Originally Posted by
Pugs2xLove
Howdy, neighbor. I'm in the state below you. Just curious what type of bikes are best for Winter commuting. This will be my first season attempting to commute in these conditions. We got a brush of snow the other day and temps will be near freezing the next few days. I have a Cannondale Quick 1 that I've been using during the Spring/Summer months and looking into buying another bike to handle these next months. Was thinking about a Priority Continuum with belt drive but I'm hesitant in dropping $1200 and gears to boot. Thought about getting a older MTB or a beater that I can trash and not worry about wear and tear. Any suggestion is appreciated since your weather conditions are worst than what Iowans go through.
The belt drive Continuum looks like a great winter bike! But I honestly have a hard time buying a new bike to ride on snow, slush, and road salt.
For winter commuting, I've used my Pugsley (fun but slow); Kona Dew Drop (good, but flat bars are better), and I liked my old 26er MTB best for winter commutes. I made some changes/upgrades: converted to single-speed and mounted
Top Contact Winter. Full fenders would be better that these MTB fenders. Sadly, this old Marin suffered a cracked frame at the bottom bracket a few years back and needed to be retired.
In general, simple is better:
- belt-drive is great if you can find it or single-speed - derailleurs are a pain in the wet salty conditions
- disc brakes are better than rim brakes
- winter tires are great for snow and ice - studs if you get lots of ice or Top Contact if you get mostly cold/wet conditions
- platform pedals are generally better, but I liked straps to keep feet from slipping off the pedals
I hope this is helpful, let me know if you have any follow up questions ... I'm happy to help!