Winter Cycling - Summer Project--THE ICEBIKE FRAM

I putzed around my last Anchorage winter on a big cruiser. It was OK in some respects, but sucked in others. I've been mulling an idea around in my mind this summer. It would be the ultimate urban icebike. Similar in some respects to the snow bikes folks use for wintertime off-road riding, but different in other respects. It would have:

--Wide enough tires for snow, but not so wide that they can't move fast on pavement and ice trails. I found the Nokian Freddies to be perfect and want to use them again.

--Strong, traditional style frame. A Surly Puglsey would seem to be ideal.

--Disk breaks front and back. As I understand it these are resistant to weather conditions, though I haven't used them. My limited breaking power was a real problem this past winter.

--Seven speed internal hub. I hate messing with derailleurs in ice, rain and snow and I loved the zero maintenance of my cruiser's hub this winter. Three wasn't enough, but seven might be just the ticket. The worst off roading I'll need to do is going through foot or two of snow drifts. I also love the fast starts and stops allowed by the internal hub.

--Plenty of racks and big fenders.

This is all pretty sketchy right now, so I'm looking for any input.

Big freakin industrial pedals.

I checked out a winterized Pugsley and while impressive I'm thinking of going in a different direction. The Puglsey is designed to use REALLY fat tires at a low PSI for floating on snow. That's great for off road in winter, but in Anchorage ice is the more fixed reality. Sometimes miles of it. A big puffy tire would be OK on it, but far from ideal. Plus, I'm a big fan of upright riding in town due to the increased visibility it affords you and easier falls. I'm thinking of beefing up my Marin comfort hybrid a bit, putting the Nokians on it and using it for my ice bike.

Tom - do you know of any complete bike that has a seven speed internal hub? I am a novice and not sure about building my own winter bike although it's tempting.

Thanks.

Tom - do you know of any complete bike that has a seven speed internal hub? I am a novice and not sure about building my own winter bike although it's tempting.

Thanks.

I don't have any direct expereince with internal hubs, but I would think that winter service would be very hard on them. My winter beater is just that - a beater with Suntour derailluers scrounged off of cast-offs because they crash and get gritty and rusty. I would hate to do that to a nice internal hub.

I was car-free in Denver for 4 years with a 12 mile round trip summer and winter. Down to -5 F. Fenders just built up snow so I did without. My Goretex rainsuit was also my outer layer in winter and subbed for fenders. Also my deraileurs kept freezing up so an internal hub may be spot on. I crashed two or three times a year on rutted ice and dreamed of studded tires I couldn't afford. I tried a tadpole trike and found the rear drive wheel kept spinning out on ice and snow so I kept it for summer fun. What do you do for the mosquitos in Alaska?

I don't have any direct expereince with internal hubs, but I would think that winter service would be very hard on them. My winter beater is just that - a beater with Suntour derailluers scrounged off of cast-offs because they crash and get gritty and rusty. I would hate to do that to a nice internal hub.

Joe - I haven't peddled in winter yet but Tom's original post mentioned he didn't want to deal with the deraillers in snow, etc.. I just assumed since the gearing is housed internally, it would be a good winter choice.

In my case, I don't have a beater though I'd like to find one before winter. I was thinking of a single speed converted with a Shimano Nexus (internal eight speed). Or if I had to buy new, would this be a good winter bike:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/bianchi-sanjos8/index.html

Who's Tom? I had good luck with the internal gears on my cruiser this winter. No rust and no failures of any kind down to twenty below .f and tons of ice and snow. I think 7 or 8 would be enough for in town. You really need some kind of gearing unless you're a youngster or superman. The snow drifts will bog down the bike something terrible. It's like cycling through water. During breakup it *IS* cycling through water lol

Here's a writeup on the Shimano hubs:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/shimano-nexus.html

I'm in Montréal, not Anchorage, so I can't vouch for your Winter conditions, but I feel they are relatively similar. So here is what I need and I think what you might need too:

- Fenders: sounds silly to start with that, but fenders not only keep the cyclist cleen, but they also protect the bicycle and its drivetrain. You need a long mudflap on the front wheel, and preferably wide fenders with lots of clearance. I don't have problem on one bike that has 5-6 mm clearance between wheel and fender, but the one that has 12 mm behaves definitely better. And you tend to get overflow with SKS 700x45 fenders around 700x37 tires; wider fenders, such as 60 mm ones would be better. Which means you need a bike with fork and stays designed with enough clearance for that and decent tires! In installing fenders, you should start with a narrow gap in the rear and make it wider, so you won't pinch any snow.

- Tires: Fat tires are good for hard packed snow. Even if you ride before the streets are plowed, the snow won't be hard enough to float on it, so the 3" wide tires of the Pugsley will still cut through the snow. I prefer tires with a decent tread (tractor tread for instance), and maybe studded tires if there is rugged ice, frozen iceruts or any other kind of similarly difficult conditions. In practical terms, I use either Vittoria Lizzard 700x37, Specialized Cyclocross 700x37 and one other whose name escapes me (bought at different times) during winter, and may install Nokian Hakkapeliittas 700x37 if the weather warrants it. I never felt the need for more than the Hakkapeliittas: usually if these tires can't carry me safely, the snow is too deep and I should use snowshoes instead.


– Gears: low gears for difficult conditions. I never had any problems with a derailleur system and never had any problems with a freewheel, but freehubs don't like temperatures below -15 or -20 C. I must stay that fenders have done a great job in keeping the drivetrain OK. On the other hand, I re-grease my LX hubs every 2-3 years and sometimes wonder why I do this, because the grease looks like new, even though I rode 5000-7000 km per year, including 1000-1500 km in Winter. As for internal gearing, I'm a bit sceptical: it's probably very good in humid and not so cold conditions (ex.: 0 to -5 C), but I'm weary of its behavious at -20 C and I'm also weary of the shifter at -20 C.

– Lights: For headlight, I use a dynohub with a Lumotec or Schmidt headlight. It never fails in the cold. For taillight, I use battery LEDs (always more than 1 – currently Cateye TL-LD1000 and Planet Bike Superflash) but have to watch their brightness often. At -20 C, I find that Energizer batteries last longer than others I have tried; I haven't used rechargeables at low temperatures yet.

– Brakes: I use rim brakes with Kool Stop Salmon pads. Braking is a problem if I haven't used the brakes for 20-30 minutes (ex.: riding out of town), but in the city, they work decently well: they need 1-2 wheel turns before grabbing well, but since I can't brake too hards because of ice anyways, it's not a real issue. I know that disc brakes work fine in the rain and especially in muddy conditions, but I wonder if discs freeze and stop working in adverse winter conditions. It's worth exploring anyways! Or get both disc and v-brake brazeons!

Or get both disc and v-brake brazeons!On the same wheel?

Tom, I believe Beaver Sports is in Anchorage. Ask for Simon, He'll set you up.

Simon is the creator of the Snowcat rims. A great choice whether you go with the pugsley or a standard frame.

http://whickedwheels.com/winter/snowcats.html

Beaver Sports is in Fairbanks. The big rims are for floatation, which isn't so much of a problem in the city.

After some questions to Surley and an inspection of the Pugsley, I've opted to go with a Kona Hoss instead with 26" wheels and wide but not outrageously wide rims. I just don't need to be floating. In fact it would be bad to float in the big city. The Hoss has a solid reputation for toughness as well and seems to have a somewhat lower center of gravity.

It doesn't have front fender mounts

Beaver Sports is in Fairbanks. The big rims are for floatation, which isn't so much of a problem in the city.

The last I heard Simon was out of the snowcat business but I'll ask him next time I see him.

My recommendation for the perfect alaska ice/crap/road frame is a redline conquest. They are not anymore expensive than a surley, reasonably light, sturdy and plenty of options for mounting racks, fenders or running disc brakes. If you haven't tried it yet the disc brake thing is something you should investigate. I've seen reasonable shape conquests used for under $200 on ebay, I bought mine new for around $300 and change shipped and I'm still sorry I sold it a year or so back.

Isn't the conquest more of a summertime road bike? It seems like you'd be leaning quite a bit forward on the thing and moving real fast. Neither leaning forward nor moving fast brings pretty pictures to mind when I think of what I went through last winter. That's why I've been leaning towards cruisers and mountain bikes.

I am leaning towards disk brakes. I'll at least give them a try.

Cosmo,

How is your bike project coming. Today I saw what I thought was a Kona Hoss. Maybe it was another Kona model. It was built like a beach cruiser with 3 inch wide wheels. I'm not suggesting you do this but it was kind of cool looking. Anyway, that frame had a lot of clearance for really wide tires if needed. I'm building a single speed winter road bike for more mild conditions out of an old 27 inch ten speed.

EDIT: Sorry, it wasn't the Hoss I saw but a Kona single speed beach cruiser called the HUMUHUMU-NUKUNUKU-APUA'A. I can't pronounce that but it sounds Hawaiian.

Crap, the snow is already starting and I'm way behind on this project. This weekend I got the Hoss frame out and started tinkering. So far:

--I've put some hybrid handlebars and an extension on to raise the height of the handlebars a bit. I need to be a little more upright than usual for the kind of urban riding I'm looking at.

--I'm going to replace the existing rear hub with the same 36 2mm Ryno Lite that has worked well for me with my summer bike.

--I'm scouting for the biggest baddest pedals I can find so my size 13 spiked Danner boots will fit on them. No way am I clipping my feet to the bike! I was able to prevent multiple falls last winter by putting my foot down in time. Falling is bad enough, but tipping over with my head landing in front of some Alaskan 4WD monster is not an option.

--The Hoss is a sweet ride and should make an excellent chunder hopper. How well it will balance on the pack ice remains to be seen.

--I'm going to replace the existing saddle with a B-17. Brooks is the only way to ride.

--The cables need to be replaced, which will be a weekend project.

--I'm going to try to mount a carbide lamp up front. It won't run out of batteries! \

--For my main LED front light I'm probably going to insulate it with some pipe insulation to keep the worst of the cold from sucking the life out of the btty's like last year. Ideally I'd like to have a system of LED lights all over the thing, to make it like a christmas tree. I didn't have enough light last year for maximum safety. I want frickin' laser beams coming out of its frickin' head!

--Gotta get some fenders, at least for the front. The back rack serves as a fender most of the time.

--I"m bagging the internal hub concept for now. Yes the alternative entails some risk of freezeup, but I'll live with it.

Cosmo,

Check out BMX bicycle pedals. They make some really big platform pedals. Some with metal grips that would work well in winter. Good Luck. Also, there are a couple of companies that make high visability vests with blilnking red LED's on the vest. That would probably be an effective approach for night riding.

No derailleur problems since 1994. Most derailleur problems are sticking cables. Internal hubs have cables too.
One big problem is bringing a cold bike into the house, then it condenses and sweats like crazy. Then taking it outside and the water or "sweat" freezes in cables etc. Keep it cold or bring it in all night until it's dry. This accounts for quite a few "deraileur problems" that I have seen. Condensation in the cables or other places turning to ice.


http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5277/hpim3631ho6.jpg

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9490/hpim3849cx4.jpg

I like that one you've got. I've heard that re. the cables, though I kept my bike frozen most of last winter so it wasn't a big problem. This winter i've got to bring it at least as far as the artic entry so it will melt off. I'm going to dig around and brainstorm about possible ways to prevent iceup on the cables. There may be a grease with a very low freezing point I could use.

I like that one you've got. I've heard that re. the cables, though I kept my bike frozen most of last winter so it wasn't a big problem. This winter i've got to bring it at least as far as the artic entry so it will melt off. I'm going to dig around and brainstorm about possible ways to prevent iceup on the cables. There may be a grease with a very low freezing point I could use.

If you could run your shift cable up the seat stay and along the top tube like a mountain bike, that might keep it cleaner longer.

You can try running the cables dry, or with a little WD-40, and just put on a new cable every summer to keep them fresh. WD-40 will get, or help keep water out.

If the artic entry is above freezing, the fastest easiest way to remove snow from the bike that I have found is a brush with long, very soft bristles.

I have an air compressor and a garage, I blow the remaining water off. One needs to use care to not aim the blast at any bearings and push water into them.

I have read a few posts in the forums last winter from riders who used internaly geared hubs in very cold weather.
I think they all had good things to say. I can't remember the threads or exactly what they said, you can probably find them by searching.

I used a nexus three speed last winter and liked it, but I'll at least give the Hoss' open gears a try in the snow and see how they do. Switching over to internal on that frame would be tricky I suspect.

I used a nexus three speed last winter and liked it, but I'll at least give the Hoss' open gears a try in the snow and see how they do. Switching over to internal on that frame would be tricky I suspect.

I think Machka has experience using a derailleur in very cold temps. I think she has posted about it.
It does not get much below -5 f here during times when I can ride.

Just curious , how cold does it get when you ride?

Anchorage only gets down to -20 f. at worst and usually stays between -5 and 15 f. There are periodic Chinook winds that melt everything down to ice and re-freeze it, so ice and icy blocks of snow are ubiquitous. The worst aspect is haing to navigate roads that get more and more narrow as the season goes on. We have six solid months of freezing temps, so the snow doesn't really go anywhere unless you haul it to a snow dump. The trails are mostly useless or crowded with moose. The sidewalks are a nightmare, and the roads themselves have little or no shoulder to hang onto to let traffic pass. All in all, it can get "interesting."

My hope is to have a bike that's good for general cruising on ice but can also hop the chunder and navigate difficult stretches better than a hybrid or cruiser. The conditions can go from wonderful smooth ice that rides like concrete to complete hell in the course of a few yards. I know some local riders who use a fixie or SS for winter on the theory that there are no gears to screw up, but I've found gears to be very useful esp. when plowing through the dense fresh stuff. If you don't float on it, you have to muscle through it. My knees need at least some gears for that or it's get off and push time, which I refer to as "man hauling."

Anchorage only gets down to -20 f. at worst and usually stays between -5 and 15 f. There are periodic Chinook winds that melt everything down to ice and re-freeze it, so ice and icy blocks of snow are ubiquitous. The worst aspect is haing to navigate roads that get more and more narrow as the season goes on. We have six solid months of freezing temps, so the snow doesn't really go anywhere unless you haul it to a snow dump. The trails are mostly useless or crowded with moose. The sidewalks are a nightmare, and the roads themselves have little or no shoulder to hang onto to let traffic pass. All in all, it can get "interesting."

My hope is to have a bike that's good for general cruising on ice but can also hop the chunder and navigate difficult stretches better than a hybrid or cruiser. The conditions can go from wonderful smooth ice that rides like concrete to complete hell in the course of a few yards. I know some local riders who use a fixie or SS for winter on the theory that there are no gears to screw up, but I've found gears to be very useful esp. when plowing through the dense fresh stuff. If you don't float on it, you have to muscle through it. My knees need at least some gears for that or it's get off and push time, which I refer to as "man hauling."

You really do need gears to plow through the deep stuff, I agree.

To ride on the frozen bike path with 3" deep holes (footprints etc.) every couple of inches I found that front suspension, Nokian 296's at 22 psi and at least a seatpost shock will allow me to go 10-20 miles
on that stuff. It was too bumpy to keep up any speed and go any distance without the seatpost shock.

With that set up I go over a sidewalk, trail, path, with solid frozen foot prints.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/272/w1831203cb4.jpg

I just wrote a letter in response to an inquiry about the Surly Karate Monkey I built up as an Ice Bike this summer.

So, to save myself work, I'll post the letter:

=====-

Greetings, Paul.

I have previously ridden through three winters on a hybrid cyclocross type bike with Nokian studded tires.

Too many times, despite trying to ice-proof my bike's deraileurs and brakes, ice accumulations would render them inoperative, and I would get stuck in one gear or have non-functional brakes (Linear-Pull-V-Brakes).

Since I rode a fixed gear on good weather days, I decided my Ice Bike should have a fixed-gear so that I could brake with my legs if the brakes became inoperative, and, if I could only have one gear, I should have a gear of my choosing.

For gears, I chose a 33t chain ring and a 17t cog, which, with big fat 29" tires gives me 59 gear inches.
With this I can average 15mph/24kph.

I went with Surly components everywhere I could, so I have a steel Surly chainring, Surly cog, and Surly hubs.

I use the KMC Kool Chain, or 810, because I think it will stay on better with dirt and ice contaminating it.

DT Swiss wheels with steel eyelets.

Cantilever brakes in front and back, in case I throw a chain.

The cantilever brakes don't stop very well, but they work no matter what, and they weigh little and cost less.
My local bike shop wanted me to go with disc brakes, but I didn't want a strong brake on my front wheel because I thought it increased the possibility of falling; and, besides, cables freeze and I didn't want to get used to having effective brakes.
And, front and rear cantilever brakes will stop me as well as a single disk brake in back, I think, assuming the cables still work.
I wanted to distribute the braking as much as possible, to cover all possibilities, and I didn't want a strong brake on ice.

I ride with bullhorns, (Profile Design Stokers) and Tektro bar end brake levers.

The bullhorns really help with climbing.

I also use heavy Cinelli cork tape on the bars to insulate my hands from the metal.
I find good bar tape makes my gloves much more effective in keeping my hands warm.

Cane Creek headset.

Truvativ 175mm Crank with external bearings.

Shimano PD-540 double-sided SPD Mountain Bike pedals.

I have a Cane Creek Thudbuster seat post, as I find it helps me stay on the bike when I hit ruts and unexpected objects hidden by snow.

Brooks B-17 saddle, with a plastic bag over it when I park it.

Nokian Extreme 294 tires.

I have a Tom Cat 10w light on my handlebar and a Ni-Cad bottle battery in the Water Bottle cage on the down tube.

I also wear a Tom Cat 10w light on my helmet, with a lead acid battery in my back pack.

Fixed gear, in my humble opinion, represents the safest way to ride on ice.

Fixed gear gives me better control and balance, and it will allow me to stop if my brakes freeze up; and, my brakes allow me to stop if I throw a chain.

Oh, and I forgot, I also put bar tape on my top tube, because it helps me handle the bike in the cold, gives my shoulder a little padding if I hoist the bike up on my shoulder to carry it, and, the bar tape protects the top tube and helps the bike stay in place when I lean it up against something.

Well, I think that about covers it.

Wait, steel fenders.*

So, all of this cost me about $1800 USD.

Expensive for a fixed gear bike, but it will go anywhere, anytime.

I can ride when only the snow plows and sand trucks can move.

Your friend in Bend,

Ken

=====

*Actually, plastic fenders.

.For gears, I chose a 33t chain ring and a 17t cog, which, with big fat 29" tires gives me 59 gear inches.
With this I can average 15mph/24kph.


This is useless in 6" deep powder of any distance.

This is useless in 6" deep powder of any distance.

I don't have 6" deep powder.

I share the road with automobiles that have packed and rutted the snow and turned it into ice.

The title of the thread says Ice Bike and not 6" powder bike.

I may have misunderstood 2manybikes, but, if I had a mind to do so, I could describe geared bikes as useless because the deraileurs freeze; and I know that happens because it has happened to me.

I see lots of people out riding in the snow with geared bikes, but at some point the weather gets so bad I just see me and the sand trucks.

I've experimented with expensive, high tech cables and high tech lubricants, but sometimes freezing rain, snow and slush just become too much for something as complex and out there in the elements as a geared drive train.

I've tried gearing down to 54 gear inches, and lower than that, it just seems too low.

Based on my past few years of winter riding with aggressive studded tires, I think I can push 59".

If I can't push 59", I know how to change cogs and chain rings.

On this new bike, I'll start with 59" and adjust from there if necessary.

If 2manybikes had to ride with one gear in his winter environment, what gear inch, or ring, cog and tire combo would he choose?

Ken,

Great post about your icebike. I think this scenerio does illustrate that there is no one best build for a winter bike because the exact conditions where it will be used vary a great deal. Both the average temperatures and humidity and the usual riding surfaces and user preferences all effect how the bike should be build up.

I've seen quite a few people going to fixed gears for winter. I understand the advantages, but my knees are old. If it gets too funky or if the gears don't work I can always man haul until the frostbite and scurvy sets in and I'm discovered in a tent by some subsequent expedition to Carrs Quality Center.

We shall see. It's all good to keep in mind and I appreciate input. I should have the prototype up and running by the time snow gets here next week. Unless the snow comes today in which case I'll be walking.

No derailleur problems since 1994. Most derailleur problems are sticking cables. Internal hubs have cables too.
One big problem is bringing a cold bike into the house, then it condenses and sweats like crazy. Then taking it outside and the water or "sweat" freezes in cables etc. Keep it cold or bring it in all night until it's dry. This accounts for quite a few "deraileur problems" that I have seen. Condensation in the cables or other places turning to ice.


http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5277/hpim3631ho6.jpg

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9490/hpim3849cx4.jpg

Nice looking bike! How about some details. What kind of fenders are those? What tires are you running? Thanks, Carl

Nice looking bike! How about some details. What kind of fenders are those? What tires are you running? Thanks, Carl

Nokian 294's at 22 psi front 25 psi rear for bumpy ice and snow or off road. It's a 1994 Giant that I bought new in 1994. The front fender is a Topeak "Defender" With another piece bolted onto it and a innertube mud flap wired into that. The mudflap almost touches the ground so it is made to be flexible and it flexes up out of the way in snow.

I have many pieces of fenders around, I don't know what the other pieces are from, some of them have been around for 10+ years.

Plastic fenders are just a starting point you can cut them up and make brackets to put any fenders on any bike. Some of the spaces or cracks are filled with some thin plastic foam covered with black tape. It's super light, super cheap, easy to cut and form, works great as a fender, and easy to replace or change later. The rear piece of the front fender has foam and some tape over it filling the gap at the place where the fender meets the fork, for example. It's lasted for years without any problems.

Part of the rear fender is just made wider with black tape folded back on it self on either side of the fender. So is the lower part of the front fender.

Two vacuum insulated stainless Thermos brand bottles keep water from freezing all day.
To use two bottles and a water bottle rechargeable battery I just use a Twofish velcro on bottle cage on the top tube for the battery. With an extra velcro strap for security. It did come out once before the extra strap.

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/9372/hpim3559qt2.jpg
http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/84/hpim3558nd4.jpg
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5462/hpim3556mediumcb6.jpg
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/9397/hpim3445gk2.jpg

Cool. Thanks for the info and pics!

The bottom picture posted by 2manybikes tells a story.

I understand now his comment about needing gears.

I have a very similar bike to the one posted by 2manybikes in my garage.
I rode it for three winters, first on Nokian 106's and then on Nokian 240's.
I still have it ready to go.

I became disenchanted with geared bikes here in Bend, Oregon, because of repeated freezing of my brakes and deraileurs.

Perhaps I have that problem here more than 2manybikes has in Alaska, because we have a warmer winter here, with frequent bouts of mixed ice/snow/rain right around freezing.

I upgraded my cables several times, until my lbs said no more upgrades existed.

The brake problem seemed resolvable only with a disk brake in front; and a new fork, wheel, brake and controls started to represent a significant chunk of money, and it didn't solve the deraileur issue.

I considered going to an internally geared hub.

New wheel, new hub and new controls for the back pushed the cost into the range of a new fixed gear bike.

So, my grand experiment.

Sorry I got defensive about it.

I have yet to ride the new Ice Bike in the ice and snow, and I hope it performs as expected.

I have a lot to learn this winter.

I'm beta testing Fram now that the first ice and snow have arrived in Los Anchorage. So far, so good. Stability is excellent both on the slick streets and in the off-road areas. No problems with shifters or breaks in the freezing rain yesterday when I took it for a little ten mile jaunt around midtown. The Hoss frame is plenty stout for me.

I'm not so sure about going to a single speed. I'm already appreciating being able to downshift when I go into the off-road areas or up icy hills. If I was fifteen years younger my knees might be able to take one speed, but I'm an old man and the gears are nice to have.

This is the second winter for the Nokians and they've got some wear but are still keeping me upright. I hope to get one more year out of them to amortize the enormous cost.

I used an extension on the front to rise the handlebars up two inches and that's allowed me to get the seat up so my legs aren't cramped. The 18" Kona frame is a bit of a squeeze for my 6'2" body but doable. It also seems to be quite stable. If I were getting a new Kona I'd probably go up a notch in frame size though.

I should have it fully outfitted by the weekend and I'll take some pics.

I'll chime-in once more with some random thoughts on the "ideal". Anchorage is definitely a challenge for winter commuting, the MUT's are just hilarious after a couple of freeze-thaw cycles and giant carnivorous trucks/suvs rule the roads and can't be bothered with details like bikes or pedestrians especially if they have an important call on the cel. Things are actually a little more friendly in Fairbanks, at least on the west side of town and of course we don't get the ice and slop you do down south.

I ride a cyclocross frame with a single ring up front and 9sp cluster in the rear, studs go on after the first snow and usually don't come off until March. When I was living in Anchorage
(and the first winter here) I was riding an MTB, imho there was really no advantage over the cyclocross set-up, at least not for commuting on snow/ice covered pavement. Suspension components pretty much stop working below 20F and then you are just hauling around some extra weight or worse something that will actually break at some point. Riding position isn't really that much of an issue, on a well fitting MTB your weight isn't distributed that much differently and I think people don't realize that it is important to have some weight on the front wheel. I use bar-end shifters and cross-top (chicken) levers. I lower the seat a little once it snows, I find it helps me when I need to dismount/remount quickly. I used to use "commuter" pedals that were spd on one side and platform on the other but I've reached a point I don't find I need them and now I just run the same shimano m540 spd's year-round.

I find deep snow (more than 5 inches) more of a problem than any other condition. It was no different on the MTB where I was using the widest studded tire I could find at the time, maybe 2.75. Flotation is just not an option, you cut through and if you don't hit bottom you spin or waffle. The "Snowcat" approach is interesting but not very practical for a commuter bike that maybe a couple days later be navigating iced pavement.

This season has been pretty laid back so far, we have had snow for almost 3 weeks but the temps have been above zero, I bike commute to work at least 4 days a week most of the winter. The one thing that really has become apparent to me the last 2 seasons is how inadequate rim brakes are for the winter cyclist. When I was riding the MTB I had mechanical Avid Discs which are still superior to any rim brake I've ever used in snow and rain, they functioned well in extreme temperatures and were reasonably easy to install and maintain. I think if I'm here for another winter I will find a cyclocross frame with disc mounts, probably a Redline Conquest which I've owned before and really enjoyed.

My next thread I will ask the question: "who really needs $200+ bicycle headlights"?
http://www.bikeforums.net/I%27ll%20chime-in%20once%20more%20with%20some%20random%20thoughts%20on%20the%20%22ideal%22.%20Anchorage%20is%20defi nitely%20a%20challenge%20for%20winter%20commuting,%20the%20MUT%27s%20are%20just%20hilarious%20after% 20a%20couple%20of%20freeze-thaw%20cycles%20and%20giant%20carnivorous%20trucks/suvs%20rule%20the%20roads%20and%20can%27t%20be%20bothered%20with%20details%20like%20bikes%20or%20ped estrians%20especially%20if%20they%20have%20an%20important%20call%20on%20the%20cel.%20Things%20are%20 actually%20a%20little%20more%20friendly%20in%20Fairbanks,%20at%20least%20on%20the%20west%20side%20of %20town%20and%20of%20course%20we%20don%27t%20get%20the%20ice%20and%20slop%20you%20do%20down%20south.


http://http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/halimec05/STA_0512.jpg

I hope the suspension holds out better than that, but we shall see. If it's as bad as you say I'm going rigid like a moose in January. One reason I hesitate to go to a cyclocross is I really don't need speed that much. The most I have to go in the winter is 20 miles round trip, and I've had my closest calls accident-wise when I get speed up and try to ride like it's summer. Suddenly I'm pinched between some loon in a snow truck and an 8' berm of packed snow on the right. That woke me up, and thankfully I survived it. You're in Fairbanks? You guys seem to have fewer insane drivers than we do and your snow is far superior in quality. Our snow is often wet and full of chunder.

I agree re. floatation and I'm not even trying it. I've got good studs but I'm not going with this Pugsley extra wide or the 4x wide some of the marathon racers are coming up with now. If I can plow through a foot of fresh stuff I'll be very happy. The Mnt. bike at least gives me more leverage over obstacles than my cruiser did.

Snow is finally, finally here. More on the way, too. So I got to beta test Fram on something more than black ice. I'm glad of the gears, that's for sure. Even on the light snow there's considerable drag and it's very nice to be able to switch gears accordingly. Handling is very good, with no instability at all up hill, down hill or squirling around on the ice/snow covered roads. The Nokians really earn their keep when you're cutting in at an angle. The BOB is for shopping, which I'm en route to go do.

Star was running around when I said good morning to her. I think she wanted to come for a run with me. But she also wanted to challenge me to a fight so I had to decline. The geese are very, very confused about the weather as we all are. They should be gone but the chinook winds fooled them.

As you can see there's still quite a bit to be done. But I'm going to follow my usual method of waiting to see what fails or falls off and modifying as I need to. The rear rack is serving well enough as a fender there, and thus far I haven't been getting hit with much from the front. Unless I start getting smacked with a lot of crudoly I'm going to leave it bare. As of now though the angle is good and the snow and ice don't seem to be muddy enough to kick up on me. The B-17 is of course perfect. I'm probably going to get some slightly larger pedals today as my size 13 Danners are only about half on them. The high end BMX ones have worked well in the past, though unless you want your legs slashed avoid the ones with metal spikes on them.

You may notice the seat is tilted slightly and the bars are a bit higher than usual. This is to raise me up a bit which makes it much easier to navigate heavy traffic and use my helmet rear view. Getting run over is a bigger hazard in Los Anchorage than running into more headwind than I would if I was lower.

The lamp in front is an old el cheapo and works OK, but I'll be replacing it with a new fangled one with an insulated btty pack soon.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/fram4.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/Fram1.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/Fram2.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/fram3.jpg

Snow is finally, finally here. More on the way, too. So I got to beta test Fram on something more than black ice. I'm glad of the gears, that's for sure. Even on the light snow there's considerable drag and it's very nice to be able to switch gears accordingly. Handling is very good, with no instability at all up hill, down hill or squirling around on the ice/snow covered roads. The Nokians really earn their keep when you're cutting in at an angle. The BOB is for shopping, which I'm en route to go do.


Nice ! :beer:

Nice ride Cosmoline.
Cheers!

Nice ride! I'm diggin' that trailer too. I'll bet that pivot point right behind the rear wheel makes for easy maneuvering.

Nice setup Cos! I tooled around yesterday also. I resorted to my trusty MTB w/ Nokians for the slush. I'm going to try some road bike studs for my cross this year as well. I'll be able to switch between bikes depending on the ever changing conditions. I ride both in Anchoraugua and Fairbanks. Fbx is safer re: autos but can be challenging at extreme temps.

I've had the usual troubles with shifting at cold temps w/ slush, etc. I've broken chains at low temps while applying to much torque. My biggest headache is battery power for my lights.

I commute the trails to work 3 or so days/week in winter. I've finally purchased a second charger for my Niterider. I got tired of carrying it to work and back home every time. I get about 2:30 hours at low temps. I have 3 routes to work that I ride. One way distances are 20 miles, 15 miles & 12 miles. My route is dependent on conditions usually.

Happy commuting! It's snowing like a banshee right now. :D

My biggest headache is battery power for my lights.

That's also been a big issue for me. As the days get very short in Jan the deep cold fronts can also come down from the Susitna. The bttys are OK down to about 20 f. or 15 f. When it gets subzero they leech energy like crazy. This winter I'm going to rig an insulated btty pack to the frame with the light separate, like the mushers use. I already have that setup for my headlamp and keep the btty pack in my pocket, but the headlamp isn't a substitute for a proper front light.\

The snow keeps coming and it's looking more like it should now. The setup does well in this fluffy snow, but the real test will come later on when there are blocks of chunder hidden beneath. The advantage of the mnt. bike platform is it lets you recover more easily from uneven terrain. You can see how hard the bike is to see in low light. I've got the better rear light this year but I almost want to add another one. These cars are driven by loons.

I've got by brass bell on this one. It's goofy, I know but it comes in very handy for alerting other bikes and pedestrians on the MUT's without scaring the bejesus out of them.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/fram6.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/fram5.jpg

Hey to keep those batteries warm could you keep them in a bracket in your inside pocket then run a wire down your sleeve?


jim

When the ice is hard frozen and very bumpy and rutted run the bike tires at about 22 psi front and 25 rear.

I think we have the same tire? Nokian 294's ??

Wrap the headlight battery with insulation and put a small chemical bootwarmer next to the battery. Start off with the battery at room temp from the house.

They're freddies revenz, not sure about the number. THe spikes still have some life to them so hopefully I'll get at least another season's use out of them.

They're freddies revenz, not sure about the number. THe spikes still have some life to them so hopefully I'll get at least another season's use out of them.

There used to be only one "Freddies Revenge" Great tires.

edit:............found this

More Nokian Freddies Revenz Lite Tire
The Nokian Freddies Revenz Lite Studded Tire. Light skinwall OLC casing with 336 sharp aluminum studs with carbide pins.

Light skinwall OLC casing and 336 sharp aluminum studs with carbide pins
61 ShA carbon silica tread compound provides excelent grip on snow and ice

Tire Use: Winter/Studded
Color Tread/Side: Black/Black
Tire Type: Clincher
Tire Diameter: 26"
ISO Width: 58 mm
ISO Diameter: 559
Tire Bead: Steel
PSI: 35 - 65 PSI
Weight: 990.0 g

Well it's been a few months now and the Fram is still trucking. I haven't done any long distance runs for awhile but I'm out on it twice a day six to seven days a week, logging about 30-50 miles per week. The snow is really starting to build up now and it's looking like Alaska should.

My back rack's screws busted due to my own overloading and is now removed. But I'm getting by fine with the BOB trailer or a backpack for loads. The deep fresh snow is great. My bike sinks right through it and I have good traction on the hard stuff below. I would likely need a fatbike if I wanted to go on the mountain bike trails this time of year, but Los Anchorage city streets offer MORE than enough excitement and peril, thank you very much.

The hard glazed and pack ice is also fine. The only real troublesome features are big ice ridges and the "biscuit dough" snow churned up by the cars. It can stop a bike cold.

The Hoss frame and basic parts are holding up great. Much better than expected. Considering my enormous size that's a pretty impressive credit for Kona. I've snapped cranks and cracked frames of other bikes

Disc breaks are working 100%. They're noisy in the wet snow, but they stop me every time.

BMX pedals are working good but will cut my legs if they're not protected.

Lights are working well

No busted spokes yet

No crashes

The leather seat does not bother me in the cold since I started wearing the powermax tactical underwear from Cabelas ;-)