Meet the Regina man who rides his bike in every kind of weather

The squeaks coming from Lee Watson’s bike brakes is a familiar sound when temperatures plunge.

“I was born on the prairies. I love the cold weather – love the hot weather too, but I can’t go away for a long, hot vacation because then I don’t have this outside,” he said. “That’s why I get on my bike – because I need to be on my bike.”

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Watson, the service manager at Dutch Cycle, rides his bike every day of the year – even in the teeth-chattering temperatures the city has seen in recent days. Cycling is something that Watson said helps him relax before and after his work day.

“It’s easier to get on the bike to ride here than to actually get into a warm vehicle and ride to work,” he said.

“It’s way more fun riding around the trails in the park and stuff.”

Extreme cold warnings from Environment Canada have been in effect across Saskatchewan for several days, with temperatures dipping below -40 C with the wind chill. Watson said the recent cold snap isn’t as bad for cyclists as it could have been, because the wind has stayed down.

Watson said he has never once fallen off his bike. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)

A lack of mosquitoes and a lowered risk of sunburn are some of the other perks that Watson says he appreciates while biking at this time of year.

His secret to handling the frigid winter weather is to start early, cycling in October to acclimatize his body to the weather before the winter hits.

“If you work too hard on the bike, you’re gonna sweat,” Watson said. “That’s when you start getting cold.”

Every day, Watson layers up with different jackets, mitts for his hands and a balaclava to keep his face warm.

Watson has a trailer he hooks up to the back of his bike to haul groceries home, which he said has occasionally surprised grocers helping him carry out his bags.

“She couldn’t believe it,” he said with a laugh. “I came out there with the trailer (and) she said ‘I give you credit.’”

Watson said he is prepared for the slick and icy roads the city sees in the wintertime thanks to fat bike tires with studs on them.

The wider tires help riders plough through the snow and travel over uneven surfaces with ease, though Watson said he has experienced a few “bike and hikes” so far this year, which occur when he ends up pushing his bike through heavy snow.

The coldest he said he’s ever ridden in was -46 C without the windchill. His commute is around five kilometres, but typically he’ll take the long way, travelling 12 kilometres from his home.

That commute takes him about 30 minutes, which Watson said is around the same time it would take him to drive through traffic.

Lawrence Vandelinden, a co-owner with Dutch Cycle, said Watson was much braver than he is when it comes to riding in the in the extreme cold.

“I ride in the winter, but I have a cut-off of about -15 C. I don’t go colder than that,” he said.