frequency could be maintained during the winter season; 2) in winter, participants were more likely to use their bicycles for commuting than other activities, 3) electric bicycles helped winter cycling significantly; 4) the quality of the cycling infrastructure is critical to making winter cycling attractive.

Conclusion

For winter cycling to be successful, town planners need to consider winter cycling as a specific activity with its own design, policy and management requirements. This study has shown that year-round cycling can be achieved in cold-climate communities, with all its attendant potential health benefits.

中文翻译：

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冬季骑行的实用城市规划；瑞典试点研究的教训

介绍

缺乏对天气如何影响骑行的详细了解。在进行研究的地方，通常把重点放在温带和炎热的气候上。关于在较冷气候社区骑自行车的研究很少。因此，本研究调查了冬季骑行的实际经验，为规划寒冷气候社区的冬季骑行提供了经验数据。

方法

在2017年12月1日至2018年4月30日期间，对瑞典吕勒奥的13名自行车手（八名女性和五名男性，平均年龄42岁，年龄范围11-74岁）的活动进行了调查。方法：使用结构化的问卷，个人旅行日记以及室外温度，降水类型和积雪的记录数据。

结果

1）在冬季可以保持周期水平和频率；2）在冬季，参与者比其他活动更可能使用自行车上下班； 3）电动自行车极大地帮助了冬季骑行；4）自行车基础设施的质量对于使冬季自行车更具吸引力至关重要。

结论

为了使冬季骑行成功，城镇规划人员需要将冬季骑行视为一项具有自己的设计，政策和管理要求的特殊活动。这项研究表明，在寒冷气候的社区中，可以实现全年骑自行车，并具有所有潜在的健康益处。