Winter Cycling - My Wet Winter Bike

I am here in Western Washingotn (Seattle area) and the problem isn't snow and below freezing temperatures. It is a slow drizzle that lasts 4-7 months. I treally is hard to explain but it just doesn't rain here. It is a mist. We aer the inspiration for the intermittant wiper.

I hate the wet foggy glasses and also I am already losing the light. So here is the bike I am working on.

(I will post more details as the design matures).

http://wrightideas.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/07/wetbike.jpg

Today I was mounting turn signals. I changed my plans for the lights. I broke down and bought commercial lights (but still MR16 halogens). So I will have 4 lights.

Awesome. Enough said.

I am researching windshield wipers. And maybe a fog wiper for the inside if my breath fogs the lexan.

I bolted on my lights (4 of them) and my horn this weekend. I hope to get the dashboard and wiring done this week. I need to do some easy road testing this week before I start commuting on this thing.

bu tthe light in the morning is going away fast. So it is a race against the sun at this point.

That's insane, nicely done. Are you using batteries or a hub to power everything?

Here is a picture of my winter bike suit. My wife made it and it is great to have one that actually fits a clydesdale.

http://wrightideas.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d111053ef010534adacf7970c-pi

I'd add full coverage fenders + mudflaps.

I am researching windshield wipers. And maybe a fog wiper for the inside if my breath fogs the lexan.

I don't think you'll need wipers. You could use the various wipes and coatings for car windshields that make the water bead up. Also, form the pic, I think your eyes are close enough to the windshield to see through the remaining beaded water. Think of looking through a screen from really close. You don't see the screen.

Wow, Lexan, really? With all that protection from above, you should definitely upgrade that dinky little front fender to keep the water off your shoes.

Thanks, I am thinking of full fenders. I may also put another piece of lexan down lower to cover below my knees.

I am using a 6 AH lead acid (SLA) battery. (about 4 pounds) The hub systems i have seen don't put out enough power (6W).

I wanted a 12 volt system, then I can use car/motorcycle components. So I am using trailer lights for turn signals, car turn signal flasher, car horn, and after market fog lights.

Here is the dashboard!!

http://wrightideas.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d111053ef010534c7d93e970c-800wi

I don't think you'll need wipers. You could use the various wipes and coatings for car windshields that make the water bead up. Also, form the pic, I think your eyes are close enough to the windshield to see through the remaining beaded water. Think of looking through a screen from really close. You don't see the screen.

In the old days, they told us motorcycle riders not to use Rain-X on our windshields because it etched the plastic. Your results may vary tho.

Good tip. I will have to check in to it before I use it. But I may have to try it so I can answer all the "just use RainX dude" comments.

On most motorcycle fairings you usually look over the fairing an not through it. The height is just below eye level and the windstream carries the air over your head. Mine of course goes over my head so I have to look through it.

It seems the previous commenter was right about looking between the drops. I need more wet weather trials to know for sure.

Thanks, I am thinking of full fenders. I may also put another piece of lexan down lower to cover below my knees.

Awesome set-up.

From another Seattle rider, a suggestion:

*Definitely* go for the full fenders, plus mudflaps. As you know, in the winter it's wet on the pavement almost 100% of the time, even if it isn't raining...and our rain is typically pretty light. So you have to worry as much or more about water coming up from the pavement as you do water coming down. So a full front fender *plus* mudflap plus good shoes / booties are important for keeping your lower body comfortable.

What kind of plastic is the windscreen made from? Something like carnauba wax would probably work pretty well in place of Rain-X.

Edit: What is it like to ride? That fairing looks like it'd make it awfully hard to go very fast, and be a handful on a windy day.

How much does the setup weigh at this point?

Some of the old cars had an overhang at the front that went out over the winshield. That kind of geometery might work better than trying to come up with windshield wipers. Keep the roof down low over your head, and bring the windshield in at the top.

The plastic is Lexan. (Polycarbonite). It is really great stuff. Much stronger than acrylic (plexiglas). So far the plastic weighs about 9 pounds. The battery is 4. I am hoping to keep the whole set up under 20 pounds. I would like to lose another 20 pounds off my belly over the winter so we would be even.

As far as wind goes. The Seattle area is not very windy. It really isn't. My design is intended to minimize the side profile so a side wind (or truck) won't knock me off track.

I have only done a limited amount of riding. I need to do more testing before I make a full commute.

The rain in Seattle doesn't actually fall from above. it is just a wet mist that hangs in the air. So a visor on my windshield would work about as well as the visor on my helmet (which is not very well).

I tried out my hokey spokes today (on my summer bike). They are really cool. I got thumbs up from middle school kids waiting for the bus. They were dazzled by my bling.

I will post more about the hokey spokes later.

I have the bike 99% done. Everything works. I just need some road trials and I will be ready to ride to work (on Monday I hope).

Here I am doing another lap of the driveway.

http://wrightideas.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d111053ef01053513d4da970b-800wi

Ack you can see in this picture that the left rear support has come loose. I may be putting too much tension on those. I will have to think about the right way to attach them.

I can't imagine riding that in wind over 2 MPH. How does it feel in a cross wind, headwind, tailwind?

i thought the same thing, couldn't ride that here in chicago

Looks a lot like this:
http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=sKKRni_W04s

Seattle isn't Chicago: Hint one is called the Windy city.

No really for people who don't live here it is hard to explain the light drizzle that lasts 7 months. And another part of that is very little wind. I have seen people standing on the beach with kites and not a puff of wind. Also when the wind blows it is usually when a new storm system blows through and can last for as little as 10 minutes.

Of course there are windy days. But not on a regular basis. On those days I will drive.

Interesting, thanks for the link. I saw one called "Raingo" but that isn't around anymore.

I did my first commute today. Other than a problem with a pedal. (something about reverse threads on the left side, yada yada yada, SNAP!)

Here is video of my climb up Lowell hill at 15% grade. I did make it all the way to the top, but it was tough. Heck it is always tough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4bC56aE44

Well this is going to be an expensive lesson. So it looks like I stripped out both cranks. The left pedal fell off on my first commute. The right one would have fallen off a few miles further down the road.

so I am calling on my bike forum gurus to point me towards a reasonably priced crank set.

This is a Gaint Cypress LX with square taper bottom bracket. Triple chain ring 48/38/28. I don't want to give up any of the low range (I have to get up that steep hill).

Well I couldn't wait and went to my LBS and picked up a crankset for $50. My old one was 48/38/28 and this new one is 46/36/26. So that will give me a little lower gear for Lowell hill. I don't know if that will make much difference but even a small advantage helps with the intimidation factor.

I rode to work yesterday and it seemed a little slow. It took me about 10 minutes longer than the first time. I think I might have over tightened my cone nuts. I will have to see ifr I can back off on that a little.

I installed a nice big mirror. That will help a lot.

Very innovative and clever, but I see this ending badly.

Have you considered a
rollover option? (http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=ggY1cXzWiEg)

I hadn't considered that. That is pretty funny.

I think this is what you need.

Nice job on the canopy!

Does that coem in an XXL?

I stripped the pedals out of 2 unicycles by getting them on the wrong side, even when I knew which side they went on and thought I had it right. Not sure how that came about.

I've tried riding with a rain cape, and my perception is that it'll work if I don't ride too far and it isn't raining too hard or too windy. But that's a lot of if's.

Here is a picture of my winter bike suit. My wife made it and it is great to have one that actually fits a clydesdale.


yay clydesdales being big does not mean slower i am big and tall and i ride to feel good (sounds like an AA statement)lol

I am particularly fast on the downhill parts!


Having a bike suit that fits makes me look almost normal. Not like a yellow peanut M&M.

Well I couldn't wait and went to my LBS and picked up a crankset for $50. My old one was 48/38/28 and this new one is 46/36/26. So that will give me a little lower gear for Lowell hill. I don't know if that will make much difference but even a small advantage helps with the intimidation factor.

Another thing that will help with that hill is ditching the weight of all that clear plastic :thumb:

But seriously, I think I'd rather get wet than carry all that plastic and have to deal with the added wind resistance. (Even when there's no wind, most of your effort is going against air resistance.) Or better yet, wear rain proof clothing.

Another thing that will help with that hill is ditching the weight of all that clear plastic :thumb:

But seriously, I think I'd rather get wet than carry all that plastic and have to deal with the added wind resistance. (Even when there's no wind, most of your effort is going against air resistance.) Or better yet, wear rain proof clothing.

One of the things that really drove me in this direction is my glasses. I haven't seen a workable solution to keeping my glasses clear. I figured I was going to spend several hundred dollars on winter bike clothes. I chose to build my bubble and try to solve the problems; wet/misty glasses, dark, cold, rain.

I also didn't want to spend a small fortune on lights, but I wanted really bright lights. Lights as bright as when I rode a motorcycle.

I also want/need enough saftey stuff so my wife can sleep while I ride to work at 5:30 am. i don't want her worrying about me out there on those wet dark roads.

If you can do all that with rain gear - let me know how.

why not rig your helmet with a visor sort of like on motorcycle helmets? that seems a tad more user friendly.

I stripped the pedals out of 2 unicycles by getting them on the wrong side, even when I knew which side they went on and thought I had it right. Not sure how that came about.

I've tried riding with a rain cape, and my perception is that it'll work if I don't ride too far and it isn't raining too hard or too windy. But that's a lot of if's.

As Homer would say "Doh!"

the rain capes are interesting to me. It is funny that of the two I have seen online one is bright yellow and one is black. Hmmm, which one seems safer on a rainy gray day?

As Homer would say "Doh!"

the rain capes are interesting to me. It is funny that of the two I have seen online one is bright yellow and one is black. Hmmm, which one seems safer on a rainy gray day?

Definitely black, but only if you are thin and carrying a scythe. People are afraid of death.

http://velocoque.free.fr/spip.php?article27

http://velocoque.free.fr/spip.php?article27

Thanks for the link. I hadn't seen the velocoque. Obviously I am not the only one trying to solve this problem. I am not surprised that much of this activity is in Europe. (a lot more bike commuters over there).

I can see strengths and weaknesses in both designs (and my own). I need to get more miles under my belt on mine before I start tweaking it. (the urge to tweak is strong, but I need more real word experience).

When I think of canopies, this always come to mind....

Www.go-one.us

When I think of canopies, this always come to mind....

Www.go-one.us

that is really cool. $10K seems like a steep price of admission. $1000 fro turn signals, I think mine cost $3.99 plus $10 for the flasher....