November has begun to rear its head in downtown Chicago and with that, it’s bringing plunging temperatures, blustery winds and a complete refusal by the city’s inhabitants to leave their front doors and bear the gloom of late fall.

But just because the cold might put a damper on outdoor activities, it doesn’t mean everyone’s favorite two-wheeled mode of transportation has to come to a halt. Even in the bitter temperatures to come, the keenest and best-prepared bikers will continue to pedal away through sleet and slush. And with the right bike equipment, clothing and mindset, winter biking may not seem as intimidating after all.

West Town Bikes, 2418 W. North Ave., is offering a student winter bike workshop in order to give student bikers the background they need to safely and smoothly navigate their bikes through the season.

Alex Wilson, an instructor at West Town Bikes, runs the workshop under the notion that winter biking is not only very doable, but enjoyable.

“The biggest obstacle to overcome [while biking] is just your mindset,” Wilson said. “Once you get out there you’ll think, ‘Why wasn’t I doing this sooner?’”

For bikers commuting to and from school on downtown roads, the salt laid down on the streets can become a biker’s greatest enemy, Wilson said. The salt covering the roads is corrosive to the bike, so Wilson encourages riders to regularly clean their gears and keep them well-lubricated with oil. During the winter, Wilson suggests to lubricate a bike multiple times a week, whereas in the summer it is only needed once or twice a month.

Chicago Bike Winter 2008 chair, Howard Kaplan, said using a bike that can handle wear and tear is a good idea.

“In the winter, you want a bike that can get a little bit corroded and you wouldn’t cry too much about it,” Kaplan said. “You want to put your nicer bike away for the summer and bring out your bike that doesn’t look quite as nice for the winter.”

Sam Gove, a sophomore at Columbia and a biker for many years, said that one way he prepares for the winter weather is by switching his set of tires to a lower grade since the salt destroys them by the end of the season.

Beyond basic bike maintenance, the right combination of clothing that can withstand the wind and cold is also important when braving the winter. Wilson recommends dressing in layers—a base layer of thermal to absorb the sweat, an insulating midlayer and an outerlayer that is wind and weather proof to top it off.

For students, the recommended clothing has some affordable options outside of specialty bike stores, Wilson said. Many thrift stores sell the proper garb at half the price, such as the Army-Navy Surplus Store at 3100 N. Lincoln Ave.

“People really need to figure out their clothing themselves,” Wilson said. “There is definitely a learning curve with it.”

Because so many riders have the tendency to overdress in the cold weather and end up overheating, Wilson recommends operating under the idea that it’s a good thing to be cold for the first five to 10 minutes of a ride.

“A lot of people tend to think it’s too cold to ride, but you will warm up very quickly,” Wilson said. “Being cold is an issue that can be easily addressed.”

Although winter biking requires a bit more maintenance and vigilance, many people have found that it can almost be more enjoyable than riding from point A to point B in the summertime.

Winter biking can be less grueling and exhausting because it isn’t quite as hot, said Kaplan, who has been biking in the cold weather for the past seven years. Another perk of winter biking is the significant decrease in road congestion because fewer people tend to bike in the colder months. Kaplan anticipates that the amount of bikers out on the roads will drop roughly 20 percent once the days get shorter and the wind more heavy.

“I love winter biking; your body just gets used to it as long as you continue to bike through the transition of the seasons,” Gove said. “Just push through it and get from point A to point B as fast as you can.”