jrickards

Hi All:

I would like to consider a winter bike but this year, the finances aren't there to do it properly (IMO) so right now, I'd just like to gather info.

My bike choice seems to be moving toward an old, shockless, MTB that would be converted to a single speed. Although I love my SPD pedals, I think I'd go with flat BMX style pedals (with the points on the pedals to grip the bottom of the boot) and a hipster/fixie style footstrap.

Regarding winter tires: My feeling is that fatter (45-55mm) tires offer more area to get traction but may float on snow whereas skinnier (32-35mm) tires may cut through snow but offer less traction because of the narrower width. So, which is better: fatter or skinnier? The routes/roads available to me, in this "not exactly bike friendly city" would likely not be good for me to ride on a cleared tire track so I may have to ride either on the sidewalk, the side of the road (there are bike lanes on some parts of the route but last year, they were not fully plowed) or some bike paths (also, poorly or infrequently plowed). Therefore, bike tire decisions should be based on riding on some amount of snow.

Regarding bike position: From the winter bikes photos, it appears that a number of people are using an old MTB but with road bars: does this offer an advantage?

digibud

Fatter tires better. BMX pedals would work fine. I use platform pedals with Powergrips and Keen boots. Shockless for sure. I swap my fork out each winter. If you can afford it, studded tires are so helpful on ice. They can be home made too but normal screws won't last very long. For snow, studs aren't too important. They just help with ice. For snow, wide tires with large open mud-type knobs rule. I don't find drop bars helpful. Getting a solid grip on the brakes isn't so easy as flat bars.

alan s 

I'm more concerned with getting a flat tire than slight differences in traction in the winter. I run studded tires when warranted. Go with the tires that offer the most flat protection.

MichaelW

In refrozen rutted snow, fatter tyres cope much better than thinner ones. I have ridden lots with 32mm touring style rubber but now use a DIY-studded MTB tyre.

blakcloud

For a Sudbury winter, I would go with the fatter rather than skinnier. If you can afford studded tires, I would go that route. If not knobbies will work for you. You don't need a drop bar, no advantage in the winter. I have done both ways when it comes to gears. Last year I used a Surly Singulator and went single speed. This year I am going to try a derailleur again but I don't have to deal with as much snow as you do.

digibud

I'm not sure what your roads look like when it's winter but locally ours are covered in snow or ice. I have never gotten a flat with my Nokia 294's. Of course it could happen and I am prepared for it with C02, a pump, tools, patches and most importantly, extra clothing to keep me warm if I have to stop and change a tire at -20F, but with a coating of ice and snow on the road, the little bits that typically cause a flat are of no concern. I see a lot of riders in the winter that clearly have no spare clothing and would be in real trouble if they had to stop for 20 or 30 min. Removing a rear tire in sub zero temps can be a bit of a challenge...just keeping your hands warm enough to do what needs to be done....and swapping the tube (I have never tried to actually patch something at that temp..doubt it would work well) is not easy. So give good thought to what you need to really be prepared and keep your cell phone battery charged.

alan s 

We'll put, digibud. I carry an extra windproof layer in the event of a flat or breakdown. If you are in a developed area, not such a big concern, but I'm riding in areas that could be at least a couple miles from shelter.

modernjess

For winter commuting for Fatter vs. skinny tires : I prefer fatter tires for snow and stability in changing conditions. I run Nokian W106 35mm studded tires on my commuter (a cross check). While these are not FAT per se they have enough tread to handle snow and the studs are mission critical for ice. So generally they are good in all winter conditions with variations in tire pressures depending on the day. With that said, there are plenty of robust riders around here who prefer skinny tires and fixed gear bikes all through the winter and they claim the skinny's cut through the snow better. It's not for me though and when it comes down to it it's about your comfort level and conditions and having a rig you want to ride.

Shockless mountain bike: It's a good idea for a start, plenty of tire choices available, cheap and easy to find a good candidate and spare parts for that.

Single speed: I ran that for a couple of winters and it sucked. Too much work with the extra clothes, studded tire drag, headwinds, snow etc. Some days it was just too much work and it made me weary and I started to dread the ride. I realized I don't need reasons to not ride in the winter, so I use an IGH now it makes a big difference for me. YMMV of course.

Drop bars: I do not like them at all for winter. I switch to an Albatross, or a flat bar with bar ends for winter. I like the more upright position, the location of the brakes, and the wider bar gives me better balance in the sketchy stuff. Again YMMV.

pyze-guy

I also carry extra mittens and chemical hand warmers so i can keep my hands warm when fixing a flat, also keeps my riding gloves dry.

pyze-guy

I prefer fixed gear and skinny tires for winter. I have the luxury of 3 bikes to choose from, and we generally dont have frozen rutted snow roads here. This year i have 23's on my fixed gear, will run studded tires on the mtb (I run it fixed gear for winter) and cx bike with 25's for nicer/dry days. The majority of the roads on my commute are plowed and dry, Toronto salts the hell out the roads so I stay away from a bike with lots of parts. I find fixed best as aside from normal winter maintenance like repacking bearings etc i dont have to worry about the salt ruining the cassette, deraileurs, and the salty road grim destroys rims. At the end of the winter I remove the chain, dip into a garbage can and let go. I prefer skinny tires to cut through the fresh snow and slush, I hate the the "floating" that fat mtb tires give. I find I have almost no control over the bike. I have no preference over drops vs. flat bars. My cx and mtb both have wide flared drops and the fixed gear has wide flat bars with bars ends.

TuckamoreDew

You know your finances best, but it CAN be done pretty cheap.

What kind of bike do you have right now? Have you tried riding it in the winter? You can get a feel for winter riding without committing to commuting just by taking it out for an occasional recreational spin on local sidewalks / quiet roads / trails.

A rigid mountain bike is a good choice. I don't think going single speed is a real advantage: it's nice to have the option of gears. If you use friction shifting instead of indexed it usually works pretty well. If your shifting freezes up...you temporarily have a single speed bike, anyway. Or maybe a three speed, as my front derailleur has almost never stopped working.

I like nice, knobby "standard" sized mountain bike tires(26" X approx. 2.0"). I like the knobby ones because you can get a bit of a paddlewheel action going, as opposed to smoother tires that tend to spin out more. The DIY studded tires work pretty well, and are cheap to make.

The only advantage I've found of drop bars for winter riding is that you can more easily tuck down into an aerodynamic position when riding directly head-on into a stiff, freezing wind. That can be nice when the wind chill is -30C plus whatever you're generating by riding. My current winter bike doesn't have them, though, and I don't miss them.

gecho

Typical road conditions are important to consider when picking a tire. When I had a long way to ride on roads plowed to pavement my 700x35 set were my go to tires. Narrow is also great for slush and brown sugar to a degree. For narrow to work the snow needs to be soft or shallow enough that the tires can slice all the way to a solid base. If they can't then they are quite a handful. They also provide a harsh ride on the bumpy stuff.

For rutted side streets or unevenly packed snow the cushioning and extra stability of a wider tire is nice.

There have been rides on brown sugar snow with my wider tires where I could feel the bike floating just above the road and slipping out on me. In the same conditions my Marathon Winter tires at 85psi would throw that stuff out of the way like the parting of the red sea.

babo

As others have said, adjust tire pressure to road conditions. I drop my seat post about three centimetres and use panniers to lower my centre of gravity.

fietsbob

My Ice setup has Nokian studded tires 26x1.9.. I suggest a 3 speed internal gear hub Vs a 1 speed ..
gear it pretty Low slush and refrozen stuff can be heavy going.

for all weather braking I really like Drum brakes , made with 3 & 5 speed hubs. S-A..
I converted an old Pre shock MTB with Drum Brake Hubs . . ..

rumrunn6

use any bike you have now, added studded tires, they don't have to be mega wide if you are riding on the road (but yeah wider than 23s!) but they don't make studded 23s anyway ..., and add fenders. your clothing will be a bigger challenge

dramiscram

My winter bike is, like you said, an old MTB that I already had on hand. I followed sixty fiver recipe for DIY studded tire, made myself two beautiful rear panier, one out of a cat litter bucket and the other with all time favorite rubbermaid countainer. Total cost: less than 60$. I went to work with it 20 times approx. last winter. It's heavy and slow but I intend to keep it for a few more winters.

The tires are 26x1.75. when the road are clear I inflate them to the recommended maximum pressure of 65 psi so the studs don't make contact with the pavement so there's a lot less drag. When the roads are icy I deflate them to about 25-30 psi so the stud make full contact, very good grip but very very slow. Last winter I only had to deflate my tires once or twice and didn't fell off at any time.