Papa Tom

I've been trying to figure this out for a number of years.

Once the temperature dips below about 50 degrees, I lose all my macho for riding and I put the bike away for winter. But then, I get the bug to put together a very simple single-speed bike with coaster brakes, no panniers, no pump, no water bottle, no lights, no mp3 player, no nothin', to ride right through the cold season.

I'm not sure why my psyche tells me this would be OK and that riding my 21-speed souped up mountain bike to work or for winter-time pleasure wouldn't be. Perhaps it's just that I wouldn't want to deal with all the mechanical mish-mosh in the cold?

Regardless, I still haven't done this, except for the one time a year (New Years Day usually) that I take my rusty clunker Tomos folder to the beach boardwalk for a spin. Still, the bug keeps biting every year. Can anybody shed some light on this?

wolfchild

Winter is a good time to practice the KISS PRINCIPLE... For me I apply the kiss principle all year round.

chaadster

I don't share the simple bike impulse, but we probably do share the desires to keep our nice bikes nice, ride winter bikes that work properly and satisfyingly, and to limit the time spent on cleaning and maintenance.

Me? I appreciate my gears, fenders, and ability to carry stuff, but its all got to be smartly designed and executed to work well in the freezing cold and wet snow. That's the challenge for me.

jrickards

For me, winter riding, as little as I have done so far, is enjoyable but not so much so that I want to spend hours out on the roads. I take a simpler route, a shorter route, along sidewalks and bike paths where I have to ride slower, so there is no need for a new, fast bike because it won't look new when I'm done, nor can I go fast on my winter route. However, I disagree with the idea of taking off the lights, if anything, it is the reverse for me because more of my riding is done in dark or dusk than in the summer (which would be virtually no time in dark or dusk). Keep the panniers, yes, I'm still carrying stuff to work and back: ditch the water (ice) bottle, sure; keep the pump, yes, I may still get a flat but it is more likely that I'd walk the bike the rest of the way to work or home and fix it there than on the route; mp3, never had one while riding. I see the attraction of single speed during the winter but I have too many hills so, although I could ditch 2 of the 3 chainrings keeping the middle one, I would still need a few of the cassette cogs.

tjspiel

Winter is tough on a bike. The less to clean and take care of, the better. I still carry the same stuff though along with lights and a water bottle. I have gotten rid of external gears and a coaster brake definitely has some appeal in the winter.

This week I'm going to try out my winterized fixie. I don't expect it to replace my winter bike.

katsrevenge

Last winter I had snow jam up my derailler my then I like to think about. It was part of why I went IGH. It's much simpler looking.

I'm keeping the rack and lights though. Adding more lights seems good. And a coffee cup holder. Mmmm hot drinks in the cold!

FBinNY 

Winter temps and road conditions can be hard on bikes. Most of the more serious issues, don' generally apply in metro NYC because this isn't Minnesota, but I've had RDs and cassettes pack solid with froze slush making the bike unrideable. So there's a certain logic to simple single speed freewheel bikes or IGH.

Another reason for going SS in the winter is to work harder and keep warmer. I ride geared bikes to go the farthest and fastest with the least effort. For winter commutes, I'm less concerned with speed and efficiency and more concerned with staying warm. For the length of my winter rides a single speed meets those goals very well.

So whether it's mechanical, or just trying to maintain condition and stay warm during the short ride season, I can see that simple makes sense.

Gresp15C

How often do drive trains freeze up? Is it worth carrying a small bottle of de-icer?

FBinNY 

I've ridden in very cold (below 25°) conditions with no problems, so it's not the temp. It's that critical band below 32° where roads are wet, or there's slush and puddles but the air is blow freezing. Then whatever you splash or spray on the bike freezes on contact, and that's what shuts down the drive train.

Some years back, I got home from a "warm" winter commute and my bike must have weighed almost 100#s. All the tubes had farings, and the wheels barely had room to spin within the custom formed ice fenders. My chainstays had over 10" of ice built up above, and down to almost touching the ground.

Gresp15C

So far something like that has happened to me only once. I've got pretty minimal fender clearance on my old Schwinn, and wasn't prepared for a freak snowstorm. The ice between my fenders and wheels got thick enough that I had to bang it out every few minutes. Fortunately, steel fenders can handle some banging.

79pmooney

As posted above, going SS, FG or IGH means that the chain will work in far worse conditions. You also probably have a bike that is still rideable after an ice/snow spill to the right. Warmth was also mentioned. That is where FGs shine. Descents are a lot warmer when you have to pedal ... fast! (Your bulky but warm mitts have nothing but brake levers to deal with.)

And if you are riding a bike with horizontal drops, it is child's play to deal with the inevitable frozen chain links when riding salted roads. Loosen the hub nuts, slide the wheel forward 'till the chain slack is correct, tighten and pedal off. I used to figure all was well for the first 3 frozen links. (My enthusiasm for bike maintenance after my 12 mile commute home in the dead of a Boston winter was never very high.)

Ben