Winter Cycling - snowy potholes and suspension, safety vs. sustainability

hello icyclists,

looking forward to my first salty inner-pittsburgh winter, i am contemplating whether or not to employ my 2000 specialized fsr xc pro for commuting.

the mix of holes, hummocks, and homicidal motorists i expect to encounter gave me the idea to get out the full suspension for maximum safety. (there is a particular street i cannot avoid whose surface is post-apocalyptic and whose traffic is obscene)

however i am an environmentalist and i don't want to destroy a fine machine unnecessarily.

plus this is my primary mountain bike, and a very excellent one at that, even after all these years. i have beat the heck out of her in every possible way, including by subjection to salt, and she's held up like a champ without my replacing even a single bearing. this sucker is proven bombproof and i would like it to see singletrack once again :)

are suspension bikes a reasonable answer to such treacherous roads?

what is the worst ~400 salty miles could do to my baby? (if i apply turtle wax, wipe down every evening, etc)

can i rest easy knowing that my staying out of the hospital is also good for the planet? lol

other thoughts?

ty

-a

Commuting on a full suspension bike in winter is not gona make your commute any safer. I recomend that you get a MTB frame with a rigid fork and lot's clearence for tires and fenders.The things that will make your winter commute safer is: lot's of lights, studded tires, reflective clothing and lot's of awarness of what's going on around you. Save your full suspension for singletrack riding.

The things that will make your winter commute safer is: lots of lights, studded tires, reflective clothing and lots of awareness of what's going on around you.

+1

We have an all-winter, all-conditions group ride here every Tuesday night, predominantly on roads. Of the 50-70 people who typically turn up, most are on MTBs but I don't think I've ever seen more than one or two FS bikes on that ride, ever. FS just doesn't contribute anything, except another point of failure (and maintenance).

Commuting, I know I've never seen an FS bike. Those who prefer MTB for commuting around here, tend towards rigid. I prefer road bikes--which by their nature are rigid--and can't see how suspension of any sort would make my ride "safer", or even more comfortable. Knees and elbows are much better suspension and are proactive.

For the record, we have terrible infrastructure around here too.

Get studded tires, plenty of lights and some reflectives on your clothing. That and skills will make your ride safer.

hello icyclists,

looking forward to my first salty inner-pittsburgh winter, i am contemplating whether or not to employ my 2000 specialized fsr xc pro for commuting.

the mix of holes, hummocks, and homicidal motorists i expect to encounter gave me the idea to get out the full suspension for maximum safety. (there is a particular street i cannot avoid whose surface is post-apocalyptic and whose traffic is obscene)

however i am an environmentalist and i don't want to destroy a fine machine unnecessarily.

plus this is my primary mountain bike, and a very excellent one at that, even after all these years. i have beat the heck out of her in every possible way, including by subjection to salt, and she's held up like a champ without my replacing even a single bearing. this sucker is proven bombproof and i would like it to see singletrack once again :)

are suspension bikes a reasonable answer to such treacherous roads?

what is the worst ~400 salty miles could do to my baby? (if i apply turtle wax, wipe down every evening, etc)

can i rest easy knowing that my staying out of the hospital is also good for the planet? lol

other thoughts?

ty

-a

A full suspension mountain bike is nice for riding in winter if you are doing a lot of riding on bike paths or trails where the snow gets packed hard and bumpy. For riding on the road it is not necessary unless your roads are always iced over and bumpy. I also think it's a bad idea to use your primary good bike for winter riding. Also the air shocks on some mountain bikes can easily fail in cold conditions.

If you are riding primarily on the roads or shoveled paths it's better to have an old rigid bike with the correct tires for your conditions. That is, unless they never plow the roads where you live and they are bumpy and iced over much of the winter. In this case it still might be better to go with a thrift store dual suspension mountain bike. Or get a new mountain bike and use the old one for winter duties.

thanks for the feedback folks.

currently i ride a rigid fixie mtb, and enjoy the mild challenge of my commute, picking lines and holding on tight. it's not much different than a rock garden. the full suspension would take the fun out of it, so i never considered it an option.

i do hit hummocks and holes from time to time, usually when caught off guard by erratic drivers, and come close to losing my balance. it seems to me when this happens in the snow i am going to wipe out for sure. the fsr xc would eliminate these accidents (i think)

i don't ride paths or unplowed roads.

perhaps i should get a fork for my commuter bike. i agree that the rear suspension is not so important, it just so happens that's what i have at my disposal.

I don't know of any bicycle front suspension fork or rear shock that was designed and tested to work in sub freezing conditions.

Their performance deteriorates as the temperatures fall, especially air sprung, oil damped designs. The seals harden and shrink in the cold and can cause leakages of air and fluids. The oils become more viscous and the fork barely functions. Coil spring sprung forks and rear suspension designs work best in the cold but the seals can still cause problems in cold. If your area uses salt on the road it can destroy forks and their seals in short order. I had a Rock Shox fork with magnesium legs fail on me due to winter riding. Snapped at the drop outs.

From a reliability stand point, rigid front and rear in winter is the way to go if you expect few problems.

Just my 2 cents.

I had a Rock Shox fork with magnesium legs fail on me due to winter riding. Snapped at the drop outs.


Yup, avoid placing two metals near to each other which aren't of the same nobility because once you introduce them both into an electrolyte such as salt-water you're setup for galvanic corrosion of the less noble metal.

Anyways, full suspension isn't worth it because in most cases it will either freeze solid or turn to pogo like mush unless you've done work to prepare it.

I ride my FS rig (occasional) and hardtail (daily) throughout the winter, including commuting, and have for the last 8 years.

Never had any issues with suspension performance related to weather or temperature over six or seven different coil and air shocks. Never had any significant corrosion issues. I keep the bike clean and don't let salt sit on it.

I think that from a safety standpoint, tires, brakes, and lights are going to make a better improvement than suspension.

That said, I have hit a few things covered in snow where suspension may have been helpful. But if I had stronger lights or was paying more attention, it probably would not have been an issue.

i am a winter mountain biker and the shocks have never been a problem. but that's some scary stuff re: the magnesium legs which is what i've got. hmm. i do only weigh 140# which is why the bike in still in one piece anyway but this definitely calls for more research. last winter it did get below 0 degrees F for a week or so straight. thanks!