Toronto's winters are very bikable, so there's no need to put your bicycle away until spring. I biked through the past two winters and now have it down to a fine art. Sure, you'll need to skip a few days when it's actively storming or when the temperatures plummet below -20°C, but you can get in a good ride most days with only three adjustments.
1. Layer Up
Staying warm is essentially if you're going to bike through Toronto's winters. I've learned to add layers as the temperatures drop.
On a -10°C day in January, for example, I'll be wearing:
- two pairs of socks
- long thermal underwear
- water-and-wind-resistant pants
- tee-shirt
- two long-sleeved athletic shirts
- hoodie for running
- water-and-wind-resistant jacket
- balaclava
- biking gloves
- winter gloves
Trust me when I tell you you'll feel warm in all of the above down to -20° at which point your toes will turn on you.