Road bike + off road + snow + pics
12-10-06, 08:49 PM
#1
Still Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Guelph, ON
Posts: 237
Bikes: A 1992 Norco road bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Road bike + off road + snow + pics
I was wondering how my road bike handles snow + ice. I was running on slicks until a week ago, when I fell in front of 6 co-workers 
I switched to knobbies for my front that night, leaving my rear on slicks, and have been very happy since.
Not content with mere road slush, I decided to go off-road. It was a pretty bright day too. This is how my ride started...
Pretty soon I reached the woods. I deflated my tyres to what must've been 20 psi. Oh boy it literally hugs the road. Aside from a slightly swinging tail and sliding my front tyre while turning and going downhill, I had no problems with grip at all.
... but pretty soon I found out that studs are required for certain terrain conditions...
It was a very good ride. 3 hours later, I was exhausted. So I sat down...
...and thought I would cap this thread off with a picture of a goose.
I switched to knobbies for my front that night, leaving my rear on slicks, and have been very happy since.Not content with mere road slush, I decided to go off-road. It was a pretty bright day too. This is how my ride started...
Pretty soon I reached the woods. I deflated my tyres to what must've been 20 psi. Oh boy it literally hugs the road. Aside from a slightly swinging tail and sliding my front tyre while turning and going downhill, I had no problems with grip at all.
... but pretty soon I found out that studs are required for certain terrain conditions...
It was a very good ride. 3 hours later, I was exhausted. So I sat down...
...and thought I would cap this thread off with a picture of a goose.
12-11-06, 09:14 AM
#3
Senior Member
Originally Posted by kill.cactus
I like geese.
In the immortal words of the late, great John Lennon - "give geese a chance"
I ride in winter but only on a MTB bike using knobbies and studs. You certainly have quite a set of bangers on you to do that on a thin tire road bike!
12-11-06, 09:28 AM
#4
Perineal Pressurized
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: In Ebritated
Posts: 6,555
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Aside from a slightly swinging tail and sliding my front tyre while turning and going downhill, I had no problems with grip at all.
But it looks like you had a bang up good time, and that's all that matters in the end.
__________________
This is Africa, 1943. War spits out its violence overhead and the sandy graveyard swallows it up. Her name is King Nine, B-25, medium bomber, Twelfth Air Force. On a hot, still morning she took off from Tunisia to bomb the southern tip of Italy. An errant piece of flak tore a hole in a wing tank and, like a wounded bird, this is where she landed, not to return on this day, or any other day.
This is Africa, 1943. War spits out its violence overhead and the sandy graveyard swallows it up. Her name is King Nine, B-25, medium bomber, Twelfth Air Force. On a hot, still morning she took off from Tunisia to bomb the southern tip of Italy. An errant piece of flak tore a hole in a wing tank and, like a wounded bird, this is where she landed, not to return on this day, or any other day.
12-11-06, 10:25 AM
#5
Living the n+1
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Off the back
Posts: 2,745
Bikes: 2019 RM Blizzard, 2013 SuperX, 2007 Litespeed Vortex, 1970 Falcon Olympic, 2008 RM Metropolis IGH, 2004 Specialized Enduro, 2006 Langster
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Great ride report. It is impressive that you ride those conditions on a road bike.
12-12-06, 07:49 AM
#6
Still Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Guelph, ON
Posts: 237
Bikes: A 1992 Norco road bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks. Where's the fun in cycling when you're not on the verge of losing control 
12-12-06, 09:40 PM
#7
Baby it's cold outside...
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SK, Canada
Posts: 7,310
Bikes: Trek 5000, Rocky Mountain Wedge, GT Karakoram K2, Litespeed Tuscany
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Nice, thanks for sharing... Road Bike in Winter is Rad
__________________
-Trek 5000* -Project Litespeed* -The Italian Job* -Rocky Wedge* -The Canadian Connection*
-Trek 5000* -Project Litespeed* -The Italian Job* -Rocky Wedge* -The Canadian Connection*
12-14-06, 08:23 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: ontario
Posts: 2,234
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Ive been riding an old 10 speed so far this winter.. with the slick 27" wheels, its do-able surprsingly, though I stick to the frequented roads so im always on pavement for the most part (say, cars are helpful sometimes..) its just like riding in rainy weather really... cold rainy wet weather.
I took it a few times in suburban neighborhood areas to see how it would handle on actual hard packed snow with lots of tire grooves making the ground uneven and such.. hell of a work out keeping yourself from wrecking, it was also impossible to go uphill, the backtire would just spin! But as I say its do-able, im sticking to the frequented roads though... thats my advice to you winter road bikers, that and careful 'rounding the turns when the roads wet!
I took it a few times in suburban neighborhood areas to see how it would handle on actual hard packed snow with lots of tire grooves making the ground uneven and such.. hell of a work out keeping yourself from wrecking, it was also impossible to go uphill, the backtire would just spin! But as I say its do-able, im sticking to the frequented roads though... thats my advice to you winter road bikers, that and careful 'rounding the turns when the roads wet!
12-18-06, 06:28 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Madison, CT
Posts: 680
Bikes: '98 Rhygin SS road,'99 Fat Chance Ti Fat, '95 Azonic Mtn bike, '88 Giant Sedona.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
1 Post
Cool pics. Winter has yet to arrive here in CT. It is 50 F at 7:30 am. Got the Nokians on the MTB, but no ice to try them out yet...:-(
12-18-06, 11:44 AM
#11
Gone, but not forgotten
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 4,508
Bikes: spicer fixie, Haro BMX, cyclops track, Soma Double Cross, KHS Flite 100
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by rbrsddn
Cool pics. Winter has yet to arrive here in CT. It is 50 F at 7:30 am. Got the Nokians on the MTB, but no ice to try them out yet...:-(
Same here. I built up a 2 speed SS mtb (Kona smoke coverted to 2 chainrings, 2 cogs, and a chain tensioner) with fat knobby tires over the weekend and yesterday's temperature got up to 15-16 celcius! I test rode it in shorts and t-shirt! I can't wait for some snow so its actually fun to ride the darn thing (reaaaally slow on pavement)!
12-24-06, 12:51 PM
#12
Sore saddle cyclist
Originally Posted by way124
I was wondering how my road bike handles snow + ice. I was running on slicks until a week ago, when I fell in front of 6 co-workers I switched to knobbies for my front that night, leaving my rear on slicks, and have been very happy since.
Not content with mere road slush, I decided to go off-road. It was a pretty bright day too. This is how my ride started...
Pretty soon I reached the woods. I deflated my tyres to what must've been 20 psi. Oh boy it literally hugs the road. Aside from a slightly swinging tail and sliding my front tyre while turning and going downhill, I had no problems with grip at all.
... but pretty soon I found out that studs are required for certain terrain conditions...
I switched to knobbies for my front that night, leaving my rear on slicks, and have been very happy since.Not content with mere road slush, I decided to go off-road. It was a pretty bright day too. This is how my ride started...
Pretty soon I reached the woods. I deflated my tyres to what must've been 20 psi. Oh boy it literally hugs the road. Aside from a slightly swinging tail and sliding my front tyre while turning and going downhill, I had no problems with grip at all.
... but pretty soon I found out that studs are required for certain terrain conditions...
