Biked in cold weather for the first time and it was awesome!

[gillstone]

2 inches of snow on the ground. 14 F above, but with wind chill it is a solid 0.  Way better way to spend a morning than scraping off a car and hoping my really old all-seasons can handle the ice-covered roads.  Also I get my pick of spots on the bike rack at work.

[theknitcycle]

Awesome, yes!  It is so difficult to explain, and so wonderful to discover, why winter biking is much better than winter driving...

[BCBiker]

Very good! Keep it up.  I will warn you that people will call you crazy, etc, but stick to it and you will find that there is essentially not weather condition that will keep you off of your two wheeled magic machine!

[pete5306]

Biked today as well, Minneapolis is in a the middle of a Snow-Naumi, or at least the media portrays it as that.  This morning at around 630am there was about 2in of snow, but it was pretty wet.  The old schwinn with a strudded tire on the front made the 12 miles in go somewhat faster.  Now I am like one of the only people who were able to get to work, everyone else are stuck in the cars or at home.

-Nailed it

[solon]

Biked today as well, Minneapolis is in a the middle of a Snow-Naumi, or at least the media portrays it as that.  This morning at around 630am there was about 2in of snow, but it was pretty wet.  The old schwinn with a strudded tire on the front made the 12 miles in go somewhat faster.  Now I am like one of the only people who were able to get to work, everyone else are stuck in the cars or at home.

-Nailed it

Poor schlub... if you drove your car like everyone else you could have a day off!

[pete5306]

Poor schlub... if you drove your car like everyone else you could have a day off!
[/quote]

And miss the excellent work out and outdoor time?  nah, plus now I can try to get ahead and make a good impression.

[GuitarStv]

Nice job!  I really enjoy biking in the winter, particularly when it's snowing (it's very pretty, and everything takes on a pleasant muffled sound like someone turned down the volume of life).  Cleaning the bike off afterwards is a bit of a PITA though. . .

[AgileTurtle]

Came to say "it is only mid November how cold are we talking."  Leaving thinking "These guys arent messing around, 14 deg is no joke"

I am impressed. As a teen I would ride my bike in the snow. Maybe I will get a bike and try it now too.

[gillstone]

Poor schlub... if you drove your car like everyone else you could have a day off!

And miss the excellent work out and outdoor time?  nah, plus now I can try to get ahead and make a good impression.
[/quote]

I arrived 5 minutes late and still beat almost everyone who drove in! Also the endorphin rush from the ride was way better than coffee.  Though hot coffee was really nice to have when I got in.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Now I feel encouraged. Tomorrow my husband wants to drive to work, so I will be biking the firstborn to school, then myself and the secondborn to the YMCA (where the hot coffee and the WiFi are free!) in weather that will be around 12 degrees, possibly with some slushy snow on the ground. First time biking in the cold... going to try out those fancy Merrell boots I shelled out for!

[MidwestGal]

Awesome, gillstone!  I'm relishing the new feeling of cold weather rides myself.  Everybody else walks in freezing and huddled/tired looking, and I feel warm and refreshed.

Cleaning the bike off afterwards is a bit of a PITA though. . .

Does anything special need to be done other than maybe a hosing, frame wipe-down, and occasional gear care?

[GuitarStv]

After a messy ride in the winter I get a large watering can full of boiling water and pour it all over the bike to rinse the salt off.  Then bounce the bike a few times to get the water off so it doesn't freeze up.  I lube my chain often in the winter too . . . pretty much every 40 miles.  Brake pads are checked at least once a week as well . . . they are used much more heavily in winter.  Kool-Stop salmon pads are awesome.  Lube anything that you can find that pivots on the bike once every couple weeks . . . derailleurs, brake pivots, brake levers, etc.

Fall stuff to do:
- Take your brakes off their pivots and lube everything up with some waterproof grease
- Any bolts that you have on your bike should be removed, dipped in waterproof grease, then screwed back in.  Take out your seatpost and apply liberal amounts of waterproof grease, then reinsert it.  This prevents water and crap from leaking into the frame.
- I took apart my hubs on the winter bike last year and replaced the grease with snowmobile grease that stays soft down below -40.  Last winter got cold winter and the grease that was originally around the bearings was freezing into a thick chunk when it was -20 C.
- lube your cable housings to prevent water from getting in and freezing your brakes/shifters

Spring stuff to do:
- replace chain (every two or three chains replace cassette)
- replace cables
- lube cable housings, replace if rusty

[skunkfunk]

Jealous. My wife broke her foot on Sunday and can't even walk, so I've had to start driving her to the elementary school where she works. No bike commute for me, for a while.

:(

[enigmaT120]

It was cold but dry this morning, but I was too tired to bike after two days of clearing out an old skid road on my property.   Cold dry days are my favorites for winter biking, which is too bad when you realize where I live.

[Kmp2]

Me too! I was unimpressed by the fact that it took me 1.5 hours instead of the normal 35 minutes... -18C, and unplowed side roads, and paths made for quite a slog. Hoping they plow the paths to my new office location better than this one, we move tomorrow! Same distance, but there is better transit so biking may not make as much sense.

[GuitarStv]

Around here bike paths (including on road bike lanes) are impassible because the city doesn't clear them of snow.  The roads are usually good though.

[BPA]

Excellent!

My students think I'm a bit insane cycling now, but I've noticed that there have been more bikes in the bike rack at work than there have been other Novembers.  :)

I think it's catching on.  I haven't yet sold my old kijiji-source Walmart bike.  I think I might use it as a beater.

[gillstone]

Around here bike paths (including on road bike lanes) are impassible because the city doesn't clear them of snow.  The roads are usually good though.

We are still dealing with people around here that think bike paths are part of the UN Agenda 21 conspiracy to do whatever it is conspiracies do today.  As a result, I am completely on the road. However, the roads parallel to the arterials are usually empty, so I can skip dodging drivers who can't figure out snow and ice.

Though I will say that I may need handwarmers or another layer of gloves if it gets any colder.  It was -5F for air temp and with wind about -12F.

[enigmaT120]

Does anybody have studded tires for his or her bike?  They seem popular on the bike forums in other parts of the country, and even some people in Oregon use them.  I don't think they are worth it for the few times they would be needed, where I live.  Pretty much the same opinion I have for studded tires for cars. 

[gillstone]

Does anybody have studded tires for his or her bike?  They seem popular on the bike forums in other parts of the country, and even some people in Oregon use them.  I don't think they are worth it for the few times they would be needed, where I live.  Pretty much the same opinion I have for studded tires for cars. 

I use studded tires, but I will have ice on at least part of my route until mid-March.  They do work really well.  I have been biking up and down hills for two weeks now while passing cars that can't make the climb.  The control is fantastic, you can feel the studs grip the ice.  It is a different experience though.  You can't/shouldn't carve like you would on a regular tire and sudden turns are not a good idea.  Finally, studded tires roll slower so it takes more energy to get up to speed.

I wouldn't trade mine for the world, but if you don't often drive on ice, you don't really need them.

[skunkfunk]

Has anybody tried zip ties around the tires?

[James]

Great to hear from other winter riders!

My bike ride into work is pretty short so those with a longer commute might not enjoy it as much, but I love my fat bike in the winter. The ride to work this morning was 7 degrees F, god knows what the wind chill was...

With the 5 inch wide tires traction is never a problem, even on straight ice. The rolling resistance is higher, but who cares, just a little better workout on the way to work.

The only big issue I need to work on is keeping my fingers warm, I am wearing the heaviest winter gloves I own, but fingers still freeze. Definitely need to switch to good mittens, maybe something with down insulation. Operating the bike would be slightly harder, but workable. Also need a reflective vest now that it is so dark in the morning, I would use lights but every light needs to be brought in the house or the batteries won't work due to the extreme cold. So I will go with a reflective vest instead so I only need to bring in and out the headlight.

[gillstone]

Has anybody tried zip ties around the tires?

I heard about that as a quick fix, but I have rim brakes so no dice for me.

[skunkfunk]

Has anybody tried zip ties around the tires?

I heard about that as a quick fix, but I have rim brakes so no dice for me.

Crap, didn't think of that. NEVER MIND.

[Cinder]

The only big issue I need to work on is keeping my fingers warm, I am wearing the heaviest winter gloves I own, but fingers still freeze. Definitely need to switch to good mittens, maybe something with down insulation. Operating the bike would be slightly harder, but workable.

I've been meaning to get myself a set of these Bar Mitts.. (just pulled two of the first google search results and put them here)

http://www.ebikestop.com/bar_mitts_shimano_handlebar_mittens_black_md-HT0101.php?PARTNER=GOOGPS&gclid=CLGOs7yxgsICFWeCMgod4zcAug
http://www.cambriabike.com/Bar-Mitts-Mtn-Commuter-Handlebar-Mittens-M305BLK.asp?gclid=CMDEhd-xgsICFYcCaQod_F4AFg

Bar Mitts keep hands warm while riding and allow users to use a very lightweight glove, increasing dexterity, even in the coldest of weather.
•Those who suffer from Raynaud's or numb, cold hands due to the cold, wind, rain or snow can continue to ride and train throughout the Fall and Winter
•Bar Mitts stay open allowing easy access and removal of hands
•Waterproof, 5.5mm thick neoprene with nylon lamination on each side
•Neoprene has a closed cell construction, that features closed air bubbles that serve as insulators
•Easily installed and removed

[Beric01]

I wish it got that cold in my area! Coldest it gets in winter here us around 30F, and I find I am shedding layers of clothing just a few miles into a ride due to being too sweaty.

[Cinder]

I wish it got that cold in my area! Coldest it gets in winter here us around 30F, and I find I am shedding layers of clothing just a few miles into a ride due to being too sweaty.

I've heard you should dress for about 10* warmer weather then you are in while cycling

[GuitarStv]

Does anybody have studded tires for his or her bike?  They seem popular on the bike forums in other parts of the country, and even some people in Oregon use them.  I don't think they are worth it for the few times they would be needed, where I live.  Pretty much the same opinion I have for studded tires for cars.

The roads around here are salted too heavily to get much ice.  Studded tires are only good on ice.  They don't do anything special on snow, and they slow you down when the roads have been cleared.  It was -9 this morning and I had a 30 kph (18mph) headwind for the 11 miles in to work . . . I don't need anything else slowing me down.

Bar mitts are a nice idea, but I've been fine down to -30 C with heavy duty snowmobile gloves.  I find that as long as you keep your core warm enough your fingers and toes don't get too cold.

[YK-Phil]

Does anybody have studded tires for his or her bike?  They seem popular on the bike forums in other parts of the country, and even some people in Oregon use them.  I don't think they are worth it for the few times they would be needed, where I live.  Pretty much the same opinion I have for studded tires for cars.

I have a spare front wheel mounted with a studded tire, ready to be installed at the first sign of snow. Studded tires make a huge difference and I would never ride on snow or ice without at least a front studded tire. For bar mitts, I found a very cheap snowmobile handlebar pair, essential item to have to keep your hands warm in our neck of the woods.

[fireferrets]

What kind of bike do you use, gillstone? I'm always interested in hearing how people handle ice and snow on their bike rides, as I wanna relocate to somewhere where snow happens :) Did your bike come with studded tires or did you swap them out?

[gillstone]

What kind of bike do you use, gillstone? I'm always interested in hearing how people handle ice and snow on their bike rides, as I wanna relocate to somewhere where snow happens :) Did your bike come with studded tires or did you swap them out?

I have a Huntington K2 which was the cheapest commuter bike on Nashbar at the time.  I swapped out the tires that it came with for studded bike tires about 2 weeks ago.  I added some panniers for my commute, a couple lights and a U-lock. Otherwise everything is as it was delivered and assembled.

[fireferrets]

Cool, thanks for the info!