The clocks are back, trees bare, and Jack Frost's fingers are wrapping themselves around Britain's chillier extremities. Winter has reached our islands and, with December just days away, the time has come for bracing walks, frosty mornings, and the sound of snow on snow. But indoors, here on the motoring desk, another seasonal phenomenon is taking hold.

Every year, at around this time, every insurance company in the world sends us a press release about "winter driving tips". These "tips" range from facile to bleedin' obvious, and clog up our email inboxes like damp leaves in a gutter. So in an effort to stem the frosty flow of festive spam and cold calls, we've put together our own advice. Actual advice, which might do someone, somewhere, some good.

These are our winter riding tips, for those bikers who don't put their machine away once the ice has set in. They're tried and mostly tested – please feel free to add your own on the bottom

A is for Advice. Take it, especially from bikers who ride throughout the winter and have all their limbs. You don't have to adopt it all, but the more you know...

B is for Battery trickle charger. They're all much of a muchness so don't break the bank, though it's worth paying a bit extra for decent cables as they get a bit gnarly after a couple of years. Attach it securely to your battery, switch it on and it will maintain your cells at optimum charge. You should be able to start your machine when you want.