BenyBen

So, let’s face it, winters can be hard... From riding in tire ruts, to the awful cold, it’s definitely no picnic compared to a careless summer ride.

I know there are seasoned ice bike veterans in here, but some of us are starting, or still learning. So this thread is for those who just faced X centimeters of snow, cycled for the first time in X temperature, and just feel good about it. No matter how small it may look be, it's big for us.

Rules:
-If you feel good about having done it, post it. Be you newbie, or veteran.
-No "bah that's nothing, I did twice as much the other day" posts, or the poster shall be beaten by a team of tai-chi ninjas.

Any volunteers?

Marylandnewbie

BenyBen -- good idea for a thread. Riding on ice or even packed snow is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Even with studded tires, the frozen ruts and slick spots make for some real challenges. Today I did about 3.5 miles on virtually solid ice. A little nerve wracking while riding, but very cool when it was over. Good luck all you snow and ice riders!!

thebulls

Alright, I'll bite:

After a week of pleasant rides in crisp, 20F weather, last night's ride home was in 36F with heavy drizzle. Hadn't brought rain pants since forecast was for colder temp with ice pellets. At least had plastic rain jacket. Decided to stop by bike store in Georgetown (DC), so rode down C&O canal towpath, which had rain-slickened, rutted ice, interspersed with muddy patches. Thank goodness for Nokian Extremes. But couldn't ride up the ramp to the bridge over the canal because rain-slicked ice was too slick for my studs to grab! Had to pull myself up the ramp using the handrail (as did a pedestrian behind me) since my boots had no grip, either. After bike store, continued remaining 6 miles in easier conditions on bike path. Except for my legs, which were soaked, the rest of me was warm and dry--thanks to SealSkinz gloves, pSolar heat-exchanger face mask, helmet cover, neoprene boot covers, and plastic mac. Legs were OK because heat output through thick wet fleece matched loss to wind and water, but harder wind or rain would have been a problem.

CBBaron

Definately a good idea. I know I have been guilty of the "Thats Nothing" post but any one who pushes thier limits should be congratulated. Still I hope we don't get any posts like "It was 40F with a 10mph headwind".
My recent bad weather ride was an even commute after ~5" of snow during the day. I'm really glad I built up my new bike last weekend with studded tires. The studs handled most of the roads with no problem except a short section which was unplowed and rutted. The only problem I have is keeping my glasses clear. With goggles everything fogs up and even without them my glass are covered in melted snow and road spray and usually fogged. I had no problem with my goggles at a dry 4F but a wet 25F makes it very difficult to see specially after dark.
Craig

BenyBen

Well, depending on your location in the world, 40F with a 10mph headwind can be an achievment. Heck, lots of coworkers here already thought I was crazy for riding to work anywhere below 50F.

To bite to my own post, I rode my bike in 40cm of snow this morning (granted, plowed streets help some) and I just learned just how hard tire ruts are hard to navigate. I'll take 10cms of fresh snow anytime over 4 cm's of car mush snow (so hard), but the problem is that the fresh snow anywhere unplowed was 30-40cm.

david.l.k

I've cycled in -16 C with major winds. And I have ridden in up to ten cms of fresh wet snow. I love every day.

Velo Vol 

I did it! I braved 37 degree weather for a 21 miler this evening. And I had the added hazard of a wet spot on the pavement every half mile or so.

You blizzard-loving bikers have nothing on me.

Gojohnnygo.

Rock on Ice Bikers.

A new winter cyclist brings new ideas.

Mtn Mike

I humbly admit that part of the joy of winter cycling is the wow factor that I get from other people.

Yesterday, I managed to impress my fellow cyclists by arriving to a spin class by bike at sunrise. Temp outside: 1 F.

Later in the evening I rode to a professional meeting/xmas party. My colleagues are getting used to that routine though, so I'll have to think of a new trick next time

TanelV

About a week ago there was gaze ice on the roads everywhere and I went on a ride with my studdet tires Nokian WXC 300's. In middle of my ride I catched a car which was itself trying to stay on road. My speed was then 45 kph( 28mph) and I wasn't scared at all! Almost everyone who saw me, looked back, that who is that crazy man!

peregrine

I'm a winter newbie so in the last couple of weeks I've had my first rides at temps below 32F (0 C), while it's snowing and while there are strong sideway gusts Nothing impressive but first-timers for me.

Oldcastle

New winter biking for me too! Had some spills w/o studs and quickly adjusted to defensive driving as you would a 4 wheeled beast

Have so far slugged through fresh snow falls and the consequential sugar snow and cobbled ice. Some days I'm fretting before getting out but once i'm out it's a whole new fresh world. Now with studs finally on theres a whole new confidence that even settles the frettin' down.

Have hit -35c wind chills etc but that really isn't the most difficult part of riding in the winter. It's the 4 wheeled beasts drivers that are the worst part of it.

If I can do the start of this winter w/o a major hitch the next 2 months will be a piece of cake! So to speak.

OC

thebankman

I carried my Miyata over my good shoulder while riding the two miles to my LBS for repairs today, in the rain. Thankfully I got to leave it there and bike home without a load. The return trip was pure pleasure.

Silverexpress

Hello, this is my first year biking in the winter. I always stopped cycling about mid October. Bronchitis was my major foe. Wet leaves and possiblity of ice was also a big concern.

Well having discovered Bikeforums.net and Icebike.com changed all that. I've since learned about the psolar mask, and Nokian studded tires. Clothing was never an issue, had the gear from xc skiing already (something I did 3-6 times in the winter).

It's now the end of december and I'm still cycling! What's really nice is I just walk out the side door into the garage and I'm on the bike in no time. With other winter sports, like xc skiing, I gotta drive 1 hr away to find some decent trails.
With downhill, it's like 1 hr driving, and then about $50, and a whole entire day!

What really bums me out are the half a dozen Spinergy DVD's I bought right around the end of September. DoH! I was starting to gearup for another winter on the trainer in the basement. Yuck.
I could've spent that money on a nexus hub or some other winter gear.

Alas, I think I've put in equal the mileage of July and August already on my Winterized commuter.

This is just all to kool. I think a new cycling sport is in the makes here, and I wouldn't be surprised if Trek and or Giant starts offering a mass produced winter bike soon.

mexredknee

Thanks for the thread BenyBen.
In the Fall I bought my bike to lower my gas cost. Now I strickly use the bike for every trip I can. I haven't stopped. I took every piece of advice I read here.

At first I was asked "Why are you riding your bike in the Winter?" I said "I'm having too much fun to stop!" Others, who are more intriged, ask "How does that ride in the snow?" or "My husband and I ride in the Summer but I never thought you could ride in the Winter. Aren't you cold?" I think I've become an advacate for Winter Cycling. lol

The riding conditions varied with temperature and salt. When the temp. drops the snow turns crusty and I have to avoid the snow debri because it's like running over rocks. When the roads are salted things turn slushy and I don't have to ride as carefully.

Riding has brought back a childhood love I forgot I had. I only use the car when I have to take someone somewhere. I only fill the tank once a month.

Riding my bike has been liberating. When I ride in the cold temps I feel I conquered Mother Nature a little. It's a great feeling to know that the weather can't stop me.

I agree Silverexpress.
I hope that Trek or Giant comes out with a Winter cycle, perhaps with rust proofing. I know I'd buy one.

bullethead

WooHoo! First post operative ride yesterday(appendectomy) Nice and cold outside, gingerly tested my new studs over some frozen patches in road. Really nice. 6 miles. about 20F. Comfortable, but I need mittens.

BenyBen

Good stuff people. It's fun to see there's new people to this. And even around where I am, I seem to be noticing more people doing it in the winter. Maybe it's because I'm doing it that I notice others more?

Thulsadoom

Hello All. I'm brand new here, so I figured that this would be a good place for my first post.

Did my December century yesterday. Since I've recently become single and didn't have much going on for X-mas, I thought that my present to myself would be to just ride all day, and have a slow, easy century.

Considering I've been riding in temps ranging from -10 F, to around 25 F, it was a pretty nice day, around 32-35 F, and cloudy, and with not much wind.

Left about 8:30 in the morning, right after a light breakfast, with a 100oz camelback with plain water under my outer coat, and two 33 oz. Zefal Magnum bottles(that I hoped wouldn't freeze) of Gatorade. 2 Clif bars, 2 powerbars, 2 small baked potatos for food. My beater winter bike is an old steel Raleigh, with knobby tires, Brooks B-17 saddle, flat bar with ATB end extensions, triple, with fenders. About 35 pounds.

I'm always amazed at how much fluid I go through in the winter, sometimes up to twice the fluid I would use in the summer for a comparable amount of time. The first leg of my ride is about 60 miles out and back, and I drank all the water and Gatorade I had during that time, and only two urination stops. Some of the roads are unpaved, so they were covered in ice and snow. Plus all of the the roads around here are salty, slushy, snowy, so it was slow going. Beautiful scenery though, I live in an area with a lot of waterfront roads, and in the winter it's just as pretty as in the summer, IMHO. I felt pretty good when I got back to the house, so I changed my jersey for a dry one, filled up with fluids, ate a quick sandwich, and got going again.

My left knee, on the left side, started to pain me about 10 miles down the road, which is a common problem with me on longer rides if I'm not careful about how hard I'm mashing in the beginning. But when riding in the winter on snowy roads it's not always easy to keep a smooth stroke. So I sort of slowed down and tried to spin as smoothly as possible, but I knew I had over 30 miles ahead of me still, so I had to decide whether to turn around, or just stay with it. Thankfully there was not a headwind, so I was able to just plod along. The last 10 miles or so were a little tough, but all in all it was a good ride. Everyone that saw me seemed to be in a festive mood, and yelled out Merry Christmas, so it kept me in a pretty good mood.

Got back home at about 4 PM, so it was about 7 1/2 hours total with stops and stuff. Left knee is still aching a little, but should be fine tomorrow.

I love riding in the winter. I think there's nothing like exercise when it's cold out, because you get to breathe that crisp, cold, clean winter air. I'm thinking of another long ride on New years day, depending on the weather. I'll ride in the snow, cold, whatever..everything but sleet/freezing rain. That's the worst.

pakole

I will go through my list of first.

1. This is my first winter riding.
2. Riding in - 4 F with wind chill weather
3. Riding on ice without studs for about a mile and handle it rather well
4. Riding while it snowing.
5. Responding to the dazed people, "Is it not too cold for biking?" with "Not with the right equipment."

That is all I have.

bullethead

dumped my bike in a rut trying to read a sign on a van for sale, sprained wrist DOH!! Hope I'm going to learn from that one. Was at least pleased to see claw marks from my studs trying to keep me on the road

naisme

Mine are easy:
I commuted 25 miles one way two winters ago. I made it home in -10F, or was it -12, it was cold and I was stupid, I got home hypothermic, and jumped in the shower, and dranked warm liquids the rest of the night.
My best "I did it" was the night I braved -23F. I got a mile out on the commute when the bike quit on me. My fixed gear hub's cone nuts froze and tightened driving the sealed bearings inwards, and trashing the hub. I walked back to work and got a ride that night. I didn't make it home that night, by bike, but I did get out and try.
I think every night I come home on my bike and didn't get hit or slide off into some gultch, or freeze like the mountain man in Jerimiah Johnson with my hands still clutching my handle bars has always been an "I did it."

ItsJustMe

My record last year was -10*F. So far this year the coldest has been -4*F.

Last year I had a hell of a time with my drink freezing. I packed it hot but by halfway through my commute it'd be frozen. I bought a Polar bottle to try to solve the problem, but when I gear up for winter with my bottle battery, light switchbox, frame pump and whatnot, I can't fit it on the frame anymore.

I solved this problem by deciding I could make it 45 minutes without a drink, so I don't mount a bottle anymore when it's cold.

For me the "I did it" comes when I pull off the end of 4 miles of badly rutted snow covered gravel and onto pavement every morning on the way in. Those ruts try to throw me every day. But so far I've only fallen in my own driveway, plus one time when the first snowfall caught me offguard and I didn't have my studs mounted yet.