Winter Cycling - Things I like and hate about winter cycling

Like

- riding through fresh snow
- big fat snowflakes
- how clean the air feels
- sun off the snow
- people thinking you are mad and/or have ninja bike skills
- riding down a deserted, silent bike path or foot trail and everything is hushed and still
- when it's over

Hate

- ice
- slush
- cold feet
- freezing rain combined with h igh wind... it just gets in no matter what I wear
- how dark it is all the time
- brown, bare trees, everything grey and dead
- waking up and it's still dark, hearing the wind howling outside, and I have to get out of bed and go
- all the prep to get ready
- people are meaner and angrier in the winter
- car exhaust!
- snowplows, the great big ones that go fast
- salt and grit all over me and my bike

I hate those warm foggy sewage-flavored updrafts that come up out of the sewers.

I forgot this one, I hate the sounds of car tires skidding behind you as you ride down the road

idiotic speeding SUV's spraying you with slush

I really like riding in the city center when it's so cold out that many cars just won't start and traffic is extremely light. The crisp sound of the snow and ice crunching under my tires is lovely.

Riding on the frozen sea. We don't often get good conditions for that, there's usually too much snow on ice. But for a couple of days a year, the sea belongs to bikers and long distance skaters. :beer:

--J

I always find cars to be more patient in the winter -- maybe because on their way to work they are already anticipating being later than usual.

Ice is my favorite part. I rarely get it, but riding on glare ice is lots of fun.

I plan on toughing up this winter and braving the snow and ice. But now you're scaring me.

I plan on toughing up this winter and braving the snow and ice. But now you're scaring me.

If you will be riding on ice seriously consider studded tires. The initial layout is large, but quality ones will last for four or five seasons.

Nah. I live in Noo Joizy, and we rarely get ice that stays on the roads, and it's usually in small patches and doesn't cover the whole road. I'd LOVE to try studded tires on ice but don't have enough ice to ride on.

One problem with preparing for winter is that our winters vary widely. Some are pretty snowy; some have little to no snow at all.

Nah. I live in Noo Joizy, and we rarely get ice that stays on the roads, and it's usually in small patches and doesn't cover the whole road. I'd LOVE to try studded tires on ice but don't have enough ice to ride on.

One problem with preparing for winter is that our winters vary widely. Some are pretty snowy; some have little to no snow at all.

It's the small patches of black ice that are really dangerous. You're happily riding along and all of a sudden your front tire slips out from in front of you and before you even know what's happened you are on the ground. Seriously consider a lightly studded tire if there is any ice at all.

Good point. I will consider it seriously.

Would it be foolish to put it only on the front?

Good point. I will consider it seriously.

Would it be foolish to put it only on the front?

I honestly don't know as I've never ridden with one just on the front, but I'd venture to guess that it's better than either nothing or one only on the rear.

Good point. I will consider it seriously.

Would it be foolish to put it only on the front?Peter White has a vested interest here of course, but I think his comments are good. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp, scroll down to "One Tire in Front?" section. Bottom line: not really worth the savings.

--J

I know it is anti to getting people on bikes but I love how cold weather clears the trail for all but a hand full of people and those handfull are always much nicer it seems.

Love:
Hearing the spinning of car tires at lights as I go on by...

Hate:
Snowplows plowing a pile of snow on the curb of the bike/walking path...

Good point. I will consider it seriously.

Would it be foolish to put it only on the front?

There's a sticky on making your own studded tires (and chains); as you can imagine, it's far more cost effective. A popular option is to use 1/2" sheet metal screw driven into the tire from the inside. You then need to use a liner between the tire and the tube. I chose to use another option described in the sticky since I bought cheap knobby tires that seem to have a good tread pattern for snow. I used 3/8" hex head sheet metal screws driven into the outside knobbies at an angle to avoid puncturing the tire. Here's a photo to give you an idea. You'd be able to make 2 of your own studded tires for less than the cost of one commercial tire. Good luck.
http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442/7447283/14154973/377255478.jpg

What do I hate about winter riding--the cold. I don't have my pogies yet and yesterday I made the mistake of not having anything on my ears. It was a short ride--I headed back when my ears started aching.

I always find cars to be more patient in the winter -- maybe because on their way to work they are already anticipating being later than usual.

I can tell you don't live in Michigan, where the 4x4 SUV is king. You would think that with snow and ice coming around the same time every year, that the people in this state could figure out how to stay on the road, especially if they they have FWD/AWD/anti-lock brakes. Or maybe I'm just getting cycnical.

edit. Oh, and learn to slow down when the snow flies.

(Yes, I include myself in the above description-to a point-but I don't own an SUV).

Once they get frozen good and solid, I love riding up and over the piles of snow that
get piled up everywhere.

Ice is my favorite part. I rarely get it, but riding on glare ice is lots of fun.

+1 I love the sound of the studs biting into the ice. Hopefully we get some good ice this winter...

nwmtnbkr, thanks for pointing that out. I might do that. I have a huge pile of surplus mountain bike tires here, so the cost of a pair of studded tires would be close to $0 for me.

I went out today wearing sandals and no socks. It was 40-something Fahrenheit, bright and clear, not too windy. My feet got cold. (Duh.) My eyes teared up. I wore summer gloves. My hands didn't get cold. OK, so next time, I'll try thick socks with my sandals. I want to see how low I can go with the sandals since they have SPD cleats. Hmm, maybe I can put neoprene booties over them. You think?

I need some sort of eye wear. I had some sunglasses with interchangeable lenses, and one pair was almost totally colorless. That would be lovely, but I dropped them and broke them. I might buy another pair. What do you folks wear on your eyes? I wear glasses normally, but my correction is weak, so I can ride safely without it.

The thing I hate most about Winter cycling is the cold. Other than that... I hate getting part way down a trail and having to turn around because of moose. I hate stopping and having my glasses fog up. I hate having to stop, period and cool down and need to get another layer on then after starting up needing to take that layer off. I used to hate ice on my rims but now with disc brakes I don't care. On roads I hate the ridges cars make. It makes moving left or right quite the difficult thing at times. But I love clear, cold air. In the summer when somebody honks I take it as an effyou! but in the Winter I take it as "Good going!" :0.

idiotic speeding SUV's spraying you with slush

Getting slush sprayed is more to do with your cities road maintenance for not fixing up pot holes and roads with poor drainage system. It is like saying, I hate those idiotic cars that turn on their headlamps that is so glaring to me. :rolleyes:

Ice is my favorite part. I rarely get it, but riding on glare ice is lots of fun.

I agree. Is there anything more fun (or impressive to the ladies :innocent:) than going sideways, backwards, over cars, trees, bushes, retaining walls, and upside down on your bike? If yer REALLY good, (and lucky) you can do all seven simultaneously! :thumb: I miss those days ...

+1 I love the sound of the studs biting into the ice. Hopefully we get some good ice this winter...

They make studded bicycle tires? :eek: Why? That would take away all the fun ice provides!

Like:
- racing ahead of a windy rainstorm
- dodging the rain--getting into the office just a minute before the downpour
- making my co-workers think I'm nuts coming into work every day when it's cold and wet out

Dislike:
- face getting so cold my molars hurt
- a flat a week in the rain
- wind that blows me out into the left lane

This winter I have better socks and gloves, and a braver attitude! Looking forward to snow, if any, this year.

LIKE:

Feel of cold air against my face
Low sweating
Low humidity
Low temperature
The begining of cycling season (for me)
Better liquid mileage
Lower chance of dehydration
Running nose
Snot rocketry and the skill involved
Using my lights more
Feeling of warmth inside me in the cold
No need to change clothes as much
The influence of caffeine
Better Zen
Better visibility (Sleeping trees)
Stiffer bike (steel)
Stronger magnetic field
Redness in my face
Feeling of Florida in the winter

Dislike:

Getting wet (sometimes I like that)
Struggling for air (sometimes I like that)
Not much really

The ratio for summer would be almost opposite list wise including dislikes such as the lack snot rocketry.

They make studded bicycle tires? :eek: Why? That would take away all the fun ice provides!

Body Slams aren't fun.:twitchy: I'll stick with studs.

I enjoy riding in the winter on studded tires. Approach it like x-c skiing. You should see the looks on the faces of the smelt fisherman on Great Bay in New Hampshire when a girl rolls up on a bicycle. Miles of clean, shiny ice. And me on my bike.

Somebody made a comment about slush...to which I have to say..."If there is slush on the road it's either Fall or Spring, not Winter. If your winter includes slush, it ain't Winter !" I'm confident I won't see slush for the next four months.

digibud, where are you?

There's a sticky on making your own studded tires (and chains); as you can imagine, it's far more cost effective. A popular option is to use 1/2" sheet metal screw driven into the tire from the inside. You then need to use a liner between the tire and the tube. I chose to use another option described in the sticky since I bought cheap knobby tires that seem to have a good tread pattern for snow. I used 3/8" hex head sheet metal screws driven into the outside knobbies at an angle to avoid puncturing the tire. Here's a photo to give you an idea. You'd be able to make 2 of your own studded tires for less than the cost of one commercial tire. Good luck.
http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442/7447283/14154973/377255478.jpg

What do I hate about winter riding--the cold. I don't have my pogies yet and yesterday I made the mistake of not having anything on my ears. It was a short ride--I headed back when my ears started aching.

Ok, but to be fair the traditional advice has been that home-made winter tires are terrible for roads as they have a ton of rolling resistance, the steel screws used for them wear down quickly on pavement (unlike carbide studs, which don't), and if made with the studs in the wrong places they're squirrely.

Now there's one guy who says he's made and uses home made winter tires, saves a bunch of money, they work great, and last a long time. He posted pictures, instructions, etc. And that's pretty cool, but it's still just one guy.

I would love to hear more from people who are using them, for sure, but I wonder if other people actually find their home made versions grippy, smooth rolling, and long lasting when riding > 50% of the time on cleared road like most of us do. Or if other people would find that they're not very grippy since the homemade studs using his method only contact the road when you're turning, or if they're as smooth rolling as the commercial versions, or if the steel studs really last as long for everyone else who may by riding in different conditions that the one guy is (home made are great if you're never on pavement, they don't get ground down).

I've not had a chance to use mine yet. If you read through the sticky you'll see that most people seem to get at least 2-3 winters out of their home-made tires. Most who've posted in the sticky seem happy with the performance of their tires. Regarding smoothness, rolling resistance, etc., it's subjective. Just read discussions on the commercially-made studded tires and you'll see widely varying opinions on each model currently available. Everybody seems to have different perceptions and preferences.

I am in a similar area a noglider. Living on the coast give us milder winters. There are probably less than 20 days of bitter cold annually. The ocean temperature very often radiates enough mild air to change snow to rain.

The only major concern is that the roads narrow with the freezing/melting of snow on the side of the road. Early in the morning, yesterday's melt has refrozen two to three feet from the curb into the road. Makes things really dicey.

Like: :love:
Not having to shovel out my vehicle
Having better traction than cars
Riding on smooth ice (it's a rare treat, but it's like flying)
Watching the snow banks glisten as I ride by
Riding all geared up in a Nor'Easter, feeling completely impervious to the elements
Riding into town around Christmas and hearing the church bell tower playing carols.

Dislike: :notamused:
SALT! I hate wet salt, and I hate the clouds of carcinogenic salt powder that get stirred up on the dry days even more!

The horrid exhaust from derelict cars who's engines haven't warmed up all the way yet.

Trucks and cars that give you no room, because even though they clearly see you, their brain does not register that there's a bike on the road.

The town "forgetting" to plow the side walk, forcing pedestrians and cyclists alike to walk in the road instead.

Love: ice-sparkles arcing off the front tyre.

Hate: Driving rain @ freezing.

Love:
Lights reflecting off the snow at night
Uncrowded bike paths
Not having to worry about thunderstorms
Not getting uncomfortably hot in my rain gear
Riding on ice with studded tires
Piña coladas
Getting caught in the rain

Hate:
Freezing toes
Snowbanks that block the bike lane
Snow that grinds a new set of brake pads down to nothing in just a week
Having to relube my bike every week
Salt damage
Spending 15 minutes to dress up in 3 layers of clothing
Riding at 80% of my summertime average speed
Riding in the dark, day after day, after day, after day...

Running nose
Snot rocketry and the skill involved

The ratio for summer would be almost opposite list wise including dislikes such as the lack snot rocketry.
I gotta ask (even though I'm somewhat afraid of the answer); what's snot rocketry?

I gotta ask (even though I'm somewhat afraid of the answer); what's snot rocketry?

It means blowing boogers out of your nose. You cover one nostril and blow hard through the other sending a projectile rocketing through the air. I can't really do it myself, and the few times I've tried, it just ended up on my clothes. :(

It means blowing boogers out of your nose. You cover one nostril and blow hard through the other sending a projectile rocketing through the air. I can't really do it myself, and the few times I've tried, it just ended up on my clothes. :(
That's pretty much what I figured, and my attempts have ended in the same result. I wonder what spock's secret is that makes it so enjoyable.

That's pretty much what I figured, and my attempts have ended in the same result. I wonder what spock's secret is that makes it so enjoyable.

Practice makes perfect! Be aggressive and get after it.

Love:
* How I feel when I get there
* Discovering something has actually been plowed
* When fresh snow is covered with a hard glaze of ice: It's smoother than pavement and has plenty of traction. You can fly on it!
* Trying to stay in that tire track
* The people who recognize the effort and say something nice.

Hate:
* When I fall out of a tire track and bounce back and forth.
* Footprints
* Frozen footprints
* Parked cars: They make the tire tracks hard to follow.

I love looking more badass than the guys in monster trucks.

I hate having to pay constant attention to the road, rendered unable to check out the pretty girls on side streets.
I also hate that guy who yelled from his SUV, "...you die you b******." I'm assuming he said, "i hope you die." I was sad.

I actually love all of it including the challenge of figuring out exactly what you need to ride comfortably in any conditions. Because of that, I have no complaints about cold toes or hands or whatever. I also like fiddling with all the stuff the night before to be sure I'm ready to roll. Lights, batteries charged, clothing ready, bike ready of course, panniers packed, etc.

I love looking more badass than the guys in monster trucks.


I drive a monster pickup(whenever I actually get around to driving) so when i
put on all my coldweather gear and ride I look more badass than myself.

Hate:
1. Folks who snow blow their driveways out into the street.

"Now there's one guy who says he's made and uses home made winter tires, saves a bunch of money, they work great, and last a long time. He posted pictures, instructions, etc. And that's pretty cool, but it's still just one guy."

We've been doing this for a few decades here and I am not alone in this... if it didn't work we'd be doing something else... trust me on this.

So it's not just one guy.

Riding on the frozen sea. We don't often get good conditions for that, there's usually too much snow on ice. But for a couple of days a year, the sea belongs to bikers and long distance skaters.J

Whoa! Juha, if you`re still following this thread (or if anybody else knows), at what temperature does the sea freeze? Are any other variable conditions needed before that happens? And does it freeze flat and smooth? I can kind of imagine riding a bike over frozen swells if they weren`t very rough, but skating over them sounds impossible. I`m going to have to see if I can find any shots of that on Youtube.

My favorites are not scraping the windshield and riding when the conditions are fun (duh).
My least favorite is riding when the conditions are not fun.

Somebody made a comment about slush...to which I have to say..."If there is slush on the road it's either Fall or Spring, not Winter. If your winter includes slush, it ain't Winter !" I'm confident I won't see slush for the next four months.

Frozen slush is the worst. Winter in NYC is weird. It'll be 25F and snowing one day, then a day or two will be sunny in the 40s so everything will melt. Then it'll be 20s again and in morning the slush will be frozen into ugly rough uneven ice. Then it'll start melting again, but this time it'd be very treacherous wet sludge on the top and ice underneath, the worst winter riding conditions IMHO.

Adam