rumrunn6

jump to answer: 30 lbs psi for 26" MTB studded tires (for me, approx 215 lbs + bike & gear)

Continental Spike Claw Studded Mountain Bike Tire (240 studs)

On New Year's Eve (day) we had a 3" snowfall and I finally got out into it - and got an education in winter bicycling! The snow just stopped and temps were in the low 30s. By the end of the trip the temps would be in the high 20s.

I was gonna just test the tires on the dirt road to the water tower (.5 miles) but wound up spending 4+ hrs away from home; 3+ hrs of which where I in the saddle. I made it to the water tower - see bike pics. sorry they stink - they are from my cell phone - I was gonna bring a nice camera but then changed my mind.

This was also the maiden voyage for the used rigid GT MTB that I picked up for $30. Meaning 1st time out of my condo complex. I was surprised at how poorly it was stopping and have since made some adjustments and cleaned the rims with solvent. I'm hoping they do a better job stopping tomorrow. I had pumped the tires to about 60 lbs psi when I mounted them so I gradually aired them down along my journey until they were really soft - 20 lbs psi maybe.

After reaching the tower I thought I would try my regular commute and just what it would be like. At first I rode the sidewalks getting used to the aired down tires resorting to the exposed (plowed) paved roadway only when necessary. Riding the pavement on really low tires was disconcerting and I didn't care for it. As stated above I would later find a higher pressure (30 lbs psi) suitable for the roadway but low enough to provide enough flotation over snow covered terrain.

My commute is 13 miles one-way. The fastest I've ever done it in the summer on a quiet Sunday morning running some stops was 45 minutes. Typically it takes 50 minutes and sometimes 55 minutes. In the rain and cold it got longer - closer to 60 minutes. On this day it took 120 minutes! I attribute this to the low air pressure and more stops for resting and warming; but mostly because i took the sidewalks which were not shoveled. (see roadway and snow covered sidewalk picture below) I was too nervous to take the streets.

For the ride home, in the dark, I would air up and take the roads. It was cold; New Year's Eve and I knew my light didn't have another 2 hours of high power left. Plus I was in trouble for taking off on new year's eve. My job was the Chinese food, and I kept people waiting. I took off around 2:00 and got home around 6:30. So, cars be dammed, I took back my rightful place as a vehicle (on the road).

On a side note, my main headlight died 5 miles from home and I had to ride blind (kicking myself for deciding to leave the backup headlight home). I still had strobes front and rear but dodging potholes and broken roadway using only occasional car headlights and random street lights was a bit tricky. I was close to home though so after so much, nothing was gonna stop me.

The trip was a real learning experience; getting the tire pressure right; managing the cold feet and navigating the varied roadways.

After the 1st 1.5 hrs I stopped to eat raisins hoping to warm my feet by stopping and flexing in someone's driveway. I was eying port-o-potties at construction sites as possible places to take my shoes off but kept going. It took a good hour at Dunkin Donuts to get ready for the ride home. Thanks to hot coffee, bathroom hand dryers, and chemical toe warmers I was able to make the trip home without losing any toes. In the future, any cold weather trip over 50 minutes will include chemical toe warmers.

The spouse got the Chinese food and I never enjoyed a 20 minute hot soak as much as I did that night. Later, at the party, the host mentioned he saw someone going up Goodman's Hill Rd (Sudbury, MA) (which is a killer in the best conditions) and said he thought the guy was in the "special forces" because of the reflective gear; lighting and hardcore attitude. It was a big laugh when I told him that guy was me.

rumrunn6

well, this was funny to re-read after all these years

fietsbob

I think I run My Suomi Nokians at about 2~3 bar..

Thorn resistant tubes , I only pump them up once for the 3~4 Months , the Bike Needs to be ready to grab.

Super low?, Glue 1 tire bead to the Rim, so Tire wont creep and shear off the stem..



...

Leebo

Super low? Think about tubeless.

epdarks

Great story, dude. Enjoyed reading it. It gets scary when the toes start to go numb. All is well at the beginning of the winter ride; an hour in, everything tends to go to sh1t. That mental battle is half of it.

rumrunn6

thanks, that was also the day/night I strained my IT band. 3 factors contributed: saddle too high, with low tires I was straining the pedal more than I should have & temps too cold for too long. I think it took 6 mos to recover from the iliotibial band syndrome. took me a long time to discover the foam roller :/

Abe_Froman

My IT band issues are going on 7 years now I think. Only bothers me when I try to run. Don't like running so me and this injury were meant to be.

Bikewolf

Thanks for sharing!

Winter cycling is adventure ... every year. (Maybe I should carry a sleeping bag with me this time.)