Lest anyone think I'm one of the guys with fortitude (being a Canuck and supposedly acclimatized to this stuff), I didn't ride past November last year (my first year cycle-commuting) and I'm not necessarily committing to ride this winter either. Last year, it got to the point where it just wasn't fun anymore, so I hung up the bike for a few months. I don't know how I'll feel this year. I have the gear, but if it starts feeling like a chore again, I'll move my exercise indoors. I'll admit to being a wimp, compared to guys like 65er.

It's a bit easier when you are in colder climates. Snow/ice makes driving suck too, especially for short distances (even worse for waiting at a bus stop). If you don't have indoor parking you have to scrape ice/snow off your car. Your car is freezing and takes 5 minute or more to warm up. Even if you drive carefully, when someone else skids on the road you have to pray that you kept enough distance since there's often no way to get out of the way...

It's like when people ask "what should I wear to be warm enough to bike in x degree weather?". It's pretty much what you would wear to walk in that temperature except more windproof and less bulky :)

Or when people ask "how can you bike to work with all the rush hour traffic?". When rush hour traffic often makes biking even more attractive because the time difference isn't so big (or negative)...

But I agree that it seems there is always some temperature that is too out there and where I'm not prepared for... And then there's someone out there who thinks that's a nice warm ride...

+1

If you ridden when it's in the 30's then you have ridden air cold enough to produce a lot of snow. It's the air temp in the layers above us that matter.

To me the cold is the least challenging part of riding in the winter except for the few *really* cold days we get that my clothing is borderline for.

People ask me all the time how I can ride when it's so cold but they don't ask skiers or snowmobilers the same questions. ;) It's all a matter of dressing right. Most of the people that work in my office park about 6 blocks away. After they get to their car it's probably another 10 minutes before it warms up. Most of them aren't really dressed to be outside for an extended period, so on extra cold days they're freezing.

So by the time their car warms up I'm halfway home and probably sweating a little bit (though I try to minimize that).

"...The storm could be one of the strongest to hit the Great Lakes region in the last 70 years, the weather service said."
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...pproaches.html

was looking over my stable and considering when my next ride would be. last ride was late August or early September. I would be sorely disappointed if my next ride required studds.

I have a little secret for you all... riding in the winter isn't as hard as you think it is.

Riding at -40C sucks a little and could suck a lot if you were not properly prepared and i find that this time of year is the roughest as you have to acclimated to the cold... I tend to wear more gear early in the season that I do when it's colder.

Poorly ploughed streets can be a little hard, no?

What do you mean by "poorly" ?

That would imply that out city ploughed any residential streets.

I am running 2.1 knobbies with studs on my winter bike... they handle snow and ice equally well.

Interesting. I run 1.75 W106 and have problems especially if the snow has frozen (unevenly) and quite a bit of new snow is on top. I guess it depends on individual situations, hard to compare. But maybe your tires (or handling skills) are better?

Everyone has their own preference... seems like the weapon of choice here for most is a mountain bike with wider tyres and studs as the roads can be really rough.

Wider tyres will offer a better ride and let you float across more stuff while skinnier tyres will give a little better bite... my hybrid has 700:35 cross tyres and have run these straight up in the winter with no studs if ice has not been a concern.

I miss winter :cry: (atleast what's supposed to be winter in the Bay Area)...

I haven't put the studded tires on yet, I generally wait until we actually have snow and ice before I put them on. I would rather carry an extra 25-30 pounds than deal with the studded tires, but, I love riding.

My clothing is all set except I need to get more wool socks.

My bike will be washed one last time in Nov. and be kept in the garage warm and toasty. I will drive my car with bum warmers thank you very much. And instead resort to weekend rides (when it is nice and pleasant).
I salute thee for riding out in winter and will slow down so I will not splash cold dirty puddles at you and your bikes.


Hey 65er, what is that device on top of the front fender? Looks like a light that is married to a mirror pointed outward.

Having ridden in both Calgary and Edmonton during the winter, I can certainly attest to the fact that "poorly" would be an understatement. They might slog down some of the residential streets once or twice through the winter if they get really bad, but for the most part a lot of the streets around here are simply covered in snow and ice for several months. If you ride outside the confines of core areas, winter tires are almost a necessity here. Edmonton has some particularly entertaining streets I can recall, where they appear to be completely clear until you realize there's a 30 foot frozen puddle underneath a thin layer of surface powder :D . I used to live on a street in Calgary where there were no visible roads underneath the built up layers of snow and ice, which was constant through all of winter except in the case of a strong chinook (an adiabatic warming wind front). Best yet, some of those strong chinooks would disappear before the water was evaporated, turning entire streets into sheets of ice.

I know some people here who get away without winter tires, but they're core residents whom to my knowledge don't do any riding to other areas of the city.

Essentially you just overcome it with proper equipment and riding technique. Ride through an Albertan winter successfully in the suburbs, and you'll have the skills necessary to really handle some loose terrain next time you're out mountain biking.

Personally, i've used 26x2.1" Schwalbe Ice Spikers, very good for the brutal stuff. 20x1.6" Marathon Winters on my folder, surprisingly good considering the smaller contact patch on those little wheels. This year i'm riding a 700c bicycle, and am going to give the 700x40c Nokian W240s a shot.

My only trouble in winter commuting has been the hands. Some days, gloves and mitts just aren't enough here. I've got a pair of MEC Nanu lobster mitts, which are good to about -20c, but days in December, January and February can easily fall way below that. The eventual solution was to make a pair of pogies, which have now been working great and are comfortable down to -30c. I wear a thinner pair of gloves on top of those so that you have something on your hands while locking up, going inside, etc (which are sweet, because they let me use my touch screen phone while being worn!)

It is a Busch and Muller Lumotec 3watt halogen light that is mated to another device in the rear hub that supplies it's power.

It throws a tight beam with a high cutoff as to not blind oncoming cyclists / motorists and the "reflector" works with a built in LED stand light that stays on for several minutes when you are stopped.

Last week I ordered a headlight/ tail light upgrade, that should arrive later this week. I gotta dig out my good hi vis vest and skull cap. I am debating a set of studs or knobbies for the beater, but things stay fairly decent here on Long Island until late December or Early Jan, and I'm applying for jobs elsewhere, so no sense in investing in something I may not require. I do like the idea of getting a good coat of wax on the bike though...
Clothing-wise I'm OK... I don't necessarily do cycling specific clothing, but I have a good set of wool long undies, so that's the biggest thing to me. I do have some nylon that I'm hoping to use to fashion a new pair of rain pants.
Beyond that, it's the will and courage to ride...

If I can stay out of the thunderstorms in the morning it is going to be a fun ride to work (heck - since it will be warm, it will probably be a fun ride even if I am wet, as long as I have not been electocuted). Coming home...well, I might be crying all the way riding into a 30mph sustained headwind with 55mph gusts (on a single speed to boot). Maybe I should take the yuba cargo bike just so I have the super low gearing available to me.

Yup.... got the bike on the trainer...

There's not much preparation for me to do, I just take the mountain bike, clean the (smooth) rear tire then connect it to the trainer when the snow falls, then scream BOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG while I ride it.

Rain gear always hangs by the door. yesterdays feature , a thunder storm.

I am ready and my bikes are ready. I hope it's gona be a cold one.

My first winter commuting. I live in Texas and lasted all summer thru 100 degree heat... however im more affraid of the cold. I guess its cuz i dont like wearing alot of layers and ride thru alot of hills that i dont want to slip on.

We shall see what happens...

I don't know what's worst? Downpour of wet rain or misery of cold and snow? Never rode in snow.

However, last Saturday I did test my new Shower pass touring jacket in the rain. Only one word needed to describe it: AWSOME!

Just to clarify: I can see waxing the frame, but the oil is intended for your internal gear hub... right? Maybe an old freehub would enjoy some thick oil, but most hubs not...right? And definitely not my dynohub? :D

Snow is waaaay better than cold rain and a lot of fun in moderate doses, - until it gets driven over a few dozen times.