Winter riding
 

How well do you cope with riding a fixed gear in the snowy months? Does anyone still commit to that or do you just switch bikes from November to April?

I actually prefer a fixed gear for winter riding since it keeps me moving all the time and I don't feel as cold.

After a climb, coasting down the other side of the hill makes me feel cold, on the fixed gear i keep moving and also go down slower.

Maybe it is just a placebo effect but it works to keep me riding.

Fixed gear has traditionally been preferred for off-season training for road riders.

I go with SS for winter; however, around here (Minneapolis) many riders go fixie. Shea (the boyfriend-in-law?? is that a thing?) trades out the Surly Cross Check for an old fixie with studded front tire for winter.

I rode fixed in Buffalo winter for years. I always felt better able to recover from fishtails. There is a winter cycling forum you should also look at.

Maybe it's just a local thing then, but seems like everyone around here either swaps out to cross or goes to indoor training only. which sucks.

While I am kind of a cold wimp, and didn't commute much last winter. I only have FG bikes currently, so this year I will try to continue riding to work into the winter on FG. Hopefully I don't wimp out like last winter and get in the habit of getting in my cage every cold morning to drive to work.

ride fixed all year around, as long as the roads are clear enough for cars they're clear enough for a bike. I kinda like the winter because it clears out a lot of the clowns and their fancy bikes

If you absolutely need to get somewhere in the snow and your frame has enough clearance, I can't recommend these things enough: Schwalbe Winter Tyre from Velodrome Shop

What width tires do you run in the winter? Any 27" studs out there? (I have sChwinn conversion that I kept add 27 instead of going to 700)

That's tough. Again, I would recommend asking in the Winter Forum.

Posted twice, second one was better

Fix gears rule in the winter. I raced and rode out of Boston in the '70s, not owning a car. My beater fix gear was my winter workhorse (and 4 frame replacements later still is). On salt covered, often snowy or icy roads, the fix gear always worked and was easier to keep upright than any bike with a freewheel. Very much like a standard transmission car of the old days drove better on snow and ice than an automatic did. Other pluses: when the chain becomes so dry and salted that links start to freeze up, yo can just slide the rear wheel forward, get the chain slack right and ride. My rule was the three links frozen and it was time to do something but the bike was still rideable. When you are returning home tired n the dark, the bike is freezing cold and filthy, not having to attend to it to get it to work the next morning counts for a lot.

Another plus: downhills are a LOT warmer! Something you really appreciate when it is 10 degrees F.

Throw some cyclecross tires on your fix gear (or the biggest, softest tires you can fit) and try it.

Ben

That's the analogy I usually use to explain to FG vs freewheel to people. And I always thought it was more apt when it comes to winter biking. Riding fixed in snowy/icy/generally ****ty winter weather gives you a better feel for the road conditions, imo.