Prepping for Winter!
 

So I was bicycling along the other day in chilly weather and was making a left turn when...huh? My bike was over that way and I was sprawled in front of a car.
SO! I decided it was time to get new tires with bigger tracks and start wearing my mittens. What do you guys do to prep for the cold season?

I keep a winter bike, so time to 1) mount studded tires 2) make sure the lighting system is still working 3) check the mechanicals closely 4)dig out all the winter clothing and sew up holes, make sure the balaclava is still available. That sort of thing

I chased down my winter clothing, installed the studs, cleaned and lubed the derailleurs, and the chain. Oh yes, I also had to buy snow sneakers. My shoes are trying to die. I probably will need to get more wool socks before the winter is over.

I've never heard of snow sneakers, I'm googling them as I correspond...

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...terbike_09.gif

Studded tires, full fenders, lights, reflective tape. More reflective tape is on the way for that bike's frame and forks :) It's going to be pretty intense.

oh...man, your bike is awesome.

Fenders are a must -- most of my bikes have them mounted full time. If ice is a possibility for any extended period, studs are in order. Ideally you'll have a second set of wheels with studded tyres mounted.

The biggest changes should be to the rider. Winter clothing, from base layer to outer shell should be chosen for comfort and safety.

Check out the winter cycling link below.

All I do is put the studded tires on. The rest of the bike is as it is all the rest of the year - fenders, disc brakes, lights and reflectors. In the middle of summer I'm actually not riding in the dark so I usually take my headlight off, but I run the taillight in the daytime, and I've needed a headlight for 2 months now, so all I'm missing is studs, which will go on when needed (not yet, it's still not down to freezing and wet at the same time here, though it will be soon).

In what weather would studded tired be best? I live in Kansas and we get snow often enough, but then its just as likely to disappear overnight and we'll have light rain the next day. Would studded tires be ruined by going over asphalt too often?

Studs will wear over time. Carbide studs are best -- made by Nokian. Unlike in the rest of Canada I live in area with similar conditions -- snow is often fleeting. But occasionally we'll get a stretch of freezing conditions after a snowfall that call for studs.

Worse, this area (West Coast) is prone to black ice. A fall 2 new years' ago left me with a 2 inch opening in my chin -- a good argument for studs on "bare" asphalt.

Loving that animation with and without flash.

But you knew I would. :D

FYI, a general concensus is that for conditions of primarily ice, with little snow the Schwalbe Marathons with carbide studs are considered excellent because of scant increased rolling resistance. I've been happy with them even in my worst snow day of about four unplowed inches.

I think they exist only at LL Bean. I bought a pair last year.
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/sto...rom=SR&feat=sr

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-Snow-Sneakers

Snow Sneakers are sort of like winter boots in a sneaker style. They are sold by L.L. Bean. They look like they would be good to ride in.
They are supposed to be comfort rated to -5F.

Comfort rated to -5F? That's where regular sneakers are rated.

I stop trimming my beard in early October, so by this time of year I have a healthy layer of all natural insulation on my face. I am an avid winter backpacker so the gear is second nature to me. I also keep an old front wheel with a studded tire for those midwestern ice storms that we get every now and then.

Carbide tipped studded tires aren't going wear too badly by being ridden on bare pavement. Studded tires are worth it if you frequently have to deal with ice. If not, then I'm not sure I'd bother. They're expensive and they make you work harder than a regular tire.

Yeah, carbide studs will last several full seasons even with mostly bare-pavement use, so no worries there. They're like "ice insurance." :) I picked the Schwalbe Marathon Winter (which has carbide studs) this time around, partly for the reflective sidewalls.

Like the others have suggested, fenders, good lights, and good tires (I made my own studded tires following directions in the sticky in winter cycling). If your hands get cold, you might consider pogies, which are mitts that you place on your handlebars. I bought them after a cold snap in October. I absolutely love them; now my hands stay nice and warm with only one pair of gloves on. http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442.../377846323.jpg

What brand of pogies are those? I have a hard time keeping my hands warm, as well as my feet.

I have to put on a long sleeve jersey. It's a nightmare!

Boy, it's rough living in Palm Springs.

mechBgon,

Those are actually ATV pogies by KwikTech that I got on sale at Amazon for $17.99 (with free shipping). Amazon just got them back in stock and they're still $17.99 (with free shipping on orders over $25). Here's the link, if you're interested. I did have to slit the seam on the outside to fit them over my bar ends (I use the bar ends for my mirrors), but I sealed the split and put velcro on to keep the opening I created closed. I like the width of these pogies, it's easy to get my hands out if I need to. They're well made. I just need to order some reflective tape. http://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Hand-Prot...9008322&sr=8-2

Thanks for the link, I'm going to order a set :)

If you need any suggestions on reflective tape, I can recommend the Reflexite V82 and/or DOT Conspicuity (also V82) from here: http://www.night-gear.com/reflective.../Reflexite.htm It's among the highest in raw reflectivity, but unlike some of the other top stuff (Nikkalite Crystal Grade, 3M Diamond Grade) it's thin so it doesn't try to peel itself off due to its own stiffness. The 1-inch-wide V82 can also be had in a couple extra colors (blue and school-bus yellow). If you order multiple quantity of the 1-inch stuff, it comes in one continuous piece... not sure about the 2-inch DOT stuff, I'll know in a few days if it comes in discrete 12-inch sections or one continuous piece.

For my blue-&-silver winter bike, I'm going with the 2-inch-wide silver DOT tape down the "belly" of the downtube, the underside of the top tube, down the fork blades, and along the chainstays and bottom half of the seat tube, and then using blue on the "above-the-horizon" part of the top tube and downtube. Blue being a police-ish color, it may jar peoples' minds away from their cell phone and back to their driving... here's hoping :)

Thanks for the recommendation on reflective tape, I'll place an order with your source. I looked around the small town I live near, but no one had anything that would work well for a bike, just some strips for mailboxes. I like what you've done with your bike. No one should be able to say they couldn't see you at night.

Haha, yeah, here's the other bike I've dosed up:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...Bgon/rider.jpg
^ somewhat realistic depiction

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...chBgon/v82.gif
^ camera-flash on/off... the silver blends in fairly well on the frame from any normal distance.


Thanks again, I got my pogies on the way for the sale price :)