Great Lakes - Cincinnati 50 Commuters Year Round In Ohio

I have a bet with a good friend of mine and thought I would bring it up here. I am wondering if there are 50 commuters who cycle commute year round in Ohio, and Cincinnati specifically. It would be great to know the cyclist who travel via bike whether Fall Winter Summer or Spring. And why do you choose to do that, and how it can be done.

Thanks for the Responses looking forward to the replies.

Cincinnati isn't in Ohio, it is a suburb of Covington, Ky.

I, on the other hand, am from the Akron/Cleveland area and commute year round.

That makes one :) Perhaps in time more will be seen. When you cycle commute, during the snow months what you ride and how is it tweaked for maximum performance?

I ride my normal commuter unless the roads are snow-packed/icy or have a good chance of being that way sometime during the day, which if that is the case, I ride my flat-barred Raleigh hybrid with studded tires. If I didn't have rolling hills (some kinda long and steep), the studded tires would be on my single speed and I'd use it instead.

Performance is not a priority in the winter. You do basic preventive maintenance and give the bike(s) a good overhaul come spring.

So for someone to take a tour from California to Ohio, and hitting Ohio right as the snow starts what then is suggested?

Am I understanding this correctly... that you want snow?

Cincinnati is kind of on the "thaw belt". It's cold enough to get snow, but in about a week it will get warm enough to all melt away. Most of the snow storms are about two inches. Once or twice there will be about six inches. It's impossible to predict when. Could start in November, might not start till January. It makes it difficult for commuting because you're never quite sure how to dress. In the spring, snow/warm weather can alternate every five minutes.

I don't have snow tires. I like riding in fresh falling 2" snow and studded aren't really needed. But when those tracks/ruts I leave, freeze that night I stop riding till they melt. Trying to ride through those ruts will take a rider down fast. But, like I said, in about a week they all will turn to slush and riding is okay again.

Cincinnati is along the river and it might be better to think of it as a sort of miniature grand canyon. It doesn't look like it because of all the trees, but try to ride it and you'll soon find out. Along the rivers it is very flat and easy riding. Up on top it's slightly rolling hills and fairly easy riding. In between, it sucks. Just one steep hill/cliff that the only worse than having to ride up... is to have to ride down.

If there are year round commuters they are probably live and work on top by the university. But I don't go there so I don't know for sure. In the winter I'll see a few along the river routes, but I start to slack off then so don't really know then either. I get a little better every winter, but have a lot more to improve. It's just the down hills. They all are very steep and stop right at a major intersection. If your brakes aren't properly adjusted, then you get t-boned on Rte 50.

If one of your goals is to figure out how people equip bikes for winter time commuting. I consider these folks the experts: http://www.icebike.org/ Check out the site.

If you are trying to figure out if you have 50 year round bike commuters in your region I would think that would be easy to make a good guess at with existing data.
I googled and found this: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cmgr/downloads/cmgr_pdf18280.pdf
It says in the body of the document:
Hamilton County
Daily Person Trips (2005) 3,374,919
% of Hamilton Co. workers over 16 that bike to work multiply by .15%
equals 5,000 bike trips/day

So if 10% of the trips are year round riders thats 500, 1% would get you 50.

I would think that at least 1% of your bike commuters are year round riders, especially in your mild climate.

Scot

So for someone to take a tour from California to Ohio, and hitting Ohio right as the snow starts what then is suggested?

Without knowing what/when/route you are riding, it's hard to say with any authority. You obviously don't want to be lugging a set of studded tires across the country, so I would advise a wide, inverted tread tire...Conti Top Contact winter version comes to mind. Fenders and decent lights are a must for touring any time of year. For wintery weather, disc brakes and internal geared hub is nice, but not required. Beware your cables and derailleurs freezing up. Make sure you have the appropriate dress for colder weather...a wool sweater, cap, winter-weight socks and long johns, a poly base tees, a good wind shell, roomy shoes to accommodate the thicker socks, good full finger gloves, etc.

You might want to check out the winter cycling forum, as well as the touring forum for more information.

Am I understanding this correctly... that you want snow?

Cincinnati is kind of on the "thaw belt". It's cold enough to get snow, but in about a week it will get warm enough to all melt away. Most of the snow storms are about two inches. Once or twice there will be about six inches. It's impossible to predict when. Could start in November, might not start till January. It makes it difficult for commuting because you're never quite sure how to dress. In the spring, snow/warm weather can alternate every five minutes.

I don't have snow tires. I like riding in fresh falling 2" snow and studded aren't really needed. But when those tracks/ruts I leave, freeze that night I stop riding till they melt. Trying to ride through those ruts will take a rider down fast. But, like I said, in about a week they all will turn to slush and riding is okay again.

Cincinnati is along the river and it might be better to think of it as a sort of miniature grand canyon. It doesn't look like it because of all the trees, but try to ride it and you'll soon find out. Along the rivers it is very flat and easy riding. Up on top it's slightly rolling hills and fairly easy riding. In between, it sucks. Just one steep hill/cliff that the only worse than having to ride up... is to have to ride down.

If there are year round commuters they are probably live and work on top by the university. But I don't go there so I don't know for sure. In the winter I'll see a few along the river routes, but I start to slack off then so don't really know then either. I get a little better every winter, but have a lot more to improve. It's just the down hills. They all are very steep and stop right at a major intersection. If your brakes aren't properly adjusted, then you get t-boned on Rte 50.

Thanks for the insight I appreciate it. And I was not really looking to get there when the snow starts just to be aware of what to prepare for. Otherwise, you make two 48 to go :)
Yeah I can see how it would be nice to cruise through fresh powder. Being careful on downhills makes sense. So far good news from the possibilities of Cincinnati.

Without knowing what/when/route you are riding, it's hard to say with any authority. You obviously don't want to be lugging a set of studded tires across the country, so I would advise a wide, inverted tread tire...Conti Top Contact winter version comes to mind. Fenders and decent lights are a must for touring any time of year. For wintery weather, disc brakes and internal geared hub is nice, but not required. Beware your cables and derailleurs freezing up. Make sure you have the appropriate dress for colder weather...a wool sweater, cap, winter-weight socks and long johns, a poly base tees, a good wind shell, roomy shoes to accommodate the thicker socks, good full finger gloves, etc.

You might want to check out the winter cycling forum, as well as the touring forum for more information.

I will do just that, and so far as when or what I figured hypothetically within the next couple of months. Any solutions to keep the cables and derailleurs from freezing? So for a ride from California to Ohio, it is good to carry extra warm clothes just in case.

Here's my observations for Ohio winters (YMMV)

1. Expect snow around Halloween maybe one out of every three years, gone withing days.
2. Expect a mild, fairly dry November at least every one out of three years.
3. Expect a mild, fairly dry December at least every one out of three years.
4. None of the above necessarily sync with each other.
5. January and February pretty much always suck.

If you get in before Halloween, you probably won't see any snow and there is a good possibility you'll see very little, if any, snow before Thanksgiving.

If you keep moisture out of your cables and derailleurs, they normally wont freeze up - WD40 is pretty good at displacing moisture. Dry the bike out when it gets wet if there is a chance of temps going below freezing, and once temps are below freezing, leave the bike someplace where the temps remain below freezing unless you can let it dry out completely (and even then, strange things happen when going from nice warm garage/motel room to freezing, yucky weather, so it's best just to leave it cold).

I don't know what route you'll be taking, but I've lived in MO, KY, IA, and OH and can say the weather has a reliable 99% chance of being perfect in those areas during the month of October. Not too hot, not too cold, no humidity. I can't say that about any other month. Although it did hit 100 degrees last year when they cancelled the Chicago marathon. But it wasn't humid. That makes all the difference.

Thanks for the input keep the good information flowing.

Here's my observations for Ohio winters (YMMV)

1. Expect snow around Halloween maybe one out of every three years, gone withing days.
2. Expect a mild, fairly dry November at least every one out of three years.
3. Expect a mild, fairly dry December at least every one out of three years.
4. None of the above necessarily sync with each other.
5. January and February pretty much always suck.



My observation is a bit different yet somehow the same.

Broad statement: "There will be more or less exactly six cold, miserable, crappy weeks of winter every year in Ohio"

Qualifications:

The weeks may or may not be consecutive, in any combination, wholly or in part.
The weeks can occur any time from October 1 to April 30


The other 46 weeks are pretty much OK, especially if you don't mind getting wet. And I don't.

Back to the OP's question/bet: add me to the list of people in Ohio who cycle commute year round. 21 miles a day between Piqua and Troy (small towns north of Dayton).

In the past I have driven only the handful of days when it snows more than an inch, but I bought a singlespeed Raleigh One Way with 35c tires and will invest in studded to try and go 100% this winter. Too much snow to ride should mean too much to drive and I'll work from home.

There is NO temperature in Ohio too cold to ride.

thanks for chiming in, share it with others you may know in the local area, we will reach that 50 commuters yet. And good to hear something about singlespeeds, Much to look forward expand further on your experiences in Ohio.

I have been bicycle commuting for three years now year round and the snow hasnt bothered me because it doesnt soak in. Ski goggles come in handy for blizzards!

I lived in Cincinnati for 26.5 of my 28 years and I've spent plenty of time out on the road commuting, training and racing in Cincinnati's weather. The snow is bothersome sometimes, but it's almost always gone within a few days. Roads are hell for 12 hours after any significant snowstorm due to hills that shelter snow in the corners and ice build-up.

Commuting in Cincinnati is pretty easy to do year-round, provided that you have fenders and good gloves and socks for that two-week period in January when the temps. don't get much above 18 degrees. That kind of cold usually got me on the rollers/trainer.

I have a friend who messengers (www.flyingpigcourier.com/PhP) in Cincinnati, and he rides every day, no matter what, 'cause unlike me, he doesn't get paid if he doesn't ride his bike.

Thanks for the insight, will call that 4 then so far :) Good to become aware of the other couriers cross the country.

I don't live in Cincinatti per se, but I'm only about 20 miles out. I live in Harrison, Ohio (on the Indiana border) and commute to the casino in Lawrenceburg, IN.

On the weekends I bike commute to places on Colerain ave or similar distances. So add me to your list.

That makes five, I am trying to get an idea about Ohio and Cincinnati. What has been your experiences on your commutes?

Hi, another Northeast Ohio commuter here. Akron / Cleveland are too.

I have an old MTB I converted for winter usage. Fixed gear, studded tires, fenders, etc etc.

While my daily commute to my college is short (about 2 miles), I'm car free and trips to the grocery store or shopping end up being about 10 miles roundtrip.

As reiterated before, Ohio weather is unpredictable to say the least. You can expect lots of snow and freezing cold, but very often it comes in patches that are interrupted by unseasonably warm streaks. I love riding in the winter, as no ride is the same. I find myself sliding and falling all over the place with a big smile on my face. Keep in mind I may be a bit more young and dumb than other commuters.

It's great to hear please expand on your view and share your reasons for making that choice?

I am there with you. I work at a casino in Indiana, and bike 100 miles a week to work. walking, and running 10 hours a day.

I live in the Cleveland area and have been commuting for the past year, including winter.

I look at it as a winter sport. People ski, ice skate, go sledding/coasting, or just enjoy a walk on a snowy day in December. I ride my bike.

I love the experience of being the first set of tracks on my street quietly crunching through a fresh powder. Once I hit the main artery at the end of my street the roads along my route are usually clear enough to allow for easy pedalling.

Watch the weather to dress accordingly. Waterproof items such as a rain shell (wear layers), boots and gloves can save the day. Give plenty of time for riding and resting as the rest time also allows clothing to dry. When I commute I can hang my gear in a locker at work and things usually dry out over an eight hour shift. Riding cross country might not allow that.

There are lots of sources online that cover equipment. Make sure you have a good set of fenders. The front fender benefits from a flap that almost touches the road. This helps protect the bike and rider from any salty, slushy spray. I rode an old 21-speed mountain bike last winter on 26" x 1.25" tires with an inverted tread and no knobbies and did just fine. I went down once on a sloped patch of black ice.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy Winter. Folks who live in northern states and complain about snow are living in the wrong place. If you think riding in snow sucks, then it will. Read up and prepare yourself with good gear and a little knowledge from those who have gone before you and you will experience something wonderful that you can share with folks who ask.

And be sure to slide sideways. A good, old-timey classic fishtail from your youth, only without the loss of tread.

I've lived in Cincinnati for about 15 years and started commuting by bike 2 months ago, so I can't (yet) answer about my wintertime commute.

Oft-repeated stories about the winter of '76, aside, our wintertime climate is very mild. I usually notice the difference during wintertime trips to Cleveland/Akron.

And then there are the hills. My commute has a half-mile section with a 235 ft. elevation change. Kind of like what unkchunk describes, though farther from the river. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2200350

These two factors have made me decide to hold off investing in studded tires, fixies and such. On those few days where we're snowy/icy I'll just drive to work. Or if we get one of those traffic-strangling afternoon snowstorms like we've been getting the last few years, I'll just run home (my easy running pace gets me there in about half the time it takes cars when we get these.)

"No way , no way. It is literally impossible. We get feet of snow during the Winter, to where it takes an hour or better to dig my car out. The only way these people commute by bike year round is if they work at home, or they strap their bike to their car and pretend. :-P"
My Friend In Response to the challenge.


If one of your goals is to figure out how people equip bikes for winter time commuting. I consider these folks the experts: http://www.icebike.org/ Check out the site.

If you are trying to figure out if you have 50 year round bike commuters in your region I would think that would be easy to make a good guess at with existing data.
I googled and found this: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cmgr/downloads/cmgr_pdf18280.pdf
It says in the body of the document:
Hamilton County
Daily Person Trips (2005) 3,374,919
% of Hamilton Co. workers over 16 that bike to work multiply by .15%
equals 5,000 bike trips/day

So if 10% of the trips are year round riders thats 500, 1% would get you 50.

I would think that at least 1% of your bike commuters are year round riders, especially in your mild climate.

Scot

That is most certainly true, though my objective is to really find out from the people who ride it year round and have them chime in and I appreciate you offering your insight as well. I will have to take a look at the sites you mentioned and explore what they offer. At this point there has been 12 confirmed commuters so far 40 more :)

I am a native of Cincinnati, and started commuting last summer, since then have ridden year round. Last winter was my first and well it sucked in a way, but I dealt with it. The temps dip down at night when I come home, and snow never was a problem, I just rode my MTB with a fat slick on it. The snow is weak compared to many other parts of the US, so until I have to ride in more than a couple of inches, I'll keep the studs off the bike. It's easy, just try telling the driving population that, everyone thinks I am crazy.

By the way, you're in California – why do you care so much about cyclists in Cincinnati, of all places?

And since California seems more likely to have only two seasons versus Cincinnati's Four I am curious about it. And I want to win the damn bet :)

I was a cincinnati year round commuter until 2001 ( i retired that year)
Snow rarely lasts more than a day or two except for parts of the Loveland trail that is shady
and doesnt get plowed.

If you really want to find 50 Cincinnati commuters go to http://www.cincinnaticycleclub.org/
and post a message on their forum under general discussion

Great news I will have to check that out, seems like it would be an interesting place to explore. I figure it was pretty straightforward, sorry I have not been about the place to respond been busy with life and living you know the 9-5 tale. Well keep em coming.

I live in Columbus. Since June 07 I became an everyday commuter. My car broke down and I couldn't get it fixed, so I started riding everyday. I checked out several websites on BikeCommuting, Safety, Lights, and Winter Riding. Started out with Icebike.org, among others, and then discovered several blogs of folks in Alaska and Canada to see how they did it. My first winter last year worked out better than I thought. Sure there were days that were pretty lousy. But I prepared well. I purchased all of the gear that I thought I'd need, particularly clothing. I googled around to find the best price on items I was interested in. By doing that I figure that I saved over 50% on the costs of the stuff I have.
I wear a ShowersPass Rainjacket as my outer shell, with a SportHill Travellor jacket (retails for $135, I paid $65) underneath, that works down to the single digits. I may add a fleece vest below 10f. I saved 35% on a pair of SportHill XC 3SP pants. These IMO, are the best cold winter cycling pants out there. I rode in 20degree weather with just these and no themals underneath. In the teens, I would wear snowpants. I picked up a pair of Manzella Snowboard mittens at TJ Maxx for $20 (retail from $35 to $70 whoever you believe). My balaclava is a thin Wickers from Sierra Trading Post that works well from 50f down to !5f. This year I bought their expedition model, which is a tad bit thicker. I didn't like the bike specific ones in your LBS because they were too thick for mild stuff in the 40's and they cost an arm and a leg. I bought leg warmers from Performance on sale to put over my work pants in the morning, which does the job. I also picked up their fleece hat on sale that I wear in the frigid stuff.
For the wheels, I bought a used set of rims for $50 and mounted a set of beefy Nokian 296's .I heard others in Columbus tell me that I didn't need snow studs cause the roads weren't that bad during snow. I ride 9 miles one way. I rode on ice and hard pack snow, which is just as bad as ice, and couldn't have done it without the snow studs. Sure the rolling resistance is a b*tch, but they came in handy. On nice days it would take me 10mins to switch the wheels. No big deal. Last year I rode thru three icestorms in which I was completely covered in ice, but I was warm underneath. Throw in the Blizzard we had in March. It took me 3 hrs to get home that day of a normally 45 min commute. But I look back on it and it was only two days that I had to put up with that. If the weather was bad for my 4:30 start time, then I'd leave maybe 10 or 15 mins earlier. This year I may add an extra set of pants from Cabelas (which have excellent winter clothing, polarfleece). Campmor, Sierra Trading Post, Cabelas, and Lands End, all have excellent winter gear at good prices. They beat the junk the bike merchants sell. Last winter I was in BikeSource and the guys in there commented to me "How's the weather?" I said "Not bad". The one snickers and says "I don't believe you". I told him that if you get good ski clothing its better than the over-priced junk they sell. If you prepare yourself and read what others do then riding in Winter weather is just as fun as riding in the summer. The best part is you have the roads and MUP's all to yourself. And I got a kick out of the drivers faces when they'd see me riding in frigid temps.

ScottNorthSide http://www.considerbiking.org/site/cb/index.php












5

Born in Cincy, lived till 12yrs old in the town of Hooven, I remember lots of nasty hills I would not even consider riding down anytime of the yr.

Thanks for offering your insight into that matter very well put and interesting, I will have to keep that in mind next time I am out in Cincinnati, as my friend still lives there should go and see her and prove it can be done, thanks for the informative post.

Born in Cincy, lived till 12yrs old in the town of Hooven, I remember lots of nasty hills I would not even consider riding down anytime of the yr.

At the very least you rode and that is a good thing thanks for offering your voice on that story.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081110/NEWS01/811100314/1168/NEWS (http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081110/NEWS01/811100314/1168/NEWS)

Nice article in the Enquirer's webpage about Steve Herbold, who delivers "Meals on Wheels" on his Cannondale!

I commute at least once a week and intentions are that it will be a year round thing

I live in Michigan, does that still count?

I commute by bicycle all year round, five or six days a week. Its only an eight mile round trip but it still has its challenges as half of it is on (largely unplowed) back streets . However, I am lucky because I have an asphalt path to use for the other half that is maintained by the township so I get mostly clear riding there after it snows.

1 in Columbus. I just sold my car. So the bike (or bus) is it.

I live up river about an hour from Cinci, in Aberdeen. This is my first year of winter commuting. I've been commuting the other seasons for 2 years. I work a rotating shift ,and commute every other week, when I am on night shift. I do not ride to work on day shift because my starting time is 5:00 AM, i would have to leave the house about 3:30, and sleep is a bigger priority. My ride is 22 miles one way, 1/2 rural roads, 1/2 US Route 52. I have a road bike and a full suspension mountain bike, neither of which will be very practical in the snow, considering the distance. I have convinced the little Mrs. that i need a new bike, in order to be safe on the snow and ice :bike2:, and am currently lusting over cyclocross frames. yee ha! Santa Claus is coming to town....:cheers:

Add another to the list. I'm in Kettering (Dayton area). 11 degrees this morning. I don't think anything except maybe blizzard conditions would stop me now.

Funny, last Fall when the mercury hit 50 and I felt chilly on my AM ride, I wondered how I would ever make it through the Winter. Now I'm wondering how I ever made it through the Summer heat.

Cold weather commuting is a blast.

Add one more...I live in Xenia (SE of Dayton) and commute 40 miles/day roundtrip year round. With proper layering and decent equipment, you can commute fairly easily here. There are those occassional days (sub zeros, blizzards, wind storms, etc) where it really isn't practical, but for the most part those extremes are few and far between.

I thought I could commute to work all year long in Columbus. I was able to ride to work most days through December, but January has been tough. I have slide on ice twice and crashed. So I have taken some time off from the road and trails and I am going to the gym to ride the stationary bike. The spinning classes are a good workout, but I miss the outdoors. I thought about studs on my bike's front wheel, but have a hard time spending $60 a tire for a few weeks worth of riding. I don't know how others are riding outdoors in the icy conditions we are having. I can tell you the ground is much harder this time of year!

I know what you mean. But with the amount of time you do use it, it will last you several winters' worth of riding. You get a Nokian and they should last several years according to folks who have had them.

YouTube - Kids In the Hall - Cincinnati Kid