Anyone who will be cycling through Munich on what will probably be a snowy and freezing cold weekend will probably reach their destination faster and, above all, more safely if they push the bike. Although there are currently more than 1,000 emergency services and more than 600 snow clearing vehicles from the winter service in daily use, the clearing and gritting of the cycle paths is carried out independently of the gritting of the other lanes on which cars and buses move.
The reason for the frosty temperatures is cold polar air, which should reach the Bavarian state capital at the weekend. For next Monday, the German Weather Service is also warning again of freezing rain and renewed black ice in Munich and the entire region.
Instead of road salt, grit is strewn on the bike paths. In contrast to salt, however, grit only has a deadening effect. The individual grains are pressed into the snow layer and form a rough surface. Due to its lower effectiveness, grit has to be sprinkled more often and swept up and removed again after the ice and snow have thawed. On the other hand, grit is more environmentally friendly than road salt because it does not dissolve in adjacent green spaces and damage trees or plants there.
“The salt is actually a problem when it comes to the verges,” says Andreas Schön, the 1st chairman of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) in Munich. Nevertheless, he would like to see a more differentiated approach to the issue of sprinkling on cycle paths. On many cycle paths there are no green strips in which the road salt could cause environmental damage. “For example, on inclines along the Isar or on bridges, where it quickly becomes icy and slippery in the cold.” In these cases, the argument that salt does not scatter is not tenable, and alternatives must at least be considered.
“We want to improve the cycling infrastructure”
The discussion about gritting the cycle paths has arisen again, mainly due to the freezing rain from last Wednesday, which partially paralyzed local public transport and made many cycle paths impassable in Munich. Instead of gritting with salt or grit, one could also consider using more environmentally friendly brine, says Schön and calls for result-oriented action. “The city has a traffic safety obligation.”
Approval comes from the municipal building officer Jeanne-Marie Ehbauer. “Especially in this weather with snowfall, temperatures around the freezing point and freezing wet, grit unfortunately only helps to a limited extent.” She adds: “We want to improve the cycling infrastructure. As the building department, we will examine how the existing clearing concepts can be optimized.”
Aside from the discussion about spreading on bike paths, many Munich residents are currently getting information from bike dealers about ways to get safely through the snow on two wheels. In addition to studded tyres, which grip well in the snow and don’t slip, special wheel winter tires are increasingly being sold on these cold days. Thanks to a special lamella profile, these tires ensure better grip in frosty temperatures. Battery protective covers made of neoprene, which protect the batteries in cold temperatures, are currently in demand for e-bikes. A new trend are also bicycle handlebar cuffs, which are attached directly to the bike and keep you warm even when the temperature is below zero.