Winter Cycling - Cycling and winter roads.

How do you handle it. Black ice. Those icy, slick spots just come at you from no where. Bikes on Ice. What do you need. Special tires? Or is it best to have a three wheeler.

Studded tires are the ticket. Check the page out here (http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp) at Peter White Cycles. I want to try the Schwalbe Marathon Winter.

Slow and steady on studs should keep you upright, just watch out for others.

Ride a route that you know and stay off the roads when it is snowy and icey. I rode with a group all last winter that followed these rules with no problems. We rode every Tuesday evening except January and February when it snowed and other evenings when we knew there would be ice. This is obviously not foolproof, but it minimizes the threat. My group uses their summer equipment for winter except maybe riding their older bike and putting fenders on it.

good advice. But black ice is the worry. Often , even cars don't see it.

Studded tyres are your best friend on black ice, too.

--J

How do you handle it. Black ice. Those icy, slick spots just come at you from no where. Bikes on Ice. What do you need. Special tires? Or is it best to have a three wheeler.

With good studs black ice is no problem at all. I much prefer riding on black or gloss ice than through snow drifts and chunder. Rhyme ice (stacks of tiny ice crystals building overnight into crunchy stuff) is a nuisance, but you'll probably never see it down there.

Here's some shots of typical snow and ice conditions that studs are ideal for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY7jlp6lIUE