Cycling in cold weather, on snow and ice, in wet weather. Clothing and equipment issues relating to winter.
7
votes
2answers
776 views
Winter Tires with removed studs as Summer Tires?
I have just a set of summer tires in very poor condition and a huge heap of studded winter tires. Selling winter tires is very hard so I got an idea to use the winter tires as summer tires with ...
5
votes
7answers
209 views
How to carry skis on a bike?
I don't have a car and think about biking to ski resorts. So the question is how to carry my XC skis on a bike. Have anyone tried doing this and what was the solution?
Thanks.
6
votes
3answers
127 views
How to keep my hydration pack tubes and valve from freezing?
I like to ride with a hydration pack when I mountain bike in the winter since all sorts of nasty stuff gets tossed up at my bottles. However, I've had issues with the tube or valve getting clogged ...
3
votes
1answer
88 views
What should I do about salt in V-brakes?
I've been riding a lot thins winter in spite of unusually snowy, icy, and slushy conditions. While I know how to lube and clean my chain and can deal with other accumulated filth, I'm having trouble ...
3
votes
2answers
130 views
Cold weather chain lube?
My Rock N Roll Gold bike lube seems to get solid or gelatenous when stored on my unheated, but enclosed porch at colder temperatures. Is a chain lubricated with this product still going to be ...
9
votes
10answers
999 views
Winter commuting - how to keep warm?
I am interested in what the best ways are to keep your face and feet warm.
I saw some shoe covers on amazon, but they all seem to require you to be riding clipless which I do not. I think if I used a ...
6
votes
2answers
323 views
How to prevent my disc brakes from locking/sticking due to debris?
Context:
I have a commuter/crossover bike with disc brakes, and a daily commute of ~20km. I upgraded to a bike with disc brakes after standard caliper brakes kept losing their stick and requiring pad ...
8
votes
5answers
302 views
need cycling eyewear, but fogging is a big problem
I'm commuting in temperatures ranging from -10 to -25C without windchill factored in. I have a typical pair of interchangeable lens wrap around cycling glasses. I find that they, without fail, ...
8
votes
7answers
467 views
How to prepare oneself for riding in the snow?
I live in western Germany and have started to ride to work almost everyday. It is great at the moment as it is summer (not as dry as I hoped for, but that is another story). So the only thing I have ...
19
votes
8answers
705 views
What type of brakes is least subject to failure in the winter?
There is a lot of snow in the winter where I live. Different kinds of snow; soft, sticky, wet, etc. And ice too. It can get pretty cold: -25 °C (-15 °F). We drop salt, sand and gravel on our roads.
...
10
votes
3answers
950 views
What should I consider when looking at a recumbent trike for commuting and winter riding?
AS part of my investigation on my bike replacement, I'm starting to look at a trike. I like the idea of a trike as it looks to be much more comfortable, much faster, but also much more expensive (in ...
2
votes
2answers
97 views
How to prevent ice from clogging the cassette?
I've commuted on a bike in winter for 13 years now, but never as far as now, that is 30 km daily. I have a problem which I never experienced before.
In temperatures close to 0C and on paths covered ...
14
votes
6answers
924 views
What gloves work well for winter riding?
I'm starting to plan ahead for winter riding, and gloves are definitely high on the list.
What gloves work well for winter riding? Are cycling-specific gloves the way to go for a flat-bar bike with ...
12
votes
9answers
610 views
What needs to be considered when building a winter bike?
I have been thinking about making the ultimate winter bike. Here are some of the things that I have been thinking about. What else would you think about when building a good winter bike.
I am ...
1
vote
4answers
318 views
I know there are better rain-forecast sources than “hourly forecast” websites. What's the best such source? [closed]
I sometimes wonder about two things: Will it rain in my city? If so, when?
Please teach me the best way to find answers.
Note:
Please don't point me to the local weather services' "hourly ...
4
votes
1answer
282 views
Shimano Sora shifter having trouble in the snow
So today is the first day of snow here in Norway, and I had prepared well for this day. My Giant Cyclocross has new spiked tires and i've done a check on all components, they are ready for the ...
6
votes
4answers
232 views
V-brakes during winter?
I'm considering some Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires so I can continue commuting to work during the UK winter ( -3°C to +8°C, with some snow and ice). However, I only have V-brakes. Are those brakes ...
9
votes
4answers
450 views
Minimal effort chain cleaning
One of the main reasons I eventually give up my bicycle commute in winter is that keeping my bike -mainly the drivetrain- clean despite all the rain/dirt/salt/hail/snow becomes too much of a time ...
8
votes
6answers
500 views
What are the minimum requirements to commute comfortably through the winter?
What needs to change on my bike? I have an 80's Schwinn Traveler single speed conversion.
What needs to change with my clothing? I just wear regular street clothes now.
I'm looking for the minimum ...
5
votes
8answers
247 views
What are good ways to dry shoes?
I ride through the winter in the Pacific North West and get soaked about every other ride.
What are the best way you've found to dry your shoes?
I've found that stuffing them with wadded up ...
5
votes
4answers
722 views
Frozen suspension in the winter
Winter is coming! Last season I put my road bike in the garage and just road my mountain bike all winter. Something strange happened:
My suspension fork froze.
When spring came everything ...
9
votes
4answers
876 views
Cycling on snow in extreme freezing conditions: will my bike break?
I plan on riding my Merida Matts 40-D in mountains like these:
The temperatures are usually around -20 °C and I was wondering whether anything can break on my bike due to the freezing conditions. ...
4
votes
1answer
110 views
Canadian Winter Cycling Apparel
I'm planning in braving the harsh Canadian winter for my daily work commutes via bike. I currently have this nylon jacket, I was wondering if this would be adequate protection? Possibly with an ...
2
votes
4answers
405 views
What can I do to keep my knees warm?
It's getting chilly out there and my knees are starting to hurt from my short commute. I tried layered trousers (thick jeans + windstopper on top), but to no avail - my knees still get cold, while my ...
19
votes
10answers
1k views
What to wear when it's cold?
If I put on heavy clothes it will be very hot inside them after the warm-up. If I wear only a T-shirt I'll freeze.
What's the solution?
I ride around 20 km in a hilly city, with temperatures between ...
7
votes
5answers
800 views
What's a good all purpose city commuting winter tire?
What's a good all purpose city commuting winter tire? Does the rim matter?
I'd like to not have to worry too much about looking out for and avoiding black ice, mainly because I'm not sure you can ...
4
votes
2answers
327 views
What are the pros and cons of a Turbo Trainer over Training Rollers?
For the winter, I'm looking to get either a Turbo Trainer (like this one) or Training Rollers (like these)
What are the pros and cons of each?
I don't think I like the idea of not being able to turn ...
5
votes
3answers
352 views
When to change winter tires for bicycles
At work, we discussed when to change to winter tires for bicycles (and cars). We assumed that temperature was the key factor and I used a program (Mathematica) to check the mean temperature in ...
4
votes
3answers
6k views
Heavier Thicker Chains and Gears for Winter due to Salt?
I have two bikes: one having gear-things outside and one with inner-hub. The gear-outside-bike has suffered a lot due to the salt during this winter, the other hilariously looks like a new one. I ...
8
votes
5answers
2k views
What type of chain lube is best for winter riding?
I've read a lot about wet vs dry chain lube and there doesn't seem a definitive answer on whether to use wet or dry chain lube in the winter. Some forums are full of people saying they only use dry ...
10
votes
4answers
882 views
How to make studded tires
Has anyone ever made a set of studded tires? What did you use? I read about a method somewhere but I cannot recall where. I heard that you can:
Drill/make a small hole through the tire
Screw a ...
0
votes
7answers
217 views
Looking for coat: shell front, fleece back
Looking for a good fall/winter/spring coat. In my imagination it is: a hard raincoat type shell on the front of the jacket to block wind and fleece on the back to make it extremely breathable.
...
14
votes
10answers
1k views
Should I get a reflective jacket/coat, or more lighting and reflective strips for the bike?
What with daylight savings time ending and it now being pitch black by the time I finish work, I'm not exactly trusting of just a couple small lights on my bike being enough to make me visible to ...
16
votes
9answers
5k views
Using a ski helmet for winter biking
I am cuirious if anyone uses a skiing helmet for winter biking? Would this be safe? Are skiing helmets designed to protect you from the same kind of acidents that you would have on a bike?
I am ...
1
vote
2answers
441 views
Koga touring bicycle bottom bracket loose, does it need replacing?
I have a 2009 Koga Signature high-end touring bicycle (internal hub gear, hub generator, half-open chainguard, ...). I'm cycling around 100 km/week (8½ km one-way commute) plus trips, so I've probably ...
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Fat or Skinny Tires for Winter Riding?
Fat or Skinny?
I think the arguments are as follows:
Fat: You can float on top of the snow and you don-t have to go through it. You have a larger contact patch with the ground.
Skinny: Will ...
2
votes
1answer
232 views
Stud Tyres - fixing the spikes on new tyres
Schwalbe Snow Stud tyres seem like a good winter commuting tyre in places that have only occasional snow/ice conditions. When they are fully inflated they can be used on normal roads and when run on ...
5
votes
0answers
218 views
Is it possible to cycle to the South Pole? [closed]
I know this is not proper form, but I figure it would be too interesting to folks here to pass up. Helen Skelton is planning an attempt to cycle to the South Pole on a slightly odd looking ...
31
votes
13answers
2k views
How do I gear up a bike for winter riding?
I live in NYC and would like to ride to work during the winter as well. What should one do to a mountain bike? a road bike? If you can also show products that you actually use that would be great.
15
votes
8answers
491 views
Finding good pants for winter biking
Winter is soon upon us here, and I'm gearing up for the season. I currently have a pair of rain over-pants which I use during the other 3 seasons, but honestly I really dislike them. They're baggy, ...
11
votes
7answers
3k views
How to store bicycles outside during winter
Okay. I have a bike which I would like to store for around six moths. Winter temperatures can be as low as -30 C. The problem is that I do not have an indoor storage space, so it is going to reside on ...
6
votes
6answers
1k views
What type of bicycle would be the most suitable for riding in winter in the city?
Say you have any type of bike available (BMX, Trial, MTB, etc.) and you can ride them all on the same level, just for the sake of the argument. What bicycle would be best to choose to ride in the city ...
5
votes
6answers
698 views
Wind- and water-resistent jackets
To answer the comment after this question, what should one know about wind- and water-resistent jackets?
For example, what is "Gore-Tex", is it always expensive, and is there anything else like it?
...
7
votes
5answers
743 views
Are drop bars suitable for winter commuting?
I've been told by somewhat knowledgable people that drop bars aren't suitable for winter cycling in snow and ice. Is there any validity to this? If so, why, and which style of handle bar would be ...
6
votes
1answer
501 views
Can 37-622 tyres replace 32-622 tyres?
I used my old Trek mountain bike last winter (Helsinki, down to -25C, lots of snow) for commuting to work (8km each way, roads) but it probably needs too many repairs to be worthwhile.
I got a new ...
8
votes
4answers
255 views
Ice tires for winter commuting on non-icy roads?
Can a tire like the Schwalbe Marathon Winter be used for winter-long commuting (40 km/day) on roads which are mostly or usually not icy?
I might want the studs occasionally (and lower the air ...
0
votes
2answers
571 views
Good tires for road riding in winter weather?
What are some good tires to install for riding the roads in snow, ice, other winter conditions? Besides letting some pressure out for better traction, what tires should I use?
19
votes
8answers
1k views
Runny nose while biking
Now that the weather's cold, my nose gets plugged up after about a mile and inevitably some runs down my throat and I have to pull over and spit. I feel like stopping all the time is probably ...
6
votes
2answers
251 views
Will my drivetrain freeze if left outside in the winter?
I have to leave my bike outside at work for 8-10 hours at a time.
If it's -3°C or -6°C, is there anything special I need to do to ensure it will still ride when I'm ready to go home? i.e., ...
3
votes
1answer
344 views
Good wind-screen for a bicycle?
I recently constructed my own windshield for my bicycle using Lexan and wood. It works great but it is hand-made thing and I might be willing to buy a premade one that is curved (mine has a 90 degree ...
