commute by bicycle at least 50% this winter

[Holocene]

I'm 4 for 4 this week.  Plus a short commute to the grocery store today in a bit of falling snow after working from home this morning.  Yesterday was really cold again but the rest of the week was pretty nice.  Today was a bit of snow and wind.  I was planning to go out for a longer ride or walk after an appointment this afternoon but now it's so dang windy out, it seems a bit dangerous.  I guess I'll be lazy today.

For winter tires, I also use Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus studded tire in 700c x 35mm for the front tire of my "summer" bike.  I only ride this bike after the roads are mostly clear of snow but there's still a chance of patchy ice since it's below freezing.  I used use a Continental Top Contact for the rear tire which is a non-studded winter tire.  I didn't bother this year and haven't noticed any difference.  I'd recommend a studded tire over this one.

For my main winter bike, I have a 29er mountain bike.  For this, I use massive Nokian Gazza Extreme studded tires both front and rear.  These have 294 studs each and are 29 x 2.1".  These are beasts.  I feel quite confident going through most conditions with these.  The two things that have tripped me up is too much snow and glare ice when I'm not being careful enough.  Even with studs, it's possible to slip on ice.  I forget that sometimes and take a turn too quick and have had the tire slip out.  It's pretty easy to avoid this by not being stupid and just taking turns carefully when the roads are an ice rink!  When there's too much snow, there's not much that can get through it.  Maybe a fat bike.  I just try not to ride after too much snow these days.

[Dee_the_third]

Two votes for the Schwalbe Marathon Winters. Coincidentally my wheels are also 700x35. Do you folks just leave it on all the time, even on good/clear road days?

I'm thinking of buying a whole extra front wheel, and then I can just swap it in the morning depending on how the road looks. Around here you can get a used front wheel for like 5 bucks. It would be a whole lot cleaner than trying to change the tire in the mornings while trying to out the door on time.

[Holocene]

Two votes for the Schwalbe Marathon Winters. Coincidentally my wheels are also 700x35. Do you folks just leave it on all the time, even on good/clear road days?

I'm thinking of buying a whole extra front wheel, and then I can just swap it in the morning depending on how the road looks. Around here you can get a used front wheel for like 5 bucks. It would be a whole lot cleaner than trying to change the tire in the mornings while trying to out the door on time.

Yes, I leave it on all winter.  Where I am, it stays below freezing at least in the morning almost every day between December and March or so.  If it's below freezing, there is a chance of ice.  So I'd rather be safe and have the studded tire even when things seem clear.  Plus, road conditions can stay bad here for weeks on end after a snowstorm if it stays cold.  So there's really not that many clear days.  I actually have an extra front wheel since I replaced both when my back wheel died.  I have the winter tire mounted on my old wheel.  But I still don't bother switching out wheels during the winter.  Maybe in the shoulder seasons it might make sense but not through most of the winter for me.

$5 for a wheel seems super cheap.  I'd be a bit worried about the condition of the wheel at that cost.  At least make sure it's in decent shape and trued.  I definitely wouldn't want to deal with switching out tires regularly.  But I'm super slow at changing tires.

[Dee_the_third]

$5 for a wheel seems super cheap.  I'd be a bit worried about the condition of the wheel at that cost.

I may have exaggerated slightly. :)

Some local hooligans stole my quick-release front wheel a couple years ago, and being a rather broke student at the time I bought a replacement from our local bike salvage co-op/repair shop. It might have been more than $5, but as I recall wheel + tire +tube came out to less than $30.

[Askel]

I'll run my schwalbes all winter. The studs are particularly helpful in the extremes of the season when I'm not 100% if the water on the road is in solid form or not. Now, in the peak of winter here our roads are just packed snow and regular mountain bikes tires do fine. When I'm riding in during the morning in the dark on black pavement with maybe some black ice in variable conditions, I rely on the studs to get me through. The schwalbe studded tires also use that same nice soft rubber compound and siping the GT 365s do, so as long as you keep pressure adjusted so at least some rubber is still in touch with the pavement, they do great in the dry.   

If they salt the roads where you live, I'd recommend a second set of wheels anyway, as salt cam be absolute murder on bicycle wheel components.   

[Holocene]

$5 for a wheel seems super cheap.  I'd be a bit worried about the condition of the wheel at that cost.

I may have exaggerated slightly. :)

Some local hooligans stole my quick-release front wheel a couple years ago, and being a rather broke student at the time I bought a replacement from our local bike salvage co-op/repair shop. It might have been more than $5, but as I recall wheel + tire +tube came out to less than $30.

Still sounds like a great deal!  Assuming everything was in decent shape anyway.  I think I paid $150 for a new wheelset a few years ago.  Tires alone usually run me at least $30.  The Schwalbe winter tires were I think $50+.  But I figure it's a lot cheaper than a trip to the emergency room!

[Britan]

Drove the car for the first time in quite awhile… grocery run for lots of heavy things. I would have just taken the bucket bike but DH pointed out that the car probably needed to be run. He was right, it did struggle for a second in starting.

[Arbitrage]

My first season with winter biking, but also running Schwalbe studded tires.  I bought two, but only installed the front one due to laziness.  I kind of wish they were available just a bit wider, as they're not as wide as my regular e-bike tires, but it's been fine.  Granted, my winter is mostly pretty tame here, and I didn't ride during the one big dump that we had; we were out of town for most of it.  Occasional ice is the bigger concern than snow.

[Askel]

Oof. This week is going to be a bust.  We are getting dumped on with snow. Riding in the winter has just been feeling like a slog. I put a foot through the drywall on the ceiling chasing an electrical short in the attic this morning. I need to get home early a couple times this week so I can start shoveling the snow off my roof (~2 feet deep at this point).   And I need to rent a jackhammer this weekend.   Definitely wanna do that last thing by bike just because. :D     

[change_seeker]

I bruised or cracked a rib last weekend, so I've been driving since then :(

[Dee_the_third]

I bruised or cracked a rib last weekend, so I've been driving since then :(

Ouch. My sympathies. Ribs are one of those things you take for granted until they don't work...kind of like your back muscles.

[Britan]

Took the car three times this week, once to get heavy groceries and twice to daycare because bambino is sick and it was raining/Wintery mix. On the other hand yesterday was mid 70s and we biked and it was GLORIOUS.

[Askel]

I bruised or cracked a rib last weekend, so I've been driving since then :(

That sucks dude. Now let me tell you a funny joke to make you feel better. :D 

Anyway, hope it's not biking related, but if it is and there's any wisdom to be gleaned from it, please share. 

[Dee_the_third]

Eugh, tomorrow is gonna be a clown car day. Giving a friend a ride, so it's slightly less ridiculous than it could be.

On the bright side, stopping by a friend's place that offered me a spare winter tire they've apparently had lying around for a while and offered to me for free. Please and thank you!

[Askel]

TWO WEEKS LEFT EVERYBODY, TWO WEEKS! 

Well, at least until this "challenge" is over. 

Last week, as expected was a bust. But I have a reasonable excuse- apparently we set some kind of snowfall record for a 3 day period of Sunday-Tuesday. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/weather/2022/02/24/michigans-upper-peninsula-buried-record-snowfall/6918597001/

Back it it this week, have some relatively snow free days come up with a balmy 10F-high twenties in the forecast. I even rode in on clear pavement today, what a novelty!   

[Holocene]

Record breaking snowfall is a decent excuse.  I only had maybe 6" last week and still stayed home.  I did ride 1 out of 2 days last week and worked from home 3 days.  So technically still 50% for days I left the house for work.  This week will probably be 0% despite the decent weather.  I think I'll either be working from home or going to an off-site facility where biking is not really an option.  I'll keep biking for fun though.  It's light out for so long now that there's more time before/after work too.

Today was like 45F or something ridiculous like that.  Felt like summer.  We're in a stretch of warm days.  Though I guess the normal high is around freezing now which feels warm.  I forget that it's almost March now.  The roads are finally clear of snow though still wet in spots from all the melting.  It felt super nice to be out today and I was happy to ride my good bike instead of the tank.

[Britan]

It’s been nuts here so I haven’t been able to post or keep track of my biking days but it’s been most trips. I had a couple days when bambino was sick and it was cold out so I drove. Then one day I would have been late so I drove to daycare pickup. And today we drove to the pediatrician because, again, late.

Yesterday was beauuuuutiful. Upper 60s. Too bad I drove to pickup (that was the running late day). Today was back in the 30s. Tomorrow will be in the 70s. And raining.
 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Askel]

Got in a solid 3 days this week, plus avoided an additional 20 miles of car usage by riding to an evening meeting.   Next week should be interesting- I've got a completely wacky schedule but we're also maybe getting a 1/2" of ice in the next 24 hours. The bicycle with studded tires would be the superior tool for navigating that ice if it weren't for all the dumb drivers who think 4wd is the more suitable tool.   


So gonna get all philosophical here..... 

This challenge seems to be having the opposite effect on me than I intended. It turns out, riding a bike in the winter where I do can sometimes just kinda suck. Especially when we get into good skiing weather. Winter commuting kind of gets in the way of that and I haven't done nearly as much as I used to.  And sure, that's made my winter commuting even more lucrative but I just have not been enjoying winter as much this year. 

Ultimately, I make some financial trade-offs to live where I do. One just might have to be driving a bit more in January-February. Otherwise I should maybe think about packing it up and moving someplace more bike friendly. 

I guess the big thing that makes it a drag is in the snow free months, there's tons of little trails, two tracks, and other short cuts I can piece together to keep my ride home interesting.  Almost all of those are closed off by snow this time of year.   It's getting to be a slog doing the same old rides, day in and day out.   

Might think about pushing for more work from home days in the Jan-Feb time frame next year. 

[Askel]

Well, we're almost to the start of daylight savings, the official end of this challenge. 

Made it to the end of the challenge! Right on time too, weather should get above freezing nearly every day next week. 

I think I made it past 50%? It's probably close.   

Either way, I think next year I might push as far as I want to into the early winter season and when ski season starts ramping up, be a little more strategic in when I ride and take work from home days. 

Enjoying my final morning ride sunrise for a month or so (courtesy of our barn security camera). DST giveth, DST taketh away.   

[Askel]

And my very last ride of the very last work day of the end of this challenge? 

I wuss out an catch a ride home.  :D


It was nice this morning with only a threat of 1-2" of snow which is forecast I've ridden into regularly in the past. Well, after work it was blowing pretty good and visibility was zilch.  Happened to run into pretty much the only other guy with 50 miles who might consider riding his bicycle in this and he was in his truck. 

"You want a ride?"   

Sold. 

So I guess that's 4 days in the office, 1.5 commutes. Missed the 50% mark this week. :/   

[Holocene]

@Askel  - Sounds like a pretty good decision to me.  No visibility is dangerous!  Based on your pictures, I think you had this challenge tougher than most/all of us!  At least it looks like you get a lot more snow. 

The roads by me have been mostly clear for the last month or so, other than a couple days where it snowed.  It melts pretty quickly this time of year at least.  So all I've really had to deal with is occasional cold days lately.  It seems to yo-yo around with days in the 30s, even 40 then it was back below 0 for a couple days this week.  Hopefully that was the last of it.  It gets tougher to handle the cold after glimpses of spring.  Looks like maybe 50s this week but also maybe snow tomorrow.

I may need to take a step back next winter as well.  When I first discovered winter biking, it was fun.  Now it often feels like a slog.  I think part of it is because I ride basically the same routes which gets a bit boring.  There are a lot less safe options in the winter to expand my riding.  The paths I take in the summer are often unplowed/unrideable and the only other option is busy streets.  So I just stick close to home/go straight to work.  Part of it is because it's cold and just hard to bundle up and get out.  And it's just plain harder to ride in the cold/snow.  I think while riding, I also feel less connected to the winter than other outdoor activities.  Basically, I think I need to switch it up more.  I'll still try and get out every day, but maybe not bike as much.  Next year, I should be free from work so no commute to worry about.  I just need to figure out how to keep sane all winter long!

Anyway, thanks for the challenge.  It's been fun keeping up with you all!

[Britan]

Thanks for the challenge y’all!

I basically phoned it in this last week, sadly. I had a stomach bug and felt so fluish most of last week. Even once I was “better”, I was still a tired mess. And yesterday when I went to the store I figured “I should start the car to make sure the battery is still ok, and it barely started haha.

But y’all. Last time we bought gas was December 1st!!! And because it’s a Honda Fit, it was like $25.

[Holocene]

But y’all. Last time we bought gas was December 1st!!! And because it’s a Honda Fit, it was like $25.

This is amazing haha!  It's nice to be a bicycle commuter in these times of high gas prices!  I actually bought some gas today after driving to the dentist.  I didn't really need it (1/3 tank left), but it was right there and $3.75/gal which was about 20 cents cheaper than almost all the other stations near me.  And I figure it's probably only going to go up more.  The last time I bought gas about a month ago it was $3.15/gal which seemed high at the time.  At least my job basically paid for this fill-up since I put in ~60 miles over a few days driving to an off-site facility.  Otherwise I'm usually good for around 2 months between fill-ups.

[Britan]

But y’all. Last time we bought gas was December 1st!!! And because it’s a Honda Fit, it was like $25.

This is amazing haha!  It's nice to be a bicycle commuter in these times of high gas prices!  I actually bought some gas today after driving to the dentist.  I didn't really need it (1/3 tank left), but it was right there and $3.75/gal which was about 20 cents cheaper than almost all the other stations near me.  And I figure it's probably only going to go up more.  The last time I bought gas about a month ago it was $3.15/gal which seemed high at the time.  At least my job basically paid for this fill-up since I put in ~60 miles over a few days driving to an off-site facility.  Otherwise I'm usually good for around 2 months between fill-ups.

Riiiight? I didn’t even know gas prices were up until I saw someone on Reddit complaining.

[Arbitrage]

But y’all. Last time we bought gas was December 1st!!! And because it’s a Honda Fit, it was like $25.

This is amazing haha!  It's nice to be a bicycle commuter in these times of high gas prices!  I actually bought some gas today after driving to the dentist.  I didn't really need it (1/3 tank left), but it was right there and $3.75/gal which was about 20 cents cheaper than almost all the other stations near me.  And I figure it's probably only going to go up more.  The last time I bought gas about a month ago it was $3.15/gal which seemed high at the time.  At least my job basically paid for this fill-up since I put in ~60 miles over a few days driving to an off-site facility.  Otherwise I'm usually good for around 2 months between fill-ups.

Riiiight? I didn’t even know gas prices were up until I saw someone on Reddit complaining.

I'm not quite as insulated from gas prices as that, but didn't notice until they were up over $1 from the previous time I looked.  Though I'm full-time e-biking, the rest of the family isn't on board with my approach, so my wife still does a fair bit of driving.  She does work from home, so 'fair bit of driving' is still only perhaps a few hundred miles per month. 

My stepfather was trying to get me all riled up over gas prices yesterday as his stealthy way of digging at the current administration, but I was thankfully able to short-circuit that conversation - "Oh, I know that it affects a lot of people, and many are upset about it, but I bike everywhere so it really doesn't matter much to me."

Not going to go into my true feelings on the matter, which are more along the lines of...gas prices are still way too cheap, subsidized, and I'd love for more of those dollars to be directed toward sustainable transportation solutions that don't ruin everything like cars.  Somehow, I don't think that discussion would be well-received. 

[Askel]

Don't even get me started on fuel prices! I get terrible mileage, and my motor runs like crap on anything but premium!   

[Arbitrage]

Don't even get me started on fuel prices! I get terrible mileage, and my motor runs like crap on anything but premium!   

Right; I saw a post by someone refuting that riding your bike saves fuel cost - 'that fancy scone you bought from the bakery to replace your bike-commuting calories cost just as much as my gallon of gas.'

Sure, that's how I get the majority of my calorie intake.  Not to mention everything else that should be factored in to the equation.  I don't deny that some people save little to nothing by biking, since you can be a stupid consumer of bicycles just like anything else, but in general it's sooo much cheaper.

[Holocene]

Don't even get me started on fuel prices! I get terrible mileage, and my motor runs like crap on anything but premium!   

Right; I saw a post by someone refuting that riding your bike saves fuel cost - 'that fancy scone you bought from the bakery to replace your bike-commuting calories cost just as much as my gallon of gas.'

Sure, that's how I get the majority of my calorie intake.  Not to mention everything else that should be factored in to the equation.  I don't deny that some people save little to nothing by biking, since you can be a stupid consumer of bicycles just like anything else, but in general it's sooo much cheaper.

That's just ridiculous.  Because you wouldn't eat if you didn't ride your bike to work?  My bike "fuel" also happens to keep me alive.  Don't think you can say the same about car fuel.  Instead that is just killing the planet.  Where do people come up with this stuff??  I bet the same people also pay $50/mo to go to the gym and don't see the irony. 

I agree, people can spend way too much on bicycles.  But with the prices of cars these days, I still think it'd be hard not to come out ahead.  And my fancy $500 bike has served me quite well over the last 12 years.  Paid for itself many times over.  It is transportation, entertainment, and exercise all rolled into one.  Hard to beat it!

[Britan]

I agree, but sheepishly so, as I ride a $5k electric Madsen. Hah. But it was between that and a second car, which in these days, a decent used car is waaay more than $5k.
And it was never about saving money anyways for me. And I’ve actually cut back substantially on grocery spending since biking but that’s entirely separate. (Increase I’m vegetarian and vegan meals, more planning, etc.) Plus, since my body is currently feeding an infant, a hundred extra calories burned by biking is hardly a dent.

[Askel]

That's just ridiculous.  Because you wouldn't eat if you didn't ride your bike to work?  My bike "fuel" also happens to keep me alive.  Don't think you can say the same about car fuel.  Instead that is just killing the planet.  Where do people come up with this stuff??  I bet the same people also pay $50/mo to go to the gym and don't see the irony. 

My pint of woodford reserve aside, I actually ran the numbers once using calories consumed from some web calorie tracking app when I had a ~40 mile round trip commute. Turned out premium fuel in my Subaru WRX I had at the time was way cheaper than the calories in cliff bars I'd need to consume to ride the same route.   

One thing the exercise highlighted was it's tough to break out the costs of actual travel from the costs of toys.  I definitely still spend a premium on both my automotive and self propelled transportation. I don't NEED a 4wd toyota tacoma just like I don't NEED a stable of mountain, racing, and commuting bikes. 

But the rewards of bike riding so infinitely outweigh those of driving that I'd happily pay extra to do it.   

[Holocene]

My pint of woodford reserve aside, I actually ran the numbers once using calories consumed from some web calorie tracking app when I had a ~40 mile round trip commute. Turned out premium fuel in my Subaru WRX I had at the time was way cheaper than the calories in cliff bars I'd need to consume to ride the same route.   

Well I'd say that's probably not the healthiest thing if you're only eating multiple Clif bars to fuel your long commute...

I don't do long commutes, but when I do 50-60 mile rides for fun, I usually eat a small breakfast, pack maybe one energy bar or granola bar, a sandwich, and maybe some fruit to eat along the way, and have a nice meal when I get home.  I don't really notice myself consuming any extra calories compared to a normal day.  I do notice myself gaining extra weight in the winter though when I don't ride as much... So calories burned from biking is certainly not a concern of mine.

I still think it's a ridiculous argument.  Exercise is an important part of living a healthy life.  Your calorie intake should account for doing some exercise at least multiple times a week. Bike commuting is a great way to get regular exercise and generally save on transportation costs.  Even if you do consume a few extra calories and costs that come with that, it's a heck of a lot more enjoyable to eat a bit more than to fill up your car with gas.

[Arbitrage]

When I had a commute, my e-bike calories were more than replaced by a small bowl of cereal and oats with a sliced banana, my standard 'commute meal.'  About 50 cents.  I found that I needed this extra daily meal/snack when I took up the commute.  Granted, e-biking is significantly more efficient than regular biking.  I guess you could add in 2 cents for the electricity used.

[Askel]

First snow sighting on a commute for the 22/23 season this morning!  I guess this starts another winter of bike commuting.

Honestly though, I'm probably going to dial it back a bit. Really intend to take full advantage of my 50/50 work from home ability. Maybe shoot for 25% commute by bike the rest of the time. So slightly more than 1 day a week on average on those weeks I have to be on site.   

[rockeTree]

I'm only going in a couple days a week but I do have a goal of not driving any of it this winter, part of convincing myself to shell out for a medium fancy ebike. If there's heavy snow we usually are allowed to telework anyway so the plan is: if the office is open and I'm going in, just put on a heavier coat and go. Longer term goal is to go to a one-car household and this is part of testing that out.

[Dee_the_third]

Cleaned out the garage and found my studded tires today. But I’m also unemployed now so jury is out on the state of bike commuting this winter 😂

[Holocene]

Oh boy.  Too early to be thinking about winter commuting!!  The leaves have just started turning here.  Though a few nights have gotten close to freezing I think.  I'm glad I haven't seen any snow sightings yet.

I was planning to be FIREd this year.  But I talked myself into a sabbatical instead and a new part-time job with my company doing something I might enjoy.  I go back at the end of this month, 20 hours a week.  I think it'll mostly be in the office so I plan to be winter bike commuting again.  I'm only 5 miles each way so it's not too bad.  I'll probably only skip the super cold days, say windchill below -10F.  The super snowy days I'll plan on not working or WFH because I don't want to drive in that shit either!  When I talked to my new boss before I left, she was fine with me coming in whatever days I wanted rather than needing a set schedule.  So it should be easy to plan around the bigger storms.

[lifeandlimb]

As soon as fall showed up this year, I bought some ear muffs that sit on the back of my neck (someone here suggested them, I think). I'm very excited to use them this year, since last year my ears were by far the coldest thing on rides.

[rockeTree]

I went by my local REI looking for some of these and in their absence ended up with an almost certainly overkill neck warmer/face mask that covers the ears and can go on after my helmet. Oh well I certainly won't be too cold! My decades old fleece cap that used to do this job doesn't fit under my newish helmet well.