BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Ride in the snow

we currently have several active threads on cold-weather cycling.

OK, OK, I might give that a whirl.

I should say, that even though I'm ill-equipped for winter and broke, I'm still excited for riding in the snow. So much fun.

i have put my bike away when it drops below 45 degrees in the past. i may get equipped and tough it out this year. we'll see tomorrow at the keg ride.

Every day last season I drove to work when there was a forecast of snow, I regretted not biking as I sat in gridlock on the trip home.

I biked to work the Friday of the snowmygoodness. I got home faster than most days because of the gridlock; I passed at least 100 cars and four buses up 18th street.

Lights. (With extra batteries.) Gloves and a balaclava. Maybe ski goggles.

I have a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires with carbide studs. Rides in the winter tend to be shorter (10-20 miles) but the extra work due to the knobby studded tires makes them seem longer. Stops for coffee are even more enjoyable, as are the incredulous looks from those in cars. I find riding in the snow (particularly early in the morning or at night) a bit of a surrealistic experience, and on the dry sections the "angry bee" sound is an additional sensory experience. I take corners a little wider and slower than at other times. And out here in the east I do bail out and scramble off the road on those occasions when a snow plow approaches.

I was a "fair weather" rider until last year but I'm glad I decided to give riding in the snow a shot - I did it every day and it's a lot of fun.

Layers and a good glove solution.

overdress early, then by the time it gets to extreme cold, you're used to bundling up.

bring extra socks.

wool. goretex windbreaker and a long sleeve, tights.

get a pair of good ear muffs for the days, balaclava for the nights. take your lights off your bike when it's parked outside and bring them in with you; the batteries can't put out as much power when they're cold. or get a generator hub and matching light.

get some fenders. this was the best move for me, as far as becoming a comfortable winter cyclist, and not just a stubborn biker guy with soaked, dirty trousers.

Just don't get in the mindset of "putting the bike away", keep it ready to go at a moments notice. We get those scattered days where at the end of some crappy weather the sun will pop out and there will be one super rideable day.

Love riding in the winter... last year during that blizzard it was fun to be riding around on studs on Center Ave. with the people who were cross-country skiing. It's odd but my favorite thing about riding in the winter and the snow is that it's SO quiet (probably just because you have stuff on your ears).

I really want to find some excellent shoes for this year. Anybody have any winter SPD boots that they like?

Thanks all, for the push! I shouldn't get into the mindset of putting the bike away for the season. I'll investigate and get winterized.

If it's just cold out & not wet, the important thing is keeping the extremities warm; the chest & legs do just fine by themselves if you're riding reasonably vigorously. Some cheap basics for comfortable winter cycling are:

-earwarmer

-thick socks, preferably wool

-good gloves; biking-oriented gloves often aren't warm enough & cost a lot; go for ski gloves or something

Add a pair of jeans or wool pants & a light jacket & you'll be fine. I was riding in the teens & twenties in Wisconsin in jeans & a light jacket & often had to unzip the jacket to let in air. Biking generates a lot of heat. And the feeling of being cold on the outside & warm on the inside is wonderful.

Also: beard.

I love cold-weather riding, maybe you just need to do a couple of cold days to see if you will too. No need to be apprehensive, you will or you won't. Here's a few winters of riding-inspired tips:

Most of the time the roads will be free of ice, wet yes and even slushy which leads to the first tip:

Fenders are a must.

Any snow/ice build up on the sides of the road ie you will sometimes need to take the lane.

Avoid frozen finger tips, man that smarts. I ride w/ ski mittens on the coldest (>15 deg) days (sacrificing some dexterity for lovely WARMTH), lots of people like the lobster claw gloves.

A good wool scarf works very well. Actually, a wool base layer is tops in my experience.

Low light sunglasses (like clear, yellow, rose or orange) for brutally cold winds & grey-to-dark skies.

And if you can carry a thermos, aint nothin like a mid-ride stop for a cuppa something hot. Enjoy the bad weather!

Beards are great.

Some people like ski goggles; Pittsburgh rarely gets cold enough to need them for me but there were a few days in Wisconsin where it was too cold to ride because I didn't have goggles & the little bits of flesh between a balaclava & my glasses started burning.

Someone posted something last winter about making your own studded tires. As I have 27" wheels, and this website claims 27" studded tires simply do not exist nowadays, I'm interested. Anyone remember where that was, or can remind me? I can't find it.