Hey, I have the smae L200 Trek.
 

I just bought the LTreek 200 bike and love / hate the bike. What I love all the equipment. I love the fact that I bought the bike with all the custom gear already installed. IT rides like a dream. I am not sure it will handle all the snow an such but hopefully it will

Compared to my road bike it is very slow, that is what i hate. In talking with my bike store the guys were sayting that in rough weather it will not really matter that much. He said you could try your Road bike but you will be exhausted because of the smaller tires makes it slower and more dangerouse thus you willl be mentally exahasted. He indicated that there is really only so fast you can go in the snow and you want stable tires. Your thoughts on the Trek L 200 ?

Jay

I fell last year, broke four ribs and punctured my lung.
I lost a month of work.
If any chance of frost or ice exists, I now ride with studs.

I would like to have internal gears and disc brakes, but I have to budget.
Maybe some day.
In the meantime, I have V brakes and premium gear/brake cables, and I lubricate the moving parts of my deraileurs almost daily with a light oil.

I ride with two 10 watt lights, forward (one on my handlebars and one on my helmet), with separate batteries for each light, and two flashers in back.
My lights and batteries represent my biggest investment (close to $300) and my Nokian studded-tires represent my second largest equipment investment.

I also have lots of reflective clothing and a white helmet.
I have searched and searched for the perfect glove, and have not yet found it.
I think I need to go to Pearl Izumi Lobster Gloves.

This year I plan to get some Lake Winter Bike Shoes, about $200.

I find keeping my hands and feet warm the hardest.
Everything else I can keep warm.

Oh, yes.
Double and triple-layered bar tape will keep the handlebars from draining the heat out of your hands.
And try Smart Wool medium weight socks.

IMO a SS conversion of an ancient MTB with studs and rack and fenders is the best winter bike. I changed the brakes to LX V-brakes for better stopping power. The loong wheelbase of these dinosaurs makes them ideal for really difficult conditions, last winter I rode through a park with 5" of new snow on my way to work.

SS has its merits in winter over cassette/derailleur geared bike. But not because of rear hub pawls freezing, as that can be solved by changing the hub oil. Directions are at the icebike web site. The problem is, if conditions are bad enough, your cassette/der gear mechanics will not work for long, rendering the bike effectively singlespeed. Nothing much you can do to prevent that.

If your winters are bad, consider geared hub at rear, dynohub at front. Transmission- and lighting-wise, that's about as troublefree as it gets. Well, single speed is even more troublefree, but I prefer gears.

Brakes, I've never had a rim brake fail due to cold weather / snow / slush etc. But I ride purely on road. My winter beater used to have canti brakes, but I "upgraded" to V. Both are ok, but I would think drum brakes to be the easiest to maintain.

Studs, fenders and platform pedals are a must for me, but your mileage may vary. For the road I too prefer the Nokian W106 Hakkapeliitta.

Many suggestions mentioned here add weight, add rolling resistance or otherwise reduce efficiency. The bike will not feel remotely as responsive as in the summer. Personally, I don't mind that, for two reasons: firstly, winter riding is a different game anyways. If you have snow and/or ice, it will be different (and if you don't, then quit talking about "winter" :)) And secondly, when you get to ride with summer gear again, it feels unbelieveably light.

[edit] Oh yes, I'm no great fan of suspension systems for road use anyways, but in winter they're definitely a no-no. For reasons that have been stated in this thread already. [/edit]

--J

I picked up the Lake MXZ-301 winter shoe from Lickton's in Chicago (online also), for $149. Haven't gotten them yet.

The L200 will never be a fast bike, but tucking out of the wind helps and keeps it from blasting your chest. The Nashbar trekking bar works for me along with gel tape double lapped at 1/2" for extra cushion. Platform pedals with SPD clips on one side supports SPD and winter boots as needed.

One more mod on my L200 I decided to make is to get the Nexus NX-30 hub generator and switch from PeterWhiteCycles.com. The hub is $45-$55, and will work more reliably than the bottle dynamo and with less friction. A worthwhile upgrade for winter where bottles slip and drag. I'm also going to add a second light and new rear with the capacitor feature so at least one light will be on at stops (be seen!).

Folding Bikes - work best for winter
 

I have been riding through harsh new england winters for years now. I have turned to this forum and other online sources for helpful tips on making it more feasible to ride year round. Unfortunately, most of the bikes i have used (whether single speed, multispeed beater, or internal hub) require some major maintenance once spring rolls around...and it gets rather pricey!
What i realized 2 years ago was the beauty of folding bikes. The ability to bring your bike inside with you is the best way to keep things working the way they are intended. And bringing a bike inside (whether my apartment, a friends place, or work) is far more feasible with a folding bike. Unfortunately, folding bikes do not handle as well as traditional bikes; and this is even more apparent in less than ideal conditions (aka any day during winter). Well thats what i thought until late january of last year...
I got a Montague boston 8...and i realized that it is the PERFECT bike for winter. Internal hub lets me change gears and not have to worry about an exposed derailleur freezing, the fenders keep me dry and clean (well mostly), and best of all it handles as well as any traditional bike.

The reason why is that Montague bikes are full sized. Full wheels, full sized frame, and yet it can fold and fit into a car's trunk (apparently even a smart car, but who drives those?), under a desk at the office, or in a closet (which is where i keep mine).

Seriously try a Montague! I am a fanboy, but these bikes are legit. I mean the military uses them! Ok now im just rambling...time to go for a ride!

oh i added a link to the Boston 8, the bike i ride! (i also have a caad 9, but that is only ridden when it is nice out, which wont be until march or april...ugh)

http://www.montaguebikes.com/boston-8-folding-bike.html