peregrine: i ride on lighted urban streets so my lights are just the to-be-seen kind available at mec without too much complication - they wouldn't give me any see-by power at all, i don't think. i have a 4-way light up front with led/incandescent bulbs and a white mec 'turtle' led on the helmet. i keep them both on 'blink' mode, and never use the incandescent. a 4-bulb red blinkie on the seatpost and another on the back of the helmet. then inch-wide reflective tape on me, my bike, and the bag i carry. there's a store near me that sells it by the metre, and just about every piece of bike-specific clothing i have is plastered with it. i have long strips of it going the full length of my rain pants alongside the zippers, a strip across the knuckles of each glove, more on the helmet. . . you probably get the picture. i really like having it on my gloves; it really seems to help with getting your hand signals seen as well as with frontal visibility.

i've been coming home in full dark for a couple of months now, and really had all the space i could want from cars. so far, anyway.

i noticed that same effect on monday, coming home with two pairs of tights inside my rain pants. one pair, no problem. two - they just seemed to fight each other all the way home.

With the kind of distance that Data Junkie is doing, stopping to open a vacuum bottle would be a pain. Also here on the high plains, you would not believe the amount of water you can go through in the winter! On a cold morning, I can easily go through as much water on my hour ride to work as I would on a hot summer day. Sometimes more.

Thanks tokolosh, that was really helpful. I never thought of reflective tape on gloves but I think it's a great idea. I should try it out


I also wear a blinkie on the back of my helmet but when I ride I'm bent forward considerably so it might not actually be visible. I guess I should put it elsewhere.

peregrine, you should get yourself some studded tires (sorry for stating the obvious)

Here's the crafty stuck-on ice lurking under cover of some grey slush, waiting to glide your front wheel right out from under you... this stuff can be awfully treacherous, I have to watch for it non-stop in the days that follow snowfall. I would much rather ride on a solid layer of this stuff than have intermittent pieces of it randomly stuck to the road, it's the edges of it that'll take me down.

Thanks for the tip, mechBgon, I'll remember that



it's not really obvious because there hasn't been an occasion yet around here that would require studded tires. Nothing like your commute from what I've seen from the pictures you posted. You're deffinitely experiencing more severe conditions than I am. Still, it seems that this winter will be colder than average so I really should get a couple.

When I explain it to a newbie they think it's stupid. Probably because it's so low tech. A lot of them don't believe me. If I say to use more expensive toe covers made for bike shoes, it just sounds better.

I mean vacuum insulated bottles with drink tops just like a bike bottle. No need to stop. I have 5 or 6 different kinds. I have a push button flip top that is good for hot coffee that can be used with one hand on the go too. I carry the same amount of water in the winter as I do in the summer. Plus a hot drink.

A hot drink in the middle of a long cold ride is very luxurious.

Yeah, that's too bad Not all newbies are like that though. And I'm not talking just about cycling or commuting.

this is for anyone interested in more lights info

for my rear lights I used to have a couple of these:
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...&estore_ID=509

IMO not strong enough when there're lots of cars around

yesterday I got a new one
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...&estore_ID=509


it's possible this light's been posted somewhere else before but it's a great deal for the amount of $$ it costs ($13 on sale). it's REALLY strong. it's almost blinding if you look at it from too close

Yah, I agree. I think tho in this case I was taking it so easy, and breathing through the balaclava that I didn't need it. Usually, I drink whether I think I need it or not. (Also in this case, I was have techical difficulties clippiing in: new shoes, tough to find the cleat, so I didn't want to stop.) I did invest in a camelback, and will one day remember to clean it and use it.

Thanks!

Ooooo, and it has a CPSC reflector too! I might have to get me one, sounds like it's a lot stronger than my Cateye LD500 would be Thanks for the word, peregrine

ohhhhhh, WORD. it's way early yet and really just a tiny amount of snow around here, but i've had three rides while it was snowing this week, and man. that gets my vote for the most fun thing a person could do with snow AND the most fun i've ever had on a bike. we had windchill of -4C here this morning and snow falling through most of my commute in, and i've never had a ride i was more sorry to see the end of.

and i could swear -4 feels more like +6 if you're properly dressed and warmed up.

Man! I wanted to carry my big old thermos in my back pack. Or strap it to my bike's frame.
he he

Anyhow, where do you find these bottles? Any online sources? I'd like to check them out. Lately the only free time I have to visit a bike shop is when I ride past the Denver REI flagship store. Don't have a clue if they carry these bottles. Guess I could stop in.

[QUOTE=DataJunkie]Man! I wanted to carry my big old thermos in my back pack. Or strap it to my bike's frame. he he

Anyhow, where do you find these bottles? Any online sources? I'd like to check them out. Lately the only free time I have to visit a bike shop is when I ride past the Denver REI flagship store. Don't have a clue if they carry these bottles. Guess I could stop in. [QUOTE]


Don't even bother looking for Vacuum insulated bottles in a bike shop or even a bike shop on line.
Not gonna happen. Your best bet is on line from Thermos or another on line result from google.

I did fit a big old thermos into a stretched plastic Profile water bottle holder. The one with the "O" ring around it. Don't bother, then your normal bottles won't fit correctly.

For cold drinks the best vacuum bottle is the one from Thermos. It is a tiny bit smaller diameter than the typical bike bottle. They do work even as a loose fit, you can squeeze the cage in, but it's more convenient to put a thin foam "cozy" or something around the bottle and not bother adjusting the cages. If your doing a lot of off roading this is nice and secure.

DON'T PUT HOT COFFEE IN SPORTS BOTTLES FOR COLD DRINKS. The ones that have a drink spout on top. (read the instructions ) The flip top bottle with the orange button is for hot drinks. That opens two holes at once. The spout and a vent.

The heat from the liquid expands the air and gives you a nice pressurized blast of scalding coffee when you open the bottle. The drink foams up and leaves a little coffee even above the air. The bottles that have a straw going to the bottom of the bottle work just like a spray bottle, you get a huge blast of coffee out of it until the pressure is gone. Trust me on this one, I have been experimenting for years. The Thermos brand drink top bottles have a plastic that makes the hot drink taste so bad you won't do this.

One photo shows two Thermos bottles with some cheap foam bottle wraps around them.
If you look close, one photo shows the orange button on the flip top bottle.

https://thedailymug.com/thnibabojm.html

https://www.gourmet.org/brands/nt/sports/FBE700/?id=biz

you're welcome if you do eventually end up getting one, would you mind sharing what you think of it?

Certainly I would probably post pics and/or movies of it compared to some other blinkies, to give people a frame of reference. One question, does this one stay on when it gets tapped, jarred and bumped around? because I remember you saying that your old one would dim or turn off.

No such problem with this one

only thing is batteries don't last very long (2 AAA - 80 hrs flashing) but I use rechargeable so I don't mind


I figured out what was wrong with the old one - I opened it and saw that the metal plates (I'm not sure what they're called) weren't making very good contact with the battery, so I adjusted them a little and now it's fine

Good thread! I've got a few topics I'd be interested to hear on how other newbies do it.

Office clothes: How do you bring and keep pressed clothes going?

Pinching pennies: So far I have purchased rear light, front light, new shirt, trimbrite reflective tape which is outragious! Cone wrench, Park FR-1 freewheel remover. About $100! That buys a lot of gas! Now I need booties and a soft shell. I rode in 22F Wednesday morning and my feet were numb. Cheap winter clothing/gloves/bootie ideas? Or get over it?

Road bike vs Mtn/City bike: I look at all the pics and see more mtn bikes than road bikes. Are not road bike much faster than mtn bikes even with slicks? Am I missing something? I have a Trek 700 Multitrack but I don't want to pedal that beast.

Me? Started once the Memphis heat/humidity subsided for phycisal excercise, then Katrina hit and it became a car mile avoidance strategy. Now, it is the challenge of keeping it going in dark and cold. Oct was 100% bike which is 400 car miles saved. This week, 60 bike/40 car. It rained Monday and work obligation required a car Thursday. Prior TG week, 60 bike/0 car. I like it and this forum helps me keep it fun! Thanks everyone.

I find I am slower in cold, medium and hot weather, but only if it's either dry or wet or light or dark.

The rest of the time I'm blindingly fast.

maybe check out baseball socks. it's just a personal project, but i noticed this summer when i had to deal with my son's uniform socks that they're pure wool - and i can attest that they don't shrink or run even when you wash them in the kind of cycle they need after a double-header inside a teenager's cleats in a heat wave. knee length too, and thin enough to be comfortable . . . i've never had to buy him a pair, but i seem to remember the last time i looked they weren't very expensive at all. i'm already a fan of filching his batting gloves to cycle in,

i dunno; never had a road bike. but in winter i think speed drops to the back of many people's priority lists. personally, if i'm going to wipe out in freezing cold winter rain, i'd rather not do it at road-bike speeds, but i'm a chicken.

whooo. i relate to the challenge aspect of it. i started doing this commute at the beginning of september, because i have a finite contract duration and darn it, i wanted something worthwhile for the time. it was also sort of fun to say 'let's see how different this ride will feel after 4 and a half months.' i went around assuring people i had no intention of riding when the weather turned mean, but it's mean now by our standards and weather's been about the only thing that never has made me turn back at the door. now it's so exciting to discover how possible it all feels, i can't imagine not at least trying to ride every day. i really think that if the weather is ever so bad i don't want to bike through it, it'll be the kind of day when it's too bad to go to work at all. i'll just stay home and bake cinnamon buns.

Incidentally, earlier today I discovered that target sells them.

That's where I got mine. DOH!

I should have told you.

You might find some cheap foam insulated bottles with the bikes at Target too. You can use the foam over the stainless bottles for a perfect fit in the cage.

The Performance Bike lined booties are very nice. They are warmer with a plastic bag under them and over your shoe. They are even better with a huge stretched out sock, with a bag on the shoe, the sock, then another bag, then bootie. Plus the bag makes the booties go on and off MUCH easier. I have some that are 6 or 7 years old so the cost over the years is not too bad.

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/....cfm?SKU=17558

If your commute is short enough just about any kind of jacket will do. For longer rides or hard fast rides bike clothing is better. How long is your commute?

Road or MTB is fine for commuting. In 22f weather the MTB is warmer, due to more work and less speed, it can be a good thing. The MTB with fat tires or studded tires is easier in the snow and ice. If the ground is clean the road bike is fine. I have both, in that kind of temperature I prefer the MTB, just for the warmth.

My ride is 10 miles which can range from 32 minutes to 45 when the cold, wind, red lights defeat me. Normal trip is 35 minutes. Mostly flat by my New England standards. Keep it in the big chain ring but use the full 20+ tooth spectrum during the ride. I should restate, when I get stuck at a red light I drop it to the small ring and once moving at a good spin move back to the 53.

I have a pull over nylon shell that works for now except: It's arm length is too short so my wrists get a bit of frost bite and, as a nylon shell, zero breathing and when it comes off I have a tropical forest on my hands. So far, it works and it was FREE! I will continue but xmas is coming and I was thinking about the GUNK jacket at EMS. Gunk

But why? For now mine will be ok but I figure things might get below 22F and I want to be ready.

As for the booties, I was thinking of cutting some old cotton socks and pulling them over my shoes and seeing if that does it. Figure I would rather use what I own. Keep the info/opinions coming. I am anxious to learn more.