Recumbent - Snow and 20" Wheels

I was just wonder if there are many other 'bent riders with 20" wheels in snowy areas. How do you deal with the snow? I find it's almost impossible to ride if the snow is much deeper than 2 inches because it clogs up in my rear derailleur, turns to ice and freezes everything solid. Are there any items that can help put a stop to that for those of us who's chain has a 2" ground clearance? :P

Yes, is is a pain. I solve the problem by not riding in slop, but that does put me on the sidelines with other weather wimps.

You might want to read in the commuting/car free forum at BentRider Online (http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/forumdisplay.php?f=11). Some riders there seem to overcome most everything.

Hub gear. Works great. Snow, ice, whatever.
That said, I don't have one on a bent, but wouldn't that SA 8 speed be just the thing for a 20" drive wheel?

I used to have a HPVelotechnik Grasshopper (which I shouldn't have sold, but that's another story). I didn't ever try riding it through fresh, or fresh-ish, snow but it did seem very squirrely on hard-parked snow - much worse in fact than the old Streetmachine that it replaced.

(So I replaced it with a Trice QNT, only for my manager to tell me that the truck drivers at work where reporting that they couldn't see me.)

Just trying to think of options, however expensive or impractical. Double chainring and a short-cage derailleur? Possibly a SRAM rear w/single chainring? Internally-geared hub, with or without a Schlumpf bb?

Or,

Bigger rear wheel? I smell an opportunity to sate the n+1 disease.

Hub gear. Works great. Snow, ice, whatever.
That said, I don't have one on a bent, but wouldn't that SA 8 speed be just the thing for a 20" drive wheel?

I've been thinking of doing that!

Bigger rear wheel would require a whole new rear section of the trike. Looks like if I want snow riding, I might need a hub. I'll have to keep it in mind. :)

I was just wonder if there are many other 'bent riders with 20" wheels in snowy areas. How do you deal with the snow? I find it's almost impossible to ride if the snow is much deeper than 2 inches because it clogs up in my rear derailleur, turns to ice and freezes everything solid. Are there any items that can help put a stop to that for those of us who's chain has a 2" ground clearance? :P

Call me a weather wimp if you want, but I have a 16" front wheel and 20" rear and live in Toronto. I do not ride if it is snowing hard enough to accumulate, but not for the reasons you mention above. Because most motorists do not know how to drive in snow and ice, the danger they pose is greatly increased. Being unable to maneuver or brake, the liklihood of them hitting me is too great.

Most winters, we have relatively mild snow fall and I will be off the roads for only about 5-6 weeks. Last year, we had the 3rd worst winter on record and I could not ride for about 4 months. While I still saw a great many cyclists on the road, even in blizzards, none were recumbent riders.

Bigger rear wheel would require a whole new rear section of the trike.

Or a whole new bike! Hence my suggestion for n+1. Small wheels would be harder to push in any sort of accumulation of snow, plus on a trike you have to bust 3 wheel tracks. Trikes are good to have if you hit ice, but not so good in heavy snow.

Four inches is OK. It kind of varies with the type of snow and how many cars have been across.

Hub gear, 20" wheel, not on a bent.

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