Cycling in cold weather, on snow and ice, in wet weather. Clothing and equipment issues relating to winter.
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.
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 ...
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 ...
19
votes
8answers
707 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.
...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
14
votes
6answers
926 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 ...
13
votes
3answers
480 views
Winter maintenance before putting bike in winter storage?
What kind of maintenance should I do before putting my bike into storage for the winter? Are there any special considerations for storing it? Does temperature matter? If it's hanging on the wall ...
13
votes
8answers
691 views
Sandals in the winter? Other winter footwear options?
I used Shimano cycling sandals during the summer months here in the Chicago, Illinois area. I'm wondering if I can use these during the cold winter months also or if different shoes are required. In ...
12
votes
9answers
611 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 ...
12
votes
2answers
213 views
How to prevent my hub body from freezing?
In the winter, as soon as its gets a little bit below 0°C, after 10-15 minutes the body of my rear hub gets frozen. This means the pedals/chain do not have any grip anymore on the rear wheel, the ...
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 ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
Is an exercise bike good enough for keeping fit in the winter, rather than a turbo trainer
I bought a turbo trainer for winter training last year, but the hassle of using it (lugging my bike up the steps and into my narrow apartment, changing the wheel to one with a trainer tyre, setting up ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the advantages and disadvantages of turbo trainers and rollers?
In a previous question I asked what I need to know about turbo trainers, but several answers mentioned the use of rollers. What are the pros and cons of turbo trainers and rollers?
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 ...
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 ...
10
votes
1answer
880 views
Preventing frozen brake cables
This response to another question provides a wealth of info on winter riding preparation, but doesn't mention any techniques for preventing cables, especially brake cables, from freezing.
Is there a ...
9
votes
4answers
877 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. ...
9
votes
10answers
1k 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 ...
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 ...
9
votes
2answers
327 views
How should I clean salt out during Winters?
Pretty simple question but I think some recommendations would make my chains a bit long-lasting. So when should you do something to your salted chains? When the chains already look rusty, can you use ...
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 ...
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 ...
8
votes
5answers
628 views
What to do about hypothermia on a long ride?
Recently, I had a long ride in winter, about 100km (62 miles) and was about 5-8 degree c (41-46F). I was wearing a windstopper jacket and basic cycling pants.
At later stage of the ride I felt legs ...
8
votes
7answers
1k views
Is it better to have mountain bike tyres for the winter?
I have a hybrid commuter bike that is more at the mountain bike end of the spectrum
Currently I have slick road tyres on it.
Is it a good idea to get mountain bike tyres on it to deal with the wet ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
8
votes
5answers
304 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
3answers
156 views
What do you bring in your winter pack?
I have two winter packs on for if I will be away from pay phones and taxis and another for when I will be close to home and telephones:
Close to home pack
money for calling a cab
lights in case 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 ...
7
votes
5answers
801 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 ...
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 ...
6
votes
3answers
128 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
6
votes
5answers
209 views
How do you deal with flats in the winter?
I was lucky last winter I went the entire winter without getting a flat. I attribute it mostly to:
sharp items on the road being hidden under snow and ice
less agressive riding resulting in no ...
6
votes
3answers
466 views
Is it safe to ride a dual suspension bike in sub freezing temps?
I have a Giant VT3 with dual suspension and I'm thinking of using it as a winter bike is there any special care I should take before heading out into the cold?
6
votes
3answers
654 views
Studded tires for small wheels
I'd it possible to purchase 16" studded tires? I have an old Dahon I use as a winter bike, and I'd like to replace the tires with proper snow tires if this is possible. If not, has anyone here ...
6
votes
1answer
504 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
252 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., ...
6
votes
2answers
327 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 ...
5
votes
7answers
211 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.
5
votes
8answers
249 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
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 ...
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?
...
5
votes
4answers
732 views
How do belt drives perform with snow?
I am completely new to the concept of belt drives and, when doing some initial research, the Wikipedia article on belt-driven bikes says that they have the disadvantage of
Problems in snowy ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Why would hydraulic disk-brakes become sluggish in cold winter? Just an incident or due to the cold?
Related question, I haven't bled the brakes (again a possible error).
I bought the bike as second-hand and the seller said that the mineral oil cannot be the problem. He said that the mineral oil in ...
5
votes
4answers
723 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 ...
