What is your winter bike?
 

As winter approaches I am wondering: for those who ride fixed the rest of the year, will you ride the same bike over the winter? Or will you ride a dedicated winter bike? Or will you swap out some parts for winter? If so, which ones? Is anybody adding brakes?

Drop bars, 23c slicks, and clipless pedals is no way to roll in the ice and snow. I ride a hybrid with 40mm studded snows when the roads are slippery. If the roads are dry I stick to my normal fixed gear track bike.

Ride Safe,
Joe

IRO Rob Roy single speed. 35mm knobby tires, canti brakes. Fun for hitting some trails and gravel paths, and perfect for cruising around town when the weather turns.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...238c2de89d.jpg

Lol.


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My BMX fixie; it has 20x2.11 tires and is fixed at a moderate gearing. I've made sure that it's fully legal (just needs a front light when sun is down).

I plan to continue to do tricks in the winter. A perk with it being a BMX is that if I wipe out due to snow or ice, it would be much easier to bail from—the top bar being so low.

She may not be pretty looking, but she's certainly pretty handy! :thumb:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...be043296b6.jpg

My version of winterizing my single speed was re-installing the chain guard. Just to keep my pants clean in the cool months. There's no real winter down here. :D

Here's an old picture of mine at work. I put on studded tires in the winter, but I'm not very courageous when the snow gets deep or the roads get really icy, though.

https://i.imgur.com/PyJbmjQ.jpg

I miss AZ. ;)

My current cold weather/winter ride is a 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile. It's a three wheeler, so I don't mind a little snow. If it gets really sketchy I'll throw some Conti winter tires on the front and a studded rear.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c50b26220b.jpg

@Notso_fastLane, That's a very cool ride! I live in West Point and have seen you on the roads, usually when you (and I) are on the way to work at HAFB.

This summer, I decided to build a dedicated winter bike, so I could keep my nice bikes clean, and not have to fuss with tires every season. The idea is that this bike will live in my back yard behind the compost pile until the salt trucks come out, then will go back there after the spring rains wash the salt away. For my purposes, winter cycling is defined, not by snow but by salt.

The frame is a 1972 Schwinn Varsity. Sure, it's heavy, but I think it only adds a few pounds to the overall bike. The wheels are a series of lucky bargains: Sun CR18 rims on sale for 8 bucks apiece at Niagara Cycle, spokes from Dan's Comp, and a Shimano coaster hub that I got on eBay for a buck. Tires are studded Nokian. Everything else is from my bins. The chain is pre-rusted, from last winter on another bike.

I love the Ashtabula crank. Of course it's been surpassed by higher performance components, but it was an innovative solution to a complex problem when it was invented.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8209d35b1c.png

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c42285cc64.jpg

I need to get fenders on this if I ride in the snow but this is my general slop machine if I am looking for single speed/fixed gear though my parts hybrid is my general winter bike as it has fenders on it.

Also as of note I fixed the bars from that ancient photo and swapped the tires to another set of Challenge Open Tubulars but those are 700x36 Gravel Grinders in black also now have the XT T8000 pedals on it currently because I did a little bikepacking on it and wanted to again ride clipless but had removed those XT pedals in for some plain old flats. Also the front bag from Swift Industries is pretty permanent.

Here is most of the specs aside from the changes listed above:
https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/fgss-...-machine-34058

With spike tyres when the snow and ice will arrive XD

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d0217e278d.jpg

style!

Thanks everybody! Any of you deal with salt sand and mud? Are you washing your winter ride every day?

If you ever want to come take a look at it, let me know.

Here is my winter ride. It has spike 40mm tires.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5c94fb7990.jpg

Perfect depth of snow

Mine just goes into the garage. However, I started doing something last winter. I fill a 2 gallon watering can from my garden, and keep it in the garage, to rinse off my bike if needed. That way, I don't have to fuss with the hose, which I have to shut off because the pipe freezes. Before winter, I coat the steel parts with a spray that leaves a waxy residue. I warn people not to touch my winter bike, if they want to stay clean.

Love it. I need to post an updated picture of my bfssfg IRO Rob Roy, but it’s in pieces right now as I am performing a few upgrades.

I use a Surly Steamroller with big, studded tires all through winter and I truly love it. I sometimes forget how nifty it is to have a frame with such generous clearances—though every Autumn I am reminded again. The frame and studded tires allow me to remain nimble throughout the worst of the season, and I often find myself having a tremendous amount of fun out there :)

Thank you, sir. I would love to see it up close. Such a cool vehicle! I’ll send you a PM.

Nice, I picked this one up from a guy on eBay, wondered if maybe he was a BF dude but never got around to asking.

No need to switch bikes for winter here.. only difference is... it's colder

That's a good looking winter bike. I'm going "upscale" this winter. I have a surly 1 x 1 frame and I just picked up a set of Avid BB7 disc brakes on a blow out. This will be my first "modern" bike build, :).

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1c06857936.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...00422f77d1.jpg
IRO Rob Roy dinglespeed with numerous recently added upgrades. Drive train is a White Industries 17;19t freewheel and 38;40t chainrings. That gives me a both a road/gravel gear (64gi) and a singletrack/snow gear (54 gi). Clip-on fenders will still fit in there with the 37mm WTB Riddler tires.

It is my summer bike plus fenders and lights.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/A5...w1388-h1041-no