royalflash

Well maybe I am getting a bit ahead of myself but i though it was time to start thinking about winter. I went down to the LBS (Extreme Bike on Goethestrasse) and ordered some Nokian Extreme 296`s. I have read on the net including this forum that they are a good tyre for slippy stuff. They are not cheap at over 80 euros each but they will be worth it if I can commute more on the icy days. Has anyone ever commuted on these tyres in snow and ice?. How far can I push them on the street?

I got some cycling shorts at the same time. I have never cycled in Lycra before but after what Lala said about getting more attention from the girls I could hardly resist getting some . As an added benefit they may also be more practical than my normal shorts which always inch themselves up my leg until i am sure that some body part or other is going to drop out. That WOULD get me more attention -- but maybe too much. I will feel a bit embarrassed though turning up at work in them at first-it is a bit like turning up to work in tights-is is normal to feel like this or am I just being oversensitive?.

I have also been researching some body armour for commuting (mainly for Winter). I get the feeling that I am the only guy in the world who has considered getting some body armour to commute with. Maybe I am just becoming eccentric or maybe just a real HARDCORE commuter. Anyway I have decided to get a Dainese Safety Jacket. These look to give good protection without being too hot or heavy.

by the way is anybody reading this in Munich (Germany). I seem to remember seeing posts from at least one cyclist in Munich

See you on the road

noisebeam

I know nothing about winter or ice. Its 108degF here today - too hot for body armor (I've never heard of it, except for motor cycling)

As to cycling shorts - The tight fitting ones are great, especially if you pedal fast.
If you are worried about walking into work in them, then keep a very lightweight pair of running type shorts in your bag and slip them on just after getting off bike. I do this if I am running errands, for example parking my bike and then walking around from shop to shop.

Al

PaulH

My guess is that, unless they don't plow the streets of Munich at all, the Extremes will be overkill. I find that the Nokian 106 is a great winter tire for the Washington, DC area and expect that the Extremes would provide a lot more rolling resistance with no improvement in traction.

Don't know what you mean by "how far you can push them on the street?" Are you discussing rolling resistance or cornering force? I'd say a pair of 106 Haks on glare ice provides about as much traction as normal tires on wet pavement. Rolling resistance is affected by tread, and the Haks are about on a par with the less-knobby mountain bike tires. When there is ice about, I can ride up hills that I could not drive up in my car. Therefore, you should be able to ride on more days than you can drive -- assuming that the issue is ice.

Not sure what body armor would do for you, other than making you overheat.

I know nothing about cycling shorts or tights, so maybe my post and Al's combined will constitute an answer.

Paul

royalflash

Hi there - I guess I do have a tendency to overkill. The body armour may be a mad idea (as I said I am beginning to get that idea as everyone seems to be a bit puzzled by it). It just seems that the next time I hit the deck that I would be a lot safer if I had some protection. The last time I fell off was about 2 years ago. I hit a kerb though my own stupidity and was on the ground before I knew what hit me. I landed on my back. Luckily I had a rucksack that was full of magazines and my rolled up waterproof jacket. It was an ideal crash mat and absorbed most of the impact. Maybe if I hadnt had it I would have done some more serious damage. Anyway maybe the next time I will not be so lucky. Apart from the possibility of just falling off there is the distinct possibility of slamming into a car. I dont know if you have cycled in Munich but they have an extensive system of obligatory cycle paths. These paths intersect at frequent intervals with roads and entry/exit drives. These cycle paths are great for kids and grandpa going for a Sunday ride but not so good for the serious cyclist travellng at 25 kph+. You are relying on motorists to watch out for you all the time. I am sure that I dont have to tell you that this system is one day going to fail and I will go into the side of a car. Maybe not today or tomorrow but the day is coming.

Chris L

Nathank is from Munich, although I haven't seen him around these forums much lately. I myself am planning a move to Europe at some point in the next few years (if I can ever save up for it), and Munich is one destination that I'm considering (someone told me it was close to mountains).

Tom_The_Bikeman

<...stuff deleted...> Are you sure about the 25 kph+? <just reading what I just wrote>(feeling reeely reelly stoopid...) I thought you were writing about going 25 mph (assuming that you were riding the extremes) and that just ain't going to happen.

I've had great success using the 106es through the Swiss winters these past two years, and they are enough (if you have both of them on) to even commute when it's totally iced. As far as body armo(u)r goes, if you go down, you go down. If you hit car, you hit car. Body armo(u)r won't really help you out.

Factoid: I'm still healing up from a crash I had this year (few days before Easter) on a curve I took at 40 kmh in the wet. Didn't damage my clothing one bit, but probably pulled a muscle in my upper right arm from the impact (had my laptop in a rucksack). Had a really impressive contusion as well.

Think about taking back the extremes and just getting the 106es. As far as your speeds will go, your mileage/kmage may vary, but I find that a 18.5 commute with the 106es will take me 45 min vs. 35 min with racing tires.

Whatcha doing in Muenschen?

have fun riding, and be careful out there,
Tom

royalflash

Hi Chris L- Munich is quite close to the mountains. The city itself is an a flat plain which makes for quick commuting but on a clear day I can see the alps quite clearly out of my bedroom window in the southern suburbs. It takes about an hour`s drive to get the closest mountain chain (Zugspitze). I have attached a photo of the city taken from the Cathedral Tower which shows quite how flat the city is and also a picture of King Ludwig`s castle out in the mountains.

Munich is a nice place to live and if you are thinking of moving. There is certainly no shortage of mountains to cycle up in the vicinity. I keep meaning to take my digital camera with me on my commute an posting a few piccies of my commute so you can all see what it is like.

royalflash

Hi Tom- I couldnt do 25 mph on the bile paths (they are usually on the pavement I forgot to mention). It would be suicidal. They are just not designed for those sort of speeds even if I was Lance Armstrong on slicks.

Sorry to read about your crash. How was the bike and laptop?

I am working in Munich as a European civil servant (but please don`t tell anyone). What are you doing in der Schweiz?

Are you from the US, if so thanks for the optional u in armo(u)r

Chris L

I see what you mean by flat Munich, but my current commute is also flatter than I'd like, too. Mind you, that's a nice shot of the castle. That's one of the things that fascinates me about Europe generally, the chance to see those old castles in some real mountains.