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Winter Cycling 101

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Winter Cycling 101

Old 11-17-10, 08:41 PM
  #26  
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perhaps there can be a bit more on fenders.
while they will protect drive train parts to a certain degree and mainly keep the rider dry, they will cause excessive build up at the fork crown and stays.
tucking in the rear part of the fender as close as possible to the tire while leaving plenty of room for the rest of it will help reduce build up there. Also, when the snow is the sticky kind, if the fenders sit too closely to the tire, they can cause snow to get packed up inside the fender and turn into slabs of ice which will slow you down, as they'll cause a lot of drag on the tire.
I had to stop a few times to kick out the slabs of ice by hitting the fenders and spinning the wheel backwards on a day with fresh sticky snow. I would say a good rule of thumb is being able to see the other side through the fender and tire.

feel free to take any pictures from here.
https://s199.photobucket.com/albums/a...Obikes/Winter/

Another thing you might want to add, are things you can retrofit or bike so that the winter is not as tolling on the parts.
I would say the motto for that is: "If it's good for mud, it's good for snow."

mud guards for fenders (particularly the front) and lizard skin headset seal. The mud guard, if it extends all the way to the floor, will keep the spray, that the fender doesn't catch from collecting on the crankset and chain. The headset seal, will keep the bottom race, which is the important part, from collecting the spray from the front of the fender and ruining the bearings and races through contamination.


spray from the front of the fender:
https://i199.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/DSC01324.jpg

not a good build up of snow
https://i199.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/DSC01330.jpg

severely bad build up of snow
https://i199.photobucket.com/albums/a...nternuit10.jpg
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Last edited by AEO; 11-17-10 at 08:45 PM.
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Old 11-17-10, 08:42 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
Does anyone want to submit pictures of themselves riding in the winter to add to the gallery ?
My wife caught this picture of me last year, pulling into our driveway after another successful winter commute. And by successful I mean that I stayed upright.

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Old 11-17-10, 09:00 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by hobkirk
Good page. Thanks. Is your terrain pretty flat? It seems it would be quite difficult riding in my area with just 3 gears - or are the gears widely spaced? [I haven't ridden an internal 3 speed in over 50 years.]
These days you can get Internal Hub gears in 5,6,7,8,or 11 speeds. Even 14 if you have lots of cash, and feel like buying a hub that will outlast you.
Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
Done.

I fall more in the winter when I am off, or getting off my bike.
Last Winter I had a bad fall, I stepped off the bus, and 3 seconds later I was trying to figure out how to turn over to get the cell phone out to call for an ambulance. I didn't need one in the end, but spent the next day with a walking stick.

Very good stuff on your site. I think that chainguards can add to chain life, and reduce maintenance demands, also a comment to the effect that your own particular preparations should take account of the type of Winter you will experience. Here in Calgary our situation is similar, if not as cold as you, but road conditions can be a lot sloppier and grittier, due to Chinooks and the city's attitude to snow removal.
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Old 11-17-10, 09:03 PM
  #29  
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Because of my previous comment on the conditions here, I think Discs rule! Another idea is to put a picture on the site of that mod you did for bikes that can't take a fender with the required tires, be they knobbies or studded.
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Old 11-17-10, 09:25 PM
  #30  
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A cork can keep crap from jumping up the head tube, I had a fender mounted using a screw and washers that way last year.
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Old 11-17-10, 09:41 PM
  #31  
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found a typo: "For reflectivity, a safety vest will really make you stand out on the road and will go over whatever jacket you are wearing and you can also by (should be "buy") sashes that slip over clothes that are fairly compact."
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Old 11-17-10, 11:50 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by coldfeet
Because of my previous comment on the conditions here, I think Discs rule! Another idea is to put a picture on the site of that mod you did for bikes that can't take a fender with the required tires, be they knobbies or studded.
Ah... the reacharound.

Will have to find those.
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Old 11-17-10, 11:54 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by irclean
My wife caught this picture of me last year, pulling into our driveway after another successful winter commute. And by successful I mean that I stayed upright.

Great picture !



Added to WC101

Last edited by Sixty Fiver; 11-17-10 at 11:59 PM.
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Old 11-18-10, 12:00 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
found a typo: "For reflectivity, a safety vest will really make you stand out on the road and will go over whatever jacket you are wearing and you can also by (should be "buy") sashes that slip over clothes that are fairly compact."
Fixed.

Thanks.
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Old 11-30-10, 08:38 AM
  #35  
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Excellent page, thanks for making the effort.

I see in post #19 and 23 you guys mentioned pedals but I didn't see any such text. I wonder what's the preferred method clipless/platform/strap for icy conditions (unless i missed it somewhere).
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Old 12-01-10, 12:22 AM
  #36  
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I live in Tahoe and commute daily, 3 degrees on Monday. My best advice is been seen! I have battery operated xmas lights on my Xtracycle deck and thread two head lamps on my helmet. One for front and one for back, inexpensive at Home Depot. Daughter is knitting me a scarf right now with reflective yarn. I will send pics when I have some of me actually on bike.
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Old 12-03-10, 04:47 PM
  #37  
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Here are some homemade Powergrips that I found here on BF.These things work great
I can wear any size shoe that I want when it gets super cold outside. Neos's fit great
in them. I did them for about $12. Go to pg 14 at "Post your winter bike pics" and get
the lowdown.







Some more Winter commuting.

Last edited by scoatw; 12-03-10 at 04:55 PM.
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Old 12-03-10, 11:03 PM
  #38  
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Can I use this ?

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Old 12-04-10, 05:59 PM
  #39  
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Help yourself.
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Old 12-15-10, 03:46 PM
  #40  
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Good info Sixty Fiver. Since people and conditions vary you may want to add a piece about what you wear in what temperatures. It doesn't have to be name brand specific, but something generic.

Also a brief write up of why layering is your friend as well as why certain things are good in principle, but won't necessarily work in practice. For example why plastic coverings can keep you colder or fabrics that don't let your skin breathe or are to tight will keep you cold.

Very nice, and simply done Sixty Fiver.
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Old 12-15-10, 09:57 PM
  #41  
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when i was putting my winter bike together i used anti-seize on all my cables. so far so good. no sticking or frozen cables yet. i also put a bit on the shifters.
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Old 12-15-10, 11:33 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by exile
Good info Sixty Fiver. Since people and conditions vary you may want to add a piece about what you wear in what temperatures. It doesn't have to be name brand specific, but something generic.

Also a brief write up of why layering is your friend as well as why certain things are good in principle, but won't necessarily work in practice. For example why plastic coverings can keep you colder or fabrics that don't let your skin breathe or are to tight will keep you cold.

Very nice, and simply done Sixty Fiver.
I will have to start working on Winter Cycling 202 to get into more technical details... or start indexing things as certain sections expand to include more information.
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Old 12-15-10, 11:34 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by scoatw
Help yourself.
Now you are a star...
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Old 12-20-10, 07:15 PM
  #44  
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My messenger buddies all swear by their fixies in the winter, I tried it in a little bit of snow that fell here the other day on my SS. Ew, full suck, and I rode the "safe" road home, felt so sketchy. I did go out and get a new freewhel and had it sealed up against moister to prevent the dreaded, oh so dangerous frozen/skipping freewheel. Back to the SS MTB with cross style tires thank-you very much. I'll ride the SS Paké when it's cold and dry out, using the fixed side of the flip flop in case I get snow while at work. I can't imagine being in traffic on skinny road tires, and I LIKE riding in traffic.
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Old 12-21-10, 01:02 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer
My messenger buddies all swear by their fixies in the winter, I tried it in a little bit of snow that fell here the other day on my SS. Ew, full suck, and I rode the "safe" road home, felt so sketchy. I did go out and get a new freewhel and had it sealed up against moister to prevent the dreaded, oh so dangerous frozen/skipping freewheel. Back to the SS MTB with cross style tires thank-you very much. I'll ride the SS Paké when it's cold and dry out, using the fixed side of the flip flop in case I get snow while at work. I can't imagine being in traffic on skinny road tires, and I LIKE riding in traffic.
riding in ruts created by feet and tires is not as good as riding over fresh or other forms of compacted snow.
The compacted snow from car tires breaks up when you ride over it, giving a squirrelly ride.
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Old 12-21-10, 05:49 PM
  #46  
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Many years of messin' in montreal winter under my belt , surfin snow and cutting ruts. AEO you're preaching to the choir. In a province where snow tires are the exception compacted snow is a bugger indeed. I can't wait until Ontario makes snow tires in the winter law.
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Old 12-21-10, 06:29 PM
  #47  
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Have been experimenting here and since they have cleared the roads and there is very little ice I decided to break out the Trek.

Have a knobby 700:45 tyre up front to let my crawl out of ruts and improve the ride and a 700:38 Avocet Cross tyre in the back and seems like this set up is going to be great for anything but ice.
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Old 12-21-10, 06:35 PM
  #48  
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has anyone tried 28mm cross tires? I'm hoping to see if I'll get clearance with my road brakes.
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Old 12-21-10, 08:23 PM
  #49  
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My 10 spd already has suffered frozen derailluers and now is a salted up mess. Rubber banded fenders do a pretty good job protecting me but not so much the bike. If I dislike cleaning it during the summer I really dislike cleaning it in the winter. I switch to my fixie/singlespeed for winter because it has fewer parts to muck up, full fenders and 35c tires.

Does anyone found a full chaincase for a fixie or better yet a regular touring 10 speed?
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Old 12-21-10, 08:28 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer
Many years of messin' in montreal winter under my belt , surfin snow and cutting ruts. AEO you're preaching to the choir. In a province where snow tires are the exception compacted snow is a bugger indeed. I can't wait until Ontario makes snow tires in the winter law.
either that or mandatory slick condition driving training.
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