modernjess

I couldn't take it any more, this wonderfully mild winter we are enjoying has given me one more gift. Today I ditched the flat pedals and hiking boots, put back on the clipless pedals and the Sidi boots.... ahhhhhhhh upstrokes!!!! What a joy! I felt like I was flying my legs were so happy.

This winter is the first time in over 15 years I've used platform pedals on any of my bikes, and while my feet stayed warm in the hiking boots on the coldest days I really really really really missed being clipped in.

So I'm in heaven, It's the little things that make life bearable. The next winter milestone ahead is taking off the studded tires. (that'll be a while though).

P.S. Please spare me the "I don't like clipless pedals because _______" and "I'm afraid I'll fall over at a stop light" comments. I know. I know. I get it. You don't have to ride them nor should you if you don't want to. This post is for those of you who are in my camp and understand how glad I am today.

volvostephen

Why not use Winter cycling shoes? I wear them with 2 pairs of socks and a waterproof cover. They generally keep my feet warm enough down to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I rode my first winter in boots and it was terrible - so glad I wear cycling shoes all year round...

frpax

Good for you! I much prefer to ride clipless...just can't commute that way, yet.

modernjess

I have them they are sidi's and I'm wearing them today, and I use the heaviest Pi booties and wool sox, but ultimately that set up just doesn't cut it for me below about 10F. In a normal winter here it's below 10F almost every morning for about 2 months. The thing is I have no trouble staying warm to almost any temp except for my feet. For whatever reason I'm just a cold feet guy, what can I say. I didn't want to invest big money in a pair Lakes as I'm not convinced by my friends that have them they are worth it so I went this route.

spare_wheel

Learn how to track stand.

Scheherezade 

My coldest commute in Minneapolis this year was clocked at about -28F windchill. That's actually pretty mild for our winters. All the lycra and cycling gear in the world ain't gonna save you from that.

Seattle Forrest

I got PI water/wind resistant (or proof?) shoe covers last week. They're fleece lined, and more insulation than I like. I'm not sure whether I'm better off dealing with them, or the elements. But I figured out how to fold them so they stay in place and vent more.

tjspiel

I gave up on clipless for winter use. Primarily because when the roads are really bad I want to be able to get a foot down RIGHT NOW if need be. Aside from that salty roads are tough on the pedals, cleats, and screws.

Finally, winter cycling boots are expensive and from what I can tell really not designed for extreme cold. The people I know that have them end up shoving chemical warmers in them whenever it's under 10 degrees and they still have trouble keeping their feet warm.

Puget Pounder

<3 clipless

modernjess

Yes, agreed, but my point is the roads are not bad this year, and it's warm!... well sort of, but you know what I mean.

As far as wear and tear pedal, cleats, and screws, I consider them to be consumables like chains, tires, and cables. Anything that is outside year around here takes a beating, that's just the way it is.

ultimattfrisbee

I feel that. This is my first winter commuting, and I outfitted my ancient mountain bike with studded tires and bar mitts (even thought it wasn't my bar mitts vah--sorry!) and I've ridden it a bunch, but the past two weeks have been dry, if not always warm, and I've been riding my touring bike with the clipless pedals. It is a big difference. Of course, I'm in Pittsburgh, not Minnesota. High teens F. is as cold as it's gotten, and I've found that two layers of socks under my regular SPD shoes left my feet cold after my 1 hour commute, but not freezing. I was happy to get into the shower at work (high school gym), but it really wasn't bad.

So you just use the flat pedals in the winter? I use toe clips on my commuter bike with a pair of fleece-lined duck boots over wool socks and sometimes some synthetic socks under those. That seems to work, and the duck boots aren't clunky like regular hiking boots--they're streamlined and slick enough to slide over the metal scalloping of my pedals and into the clips without much trouble, especially if it's wet. It ain't like being clipped in, but I do get power on the upstroke, and think it's way better than flat pedals. I hate it when I miss sliding into the toe clip and roll over the pedal, scraping the clip on the ground--it's much easier to clip in with the SPDs--but again, it's better than nothing.

Just hope the nice weather holds up on my commuting days for a while.

DJ Shaun

This is my first winter of commuting. I just kept on riding since this winter has been unseasonably warm for Ottawa. I've only gotten caught in 3 storms (5-10cm of snow) so far and only a couple days where the temperatures were close to -20C. So far the temperatures have varied between -10C and 0C.

I wear cycling boots with a couple pairs of warm socks. I just keep the tension looser on my SPD pedals than in the summer so can easily unclip. (I've had to unclip in a hurry a couple times.) Being able to upstroke when trying to get through some thick slush or half a foot of snow has been helpful on a few occasions. I do have a pair of flat steel pedals but I haven't felt the need to install them on my bike yet.

DJ Shaun

Agreed. Already past the half way mark of my typical "off season" from commuting as I would typically start up in mid March.

oneeyedhobbit

100% agreed. I've been clipless so long I didn't even have platforms. A friend gave me a pair of throwaway plastic affairs that came on his Steamroller, and I just tossed em in a closet figuring "by the time its cold enough to need them I'll have tossed them on." So far I haven't, but I'm glad our winter was kind enough for me not to need them. The last time I rode platforms was while visiting a friend in Seattle. I didn't expect it to matter much, but it was a huge bummer.

The downside is *%$# I miss snowshoeing =(.

Cyclaholic

I ride clipless in SPD's. In winter I put neoprene booties over my cycling shoes when necessary and that's enough to stay warm, but it rarely gets below freezing and never snows here.

ojgville

I totally understand. I want to switch over, yesterday was 60F around here but I've been burned before by the weather and I am weary. Like you I use platform pedals and boots but I also use boot sized powergrips. While not as good as being clipped in they aren't bad and you can pull up. I use BMX/DH pedals and the powergrips. They bolt right to the reflector holes and work pretty well. I usually get about 2-3 seasons out one pair of grips. I saw them on amazon for $22 recently.

Prestonxvx

I do it