Originally Posted by
Gresp15C
Wisconsin's probably not as variable, and probably not as wet. When I was in south central Ohio last year, I was impressed by how lush and green everything was. And hilly.
I deal with the changing weather, at least in Wisconsin, by being over-prepared. I install the studs and leave them on until spring. My bike has a big basket so I can bundle up in the morning and doff a couple of layers if needed during the day. I could go faster without that stuff, but it's all a matter of tradeoffs.
Similarly, I have posted,
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...The studs stay on the beater through most of March.
Carbide studs are reputed to last a long time
. I ride studded tires all winter from December to March, nearly entirely on bare, wet, and/or salted pavement. However, now my beater bike is an aluminum Diverge Elite road bike and I have 30 C Schwalbe Marathon studded tires, the narrowest I know of.
I really like the Schwalbe tires because I don't seem to feel the increased rolling resistance many claim for more aggressively treaded studded tires.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
On my beater bike, one pannier bag contains my ever-present rain pants, Gore-tex wrap around shoe covers, a long-sleeved, adequate cycling jacket, and a billed baseball cap. if the rain is heavy enough; I would avoid a downpour if possible (as a commuter).
Wet feet are miserable in any weather, and I do use plastic bags inside the shoes.
IMO, the worst riding conditions I might encounter is rain at less than about 40° F, and I carry two pairs of relatively waterproof fisherman type gloves,one Neoprene and one rubberized, to get me to work. A shower and a large table fan await me there.
The other pannier contains various additional items of clothing, or is empty enough to contain items I doff en route.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-10-18 at 10:10 AM.