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How do your transportation modes change as the weather turns wet/frosty/cold

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Living Car Free Do you live car free or car light? Do you prefer to use alternative transportation (bicycles, walking, other human-powered or public transportation) for everyday activities whenever possible? Discuss your lifestyle here.
View Poll Results: How do your cycling habits change?
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How do your transportation modes change as the weather turns wet/frosty/cold

Old 12-22-16, 10:12 AM
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I put studs on my miyata for ice. Really that and layering are it.
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Old 12-22-16, 11:21 AM
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I bike less and walk more.
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Old 12-22-16, 12:23 PM
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Originally Posted by 52telecaster
I put studs on my miyata for ice. Really that and layering are it.
My problem is I'd have to take my fenders off to put studded tires on, and that just seems counter-productive. I've been looking at CL for old rigid MTBs and hybrids but my partner and I live in a small one bedroom apt and there's not much more room for more bikes than the two we already have.
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Old 12-23-16, 01:56 AM
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Originally Posted by willydstyle
My problem is I'd have to take my fenders off to put studded tires on, and that just seems counter-productive. I've been looking at CL for old rigid MTBs and hybrids but my partner and I live in a small one bedroom apt and there's not much more room for more bikes than the two we already have.
What type of bike and fenders do you have? Maybe somebody has some info that can help you out.
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Old 12-26-16, 04:54 PM
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The recumbent sucks for snow, so the ATB is my winter bike until the ground is icy. Then I have the shoe equivalent of tire studs. They are rubber things that stretch over the shoe and put steel on the ground for traction.
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Old 12-26-16, 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by willydstyle
My problem is I'd have to take my fenders off to put studded tires on, and that just seems counter-productive. I've been looking at CL for old rigid MTBs and hybrids but my partner and I live in a small one bedroom apt and there's not much more room for more bikes than the two we already have.

If your fenders are a problem then take them off and install some mud guards and then you can run larger studded tires without rubbing.


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Old 12-26-16, 07:40 PM
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No ice around here, you have to buy it at the store. I do ride in the rain and, in fact, enjoy doing so because we get so little that it is a treat. Prefer warm rain though ;o)

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Old 12-27-16, 08:21 AM
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I actually really enjoy biking in the snow/on ice. Cold isn't fun, but I can deal with it. In the winter though I switch from a normal road bike to a beater track bike because I feel like fixed gives me a lot more control in slippery conditions.
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Old 12-27-16, 05:55 PM
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
If your fenders are a problem then take them off and install some mud guards and then you can run larger studded tires without rubbing.


The whole purpose of full-coverage fenders is to protect your drivetrain, which these do nothing at all for.

Also it's icy for like a week every few years where I live, so it's just not worth the hassle.
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Old 12-31-16, 03:51 AM
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Originally Posted by willydstyle
The whole purpose of full-coverage fenders is to protect your drivetrain, which these do nothing at all for.

....
Actually, another use for fenders is to protect the rider from grime and road spray. Who wants wet pants or a black stripe up their back?
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Old 12-31-16, 04:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Roody
Actually, another use for fenders is to protect the rider from grime and road spray. Who wants wet pants or a black stripe up their back?
That's the whole point to me. I don't mind protecting the drive train too but it's my personal comfort that drives my fender purchase. I certainly didn't go looking for a solution to "wet back" because of drive train issues.
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Old 12-31-16, 05:13 AM
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I used to stop for the winter but now I stop for nothing.

...didn't like the bus (poorly thought out routes...no Sunday night buses)
...felt it took me all summer to "get it back"

Just invest in the right equipment.
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Old 12-31-16, 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by willydstyle
The whole purpose of full-coverage fenders is to protect your drivetrain, which these do nothing at all for.

I am more concerned about protecting my clothing from road spray then protecting my drivetrain. My bikes have fixed gear and singlespeed drivetrains, no need to protect anything there. Chains are cheap to replace and in my experience even with full fenders the chain still gets messed up with road spray.
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Old 01-02-17, 01:54 AM
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
I am more concerned about protecting my clothing from road spray then protecting my drivetrain. My bikes have fixed gear and singlespeed drivetrains, no need to protect anything there. Chains are cheap to replace and in my experience even with full fenders the chain still gets messed up with road spray.
Yeah, I never found fenders to do much for the drive train either. If your roads get salted, you can count on replacing the chain every spring, and the bottom bracket every 2 or 3 years, even if you use fenders. But that's really nothing, considering the use you get out of riding for 12 months a year.
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Old 01-03-17, 06:30 PM
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I can handle cold temps (single digits) but if there's a wind, forget it. Being stranded in the middle of no where in those conditions at 4am will not end well.
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Old 01-03-17, 08:52 PM
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I cycle year round to work. It's only 8.5 miles. I only switch out bikes to go from touring tires to spiked tires when the danger of black ice is there.
It doesn't get very cold where I live, only once was it 12F, most days in Winter its between 20F to 40F.
So I layer up and everything is good.
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Old 10-24-17, 08:31 PM
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Winter is coming! Snow is possible here later in the week: not likely at this point, but it's fun to think about.

Since last winter, my MTB became a single speed: no more derailleurs to maintain. I'm also going to try some slightly wider/tour oriented tires on my single speed to see if I can cut down time on the MTB.

I also ponied up for proper rain gear, which will help with slush as well. No excuses this year. I'm ready.
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Old 10-25-17, 11:28 PM
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I don't commute -- I'm retired -- but I'm LCF, with no car and lousy public transportation, and not going out doesn't work 'cuz the food ain't gonna buy itself and walk home to my fridge/pantry. So, I chose Door #2, Monte. As the man said, "Wet or sweat, it's all the same."
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Old 10-29-17, 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by JBHoren
So, I chose Door #2, Monte.
True story, Monty Hall (actually, Halperin) was a student lab assistant when my mom took undergraduate chemistry in the 1940s. And if you completed your experiment correctly, you got A BRAND NEW CAR! Actually the last part is not true, but the rest is. Back in those days, the University discriminated against Jews, so he went into TV instead of medical school.
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Old 10-29-17, 09:08 AM
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Although I empathize with those in freezing regions, I am curious how comfortable it would be to hike all day in freezing weather with a really good/warm outfit on. I would guess that with sufficient face, hands, and feet protection, you could walk around all day in super-cold temperatures. I guess you would need some kind of spiked cleats to avoid slipping on the ice, and maybe some kind of ventilation mask to filter the outside air through in between your layers before putting it into your lungs, but if you did all that, how cold of temperatures could you comfortably spend the whole day outdoors walking? And how annoying would it be to breathe through a tube and look at everything through a face mask for all that time?
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Old 10-29-17, 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by tandempower
Although I empathize with those in freezing regions, I am curious how comfortable it would be to hike all day in freezing weather with a really good/warm outfit on. I would guess that with sufficient face, hands, and feet protection, you could walk around all day in super-cold temperatures. I guess you would need some kind of spiked cleats to avoid slipping on the ice, and maybe some kind of ventilation mask to filter the outside air through in between your layers before putting it into your lungs, but if you did all that, how cold of temperatures could you comfortably spend the whole day outdoors walking? And how annoying would it be to breathe through a tube and look at everything through a face mask for all that time?
Well, I live in Wisconsin which is a freezing region, but it's not Antarctica in the winter and I've never had any reason to walk around all day in a get-up like you describe. I'm not sure if Nanook of the North would routinely dress up like that. I've lived here for 60 years and am well acclimatized and have worked outside when then temps were -20 without the wind chill being factored. But even if they're working outside here, nobody walks around all day in cold weather (cold weather here is not freezing, but at least 20 degrees colder.
It is very possible to be reasonably and comfortably dressed for cold weather, even very frigid weather, without appearing like you are on a trek to the North Pole. But in my entire life here I have never seen anyone breathe through a tube in a face mask. In fact, walking outside in even below zero weather on a clear day with no wind is very ice.
But if it came to it, I could walk for hours in very cold weather--below zero--appropriately dressed in the right clothing and be comfortably warm. But in very hot weather, over 100 degrees and sun, there is no way you are going to be able to walk for hours and be comfortably cool. We do get 100 degree days here but not a lot of them as well as many frigid days with snow and ice in the winter. Living in a northern climate is not for sissies.
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Old 10-29-17, 11:28 AM
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Originally Posted by tandempower
Although I empathize with those in freezing regions, I am curious how comfortable it would be to hike all day in freezing weather with a really good/warm outfit on.
Honestly, I find the super-cold weather is easier to dress for than the moderate temperatures (moderate = 25-45F). Super-cold is drier and easier to find layers for. The key is just to cover all exposed skin, but that's not hard. Many of us in our 30s and older got dumped outside for hours in freezing cold weather as kids, so it's nothing quite new.

Like elocs mentioned (we live in the same town), there are plenty of people who work outdoors year round. There are also plenty of popular winter sports and activities - snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, ice fishing, and even hunting and going to football games can be quite cold! But with proper clothing, it's no different than anything else And yeah, nobody breathes through a tube.
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Old 10-29-17, 04:13 PM
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Well I am retired and don't commute anymore but since I have no car it is the bike all the way just like the rest of the year. I have the advantage now in that I can pick and choose when I ride. If it's too nasty, I stay home and wait until the ice and snow get cleared. Likewise I don't need to ride when the temperature is sub zero or when there is a terrible wind. The last time I rode a bus was nearly 2 years ago when they have a free fare on the first Monday of the month and that was to go to the supermarket that's nearly a 7 mile bike ride for me.
But I walk when I cannot bike because cycling in winter conditions can be flat out dangerous especially when it puts you flat out on the road. I bought some pull-on studs for walking on ice which are great for giving you confidence when walking on ice because being an old duffer now I am concerned about falling and breaking something like a hip which could end my biking days altogether and put me in a nursing home. No thanks.
But the big upside to having no car in the winter is that I don't need to worry if it will start, or to go out and clear it off to move it when the snow plows come, or to worry about getting stuck or somebody else just sliding into me and there's nothing I can do but watch. I can honestly say I don't miss having a car at all.
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Old 10-29-17, 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by elocs
Well, I live in Wisconsin which is a freezing region, but it's not Antarctica in the winter and I've never had any reason to walk around all day in a get-up like you describe. I'm not sure if Nanook of the North would routinely dress up like that. I've lived here for 60 years and am well acclimatized and have worked outside when then temps were -20 without the wind chill being factored. But even if they're working outside here, nobody walks around all day in cold weather (cold weather here is not freezing, but at least 20 degrees colder.
It is very possible to be reasonably and comfortably dressed for cold weather, even very frigid weather, without appearing like you are on a trek to the North Pole. But in my entire life here I have never seen anyone breathe through a tube in a face mask. In fact, walking outside in even below zero weather on a clear day with no wind is very ice.
Ok, so -20F with an exposed face all day wouldn't damage your skin? I have noticed that when I have very warm clothes and hat on, my head stays warm enough to keep my face from feeling the cold, maybe because the heat is radiating out through it, but I figured if it was cold enough, the air itself would be dangerous, either on the facial skin or breathing it, or both.

But if it came to it, I could walk for hours in very cold weather--below zero--appropriately dressed in the right clothing and be comfortably warm. But in very hot weather, over 100 degrees and sun, there is no way you are going to be able to walk for hours and be comfortably cool. We do get 100 degree days here but not a lot of them as well as many frigid days with snow and ice in the winter. Living in a northern climate is not for sissies.
Extreme heat is very hard to deal with. There is an art to biking or walking so that you don't overheat. With biking it's a bit easier because of the breeze you get from relatively little exertion. With walking, it's more like floating along in somewhat of a daze. I like it, but I feel like I'm nowhere near heat stroke; and shade makes a HUGE difference.
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Old 10-29-17, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by wipekitty
Honestly, I find the super-cold weather is easier to dress for than the moderate temperatures (moderate = 25-45F). Super-cold is drier and easier to find layers for. The key is just to cover all exposed skin, but that's not hard. Many of us in our 30s and older got dumped outside for hours in freezing cold weather as kids, so it's nothing quite new.

Like elocs mentioned (we live in the same town), there are plenty of people who work outdoors year round. There are also plenty of popular winter sports and activities - snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, ice fishing, and even hunting and going to football games can be quite cold! But with proper clothing, it's no different than anything else And yeah, nobody breathes through a tube.
I was thinking of the breathing tube in -60F. Maybe that is not a very common temperature. It sticks in my mind for some reason, maybe it was a wind chill temperature and not an actual temp.
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