2manybikes

Do you have a bike just for the snow?
Do you modify your bike for the snow in the winter?
Got a photo?

GreyGoat

You read my alleged mind! I was just thinkin we needed a thread for winter rides.. I'll update here when I can get some pictures of mine when it's done. I'm waiting on a new set of wheels(via UPS tomorrow I hope). Moving up to 8speed from 6 on an '85' Ross after breaking a spoke and finding my nipples too corroded to repair(not as painful as it sounds)..I'm stripping it down, will flush some oil thru the tubes, and rebuild.. I got time to wrench since I still can't ride because of broken fibula, hard cast came off today, and I'm wrenchin getting ready for some cycling PT!...

mechBgon

I have one bike in functioning condition right now, so it's an "everything bike," snow included Later this week I'll add a pic or two, after my new tires and fenders are on it.

kaleid

Winter Bike (Family bike during the summer)





Summer/Play bike

TrekDen

I don't know if my hardtail counts as a snow bike, but here's a pic anyways. It is a comfortable ride, and I'm sure with some fenders, and some other add ons it would make a good winter ride.

2manybikes, your bike is too darn pretty to take out in the elements. That thing is cleaner than the load of laundry I just finished, and folded.

2manybikes

Thanks.
The fenders keep most of the goop off the bike. It's amazing how much the fenders even work in mud. It's 11 years old this year. I never put it away damp or dirty. I have a compressor to blow off water, it makes the job much, much, easier. I also can heat my garage so I can make a huge mess on the floor and still get the bike clean and dry. That makes it easier too.

Albany-12303

I use my Giant hardtail (aluminum 1999) as a winter bike. So far, I dont have a problem with rust. I rinse it well with water every few weeks and dry it with an old towel before putting it back in my (non-heated) garage. Also, I use lots of oil (green stuff that I bought in LBS) on the chain and derailleurs.

Sometimes I ride my old Steel Nishiki during the winter, but not too much (I am afraid that the frame could rust)

Silverexpress

2manybikes, do you ride on "salted" roads? If so, what kind of wear have you had on your 11 yr old winter commuter? Likewise, what parts have you had to replace often due to winter riding?

2manybikes

Rarely salted roads, only a few times a year. Not enough to really effect the bike much.

That bike has always had the studded tires on it for the last five years or so. I don't ride that in the winter unless there is ice or at least some snow to help protect the studs from the dry pavement. They do salt the roads, but not that often. There is not really good studded tire weather that often here either. If the road is clear, which is most of the time, even if there is salt and water I ride another bike. However, the low front fender and mud flap keeps almost all the crud off the drive train. All my bikes that go in the wet weather have mud flaps down to almost the ground, it makes a huge difference. I do ride off road in the snow as much as possible, but the snow is clean and without salt. It does not rust or wear the components much.

That bike has only about 8,000 miles on it and I have only replaced one chain, one freewheel, one rear derailleur, and cables, just from normal wear.

These two bikes get most of the salt and winter mileage..

The geared bike has NOT had these parts replaced

seat post
brake calipers
front rim ,spokes, and hub (not cones and bearings)
frame
fork
rear fender

royalflash

Here is mine:

It has Sun double-wide rims with Nokian Extreme 296 tyres (2.1 wide).






I can ride over almost anything on this

TrekDen

My bikes go right thru that door you see behind mine in the photo. That leads right into my warm, and dry basement, where I have a small compressor, water, and plenty of drainage. Hose it down, blow it off, and very little towel drying left to finish. I learned the compressor trick when I started washing motorcycles for my neighbor when I was younger. It really does make the drying process a whole lot easier. On a motorcycle, a leaf blower will do it in no time flat.

2manybikes

Can you tell me some of the pros and cons of the wide rims. How low can you run the tires? Does it increase the footprint of the tire much? Thanks. I think about those every single winter and never get around to doing anything about it.

mechBgon

Bonus points for incorporating a DynoHub into that beastie, royalflash

rilles

Borrowed the wife's bike and converted it into a winter beater (innova studded front, aggresive mud rear).

royalflash

the only cons for the wide rims are the cost of having to buy them and the extra weight.

the pros are that the footprint of the tyre is slightly increased (but not by as much as you would expect) and that the tyres can be run at very low pressure. This is great when the snow hits. I have been running the tyres at about 35 psi on ice and then down to about 17.5 psi for snow. It may be possible to go lower but from reading the icebike site I might start to need adhesive to glue one side of the tyre to the rim and I haven´t got any. Under about 20 psi the rear tyre starts to squirm quite a bit on corners (I weight slightly over 200 lbs) but this doesnt matter so much as if you are riding in snow when the cornering is not so precise anyway.

At low pressure they are amazing for snow- I have ridden them commuting and also off road through deep snow and ice and they are really good. Some really deep soft sections were still hard going but you really feel that you can ride over almost anything with these wheels.

When the snow goes however it is better to increase the pressure back up a bit as the drag of running them at low pressure on a clear road is definitely noticeable.

They have really made a difference to my commute - now I dont really care if the bike paths have been cleared and can use the bike lanes without being forced to get in the road with the reckless car drivers bashing into each other.

I enjoy riding over the snow and ice now whereas before I was just sort of hanging on and hoping for the best.

royalflash

you have good eyesight- how did you spot the SON ? - I should have made the picture bigger

mechBgon

I first noticed the headlight and then made the logical deduction about the hub, which the pics seemed to support insofar as I could see. Or maybe I'm just spying on you through your optical mouse.

How does that light do for you, is it pretty good?

Machka 

My snowbike was also my commuter.

royalflash

yes its good- not a HID of course but very reliable-always having a minimum level of light when the batteries decide to give up at inconvenient moments is handy

plodderslusk

I have posted this one elsewhere under winter cycling but I am a champion for converting old MTB frames to studded winter SS bikes. This is a mid-eighties Scott Teton. My longest ride on snow last winter was a 65 mile trip, a lot of it on late winter frozen ski tracks. The slack angles/long wheelbase of these ancient frames makes for a secure ride in slippery conditions. Paralell dropouts means no hassle with tensioning the chain.

Zin

Here is my old Raleigh Mustang ATB set up specifically for snow running Planet Bike fenders & Nashbar studded snow tires.

mechBgon

Thanks I'm getting my touring bike back into useable condition and may pick up that headlight, although I'll have to go budget on the generator and use my Union behind-the-BB one.

Boiler

My ride, homemade studs and light. I was doing wheelies and endos the other night on glare ice. Rides like a tank, sounds like one too on dry pavement.

GreyGoat

winter woody!.. new wheels came in today, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.... rebuild in progress..

chipcom 

Any problems with snow and slush build up with the fenders?