According to many winter cyclists, a key
limiting factor to greater winter bicycle use is not
necessarily low temperatures or high snowfall, but road
maintenance practices in which snow plowed from roadways
is left on shoulders blocking the areas normally used by
cyclists. Cyclists are then forced into narrowed traffic
lanes shared by motor vehicles. The problem for cyclists
is compounded when separated trails and paths are not
cleared of snow - forcing them to use the roads. In many
municipalities trails are left unplowed to save on
maintenance costs and to allow for use by cross-country
skiers or by ATVs and snowmachines. Another factor is the
blind spots created by berms of snow, which render the
bicyclist invisible to cars crossing a trail or entering
the roadway.