Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Winter Cycling
Reload this Page >

Winter Cycling 101

Notices
Winter Cycling Don't let snow and ice discourage you this winter. The key element to year-round cycling is proper attire! Check out this winter cycling forum to chat with other ice bike fanatics.

Winter Cycling 101

Old 08-02-12, 10:14 PM
  #76  
dfritschle
Newbie
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Site seems to be down. New link?
dfritschle is offline  
Old 10-29-12, 05:05 PM
  #77  
bluegoatwoods
Senior Member
 
bluegoatwoods's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 686
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
Thanks, Sixty-Fiver.

You're to be commended for your effort to spread good info to those who are willing to learn.

I've been a (proud, admittedly) ice-biker for a few decades now. Though there are conditions that even I won't ride in. But they're pretty extreme.

It's now the end of October, 2012. Winter has not set in yet, of course. But I'm looking forward to it and it's fun to be involved with those who are also looking forward to it.

I might even prefer ice-biking to summer biking, which is soooo hooooot....

I definitely prefer winter biking on clear roads.

It'll be nice.
bluegoatwoods is offline  
Old 01-03-13, 04:42 PM
  #78  
lopek77
Banned
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: lower mitten
Posts: 1,555

Bikes: With round 700c & 26" wheels

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
"This is a common question and I will start by saying that WD40 is NOT a lubricant and should not be used on bicycle chains as it is primarily a solvent and will wash any lubricant out of your chain.

If you do neglect your chain and it starts to stick WD40 can be used to free stuck links but then a proper chain lube should be applied."
WD40 is a great chain and parts cleaner. After cleaning my chain with WD40 or gasoline (once a year), I'm using one of my favorite chain lubes - Prolink or T9. I also tried WD40 to clean my frame before winter. Frame stays cleaner longer and its easier to clean overall.
I don't recommend to use WD40 as a lube, but it makes a good "emergency" lube when there is nothing else to choose.
lopek77 is offline  
Old 10-18-13, 01:07 PM
  #79  
SavvyOne
Newbie
 
SavvyOne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
This is absolutely wonderful and informative. Thank you.
SavvyOne is offline  
Old 01-08-14, 12:32 PM
  #80  
Icecyclist.com
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
TriFlow is the best lubricant I have found

TriFlow is the best lubricant that I have found to keep the chain, derailleurs, and gears working in below freezing conditions. It displaces water and will not freeze until temperatures drop to 60 below 0 Fahrenheit.

This and other tips are on my website. Icecyclist.
Icecyclist.com is offline  
Old 01-09-14, 12:58 PM
  #81  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Icecyclist.com
TriFlow is the best lubricant that I have found to keep the chain, derailleurs, and gears working in below freezing conditions. It displaces water and will not freeze until temperatures drop to 60 below 0 Fahrenheit.

This and other tips are on my website. Icecyclist.
Tri-flow is one of the poorest lubes I have used here... it is ill suited for a dry and dusty environment in the warmer months and have been using homebrewed lube which has a base of synthetic oil and WD40 or mineral spirits as the solvent / carrier.

It makes for a much cleaner running chain than Tri-flow and does not act as a dust / dirt magnet.

I don't know too many people who ride at 60 below... I have come close and not had any chain issues.

Pic from today... we have been getting some pretty balmy weather and have been warmer than many places in the southeast and central U.S.

Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 01-09-14, 01:36 PM
  #82  
Icecyclist.com
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
Tri-flow is one of the poorest lubes I have used here... it is ill suited for a dry and dusty environment in the warmer months and have been using homebrewed lube which has a base of synthetic oil and WD40 or mineral spirits as the solvent / carrier.

It makes for a much cleaner running chain than Tri-flow and does not act as a dust / dirt magnet.

I don't know too many people who ride at 60 below... I have come close and not had any chain issues.

Pic from today... we have been getting some pretty balmy weather and have been warmer than many places in the southeast and central U.S.

Thank you for the tip. The upside of WD40 is that it is less expensive than Triflow. The downside is that its lowest operating temperature is -10 degrees Fahrenheit. About a dozen times a year I complete 30 mile rides in temperatures between 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. So, WD40 with a synthetic oil additive will not work for me as its operating temperature lower limit is too close to the temperatures I ride in.

In temperatures above freezing I use Maxima Chainwax as it keeps my chain nice and lubed for my longer 150 mile road rides. I hate having a squeaky chain after mile 100 with other bicycle lubes.

Last edited by Icecyclist.com; 01-09-14 at 01:43 PM.
Icecyclist.com is offline  
Old 01-09-14, 01:41 PM
  #83  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Icecyclist.com
Thank you for the tip. The upside of WD40 is that it is less expensive than Triflow. The downside is that its lowest operating temperature is -10 degrees Fahrenheit. About a dozen times a year I complete 30 mile rides in temperatures between 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. So, WD40 with a synthetic oil additive will not work for me.

In temperatures above freezing I use Maxima Chainwax as it keeps my chain nice and lubed for my longer 150 mile road rides. I hate having a squeaky chain after mile 100 with other bicycle lubes.
I have ridden at -52F with homebrewed lube and had no issues... the solvent / carrier evaporates and it is the synthetic oil that provides the lubrication at these cold temperatures. I also run this in my internal 3 speed hubs to keep them running at extremes and they spin just as well at -40 C/F as they do on warm summer days.

In nice weather I might refresh the chain lube every 300-500km depending on the conditions.
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 01-09-14, 01:56 PM
  #84  
Icecyclist.com
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 28
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
I have ridden at -52F with homebrewed lube and had no issues... the solvent / carrier evaporates and it is the synthetic oil that provides the lubrication at these cold temperatures. I also run this in my internal 3 speed hubs to keep them running at extremes and they spin just as well at -40 C/F as they do on warm summer days.

In nice weather I might refresh the chain lube every 300-500km depending on the conditions.

I may give this option a try as it will save me lots of $$. A gallon of WD-40 is $17 versus a gallon of TriFlow at a whopping $71. My major concern is the chain freezing and bunching up 15 miles from home in a very rural environment. To get an idea of what that looks like, try washing your bike chain with water in 20 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. It will freeze in the most unusual ways within a few minutes.

Maybe I will do a test of the "home brew" option on a very cold day close to home and see how it performs.
Icecyclist.com is offline  
Old 01-14-14, 08:22 AM
  #85  
pyratenomad
Member
 
pyratenomad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 24

Bikes: Novara Safari. Trek 1500.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Lots of useful info here. I had a few questions as the winters here in Idaho can be formidable at times. The link to creating your own studded tires is extremely useful. Thank you!
pyratenomad is offline  
Old 10-27-14, 12:49 PM
  #86  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
We got our first snow today... the season is upon us methinks.

Even though the snow will vanish the streets are going to be wet and the night time temps are going to be dropping below freezing which is my least favourite time of year... I am much happier when it stays below freezing and then we can settle in to winter nicely.
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 11-11-14, 02:02 AM
  #87  
BigC_82
Full Member
 
BigC_82's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: East Central Illinois
Posts: 328

Bikes: 2003 Raleigh M40, 2015 Raleigh RX 2.0, 2017 Kinesis Tripster A/T

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 3 Posts
Wd-40 does make bike product line Products*|*WD-40 Bike
BigC_82 is offline  
Old 03-11-15, 11:02 AM
  #88  
Hypno Toad
meh
 
Hypno Toad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 4,700

Bikes: 23 Cutthroat, 21 CoMotion Java; 21 Bianchi Infinito; 15 Surly Pugsley; 11 Globe Daily; 09 Kona Dew Drop; 96 Mondonico

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1109 Post(s)
Liked 1,011 Times in 518 Posts
Here's a great blog post from Surly about winter bikes:


Redundant Systems (What a country!)[FONT=courier new]


Great information for the winter rider in harsh winter conditions.
Hypno Toad is offline  
Old 07-05-15, 04:09 AM
  #89  
baraadnan1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 50
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I'm a penetration tester, I can help you securing it for free
baraadnan1 is offline  
Old 07-05-15, 12:27 PM
  #90  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
I picked up another Pugsley which is the same year (1st year model) as my old one... will be putting a White industries freewheel up front to provide some of that redundancy.

Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 11-07-15, 11:57 AM
  #91  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Because I had a roll of 3M Scotchlite and a sewing machine I upgraded my shell gloves to improve their visibility...



Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 02-04-17, 02:23 PM
  #92  
Staypuft1652
Senior Member
 
Staypuft1652's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 564
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 64 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Sixty Fiver

Just wanted to thank you for your work.
Staypuft1652 is offline  
Old 09-24-17, 08:02 PM
  #93  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Staypuft1652
Sixty Fiver

Just wanted to thank you for your work.
No problem.

The 2017 season is upon us, looking forward to more adventures here.

To that end I picked up a new stove so I can make a hot beverage or soup on the trail, it is a 1966 Coleman M1950 military stove. It has a pre-heating wick so should be great when it gets harder to light other stoves without preheating paste.

m1950 (1).jpg
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 09-24-17, 08:03 PM
  #94  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
teatime (5).jpg
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 09-27-17, 08:43 AM
  #95  
Rider51
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: New England
Posts: 85

Bikes: Giant Defy Advanced 2, S-Works Camber, Eddy Merckx Ti-Ax

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 2 Posts
Love the site. Thanks for sharing.

One of my favorite adages came from a friend with Danish heritage. He said this phrase originated there, though he wasn't sure:

"Ride into the winter, and you can ride through the winter".


The idea being if you ride every couple days, just a little, you will get used to it. Both your body used to the cold, wind, etc. but your riding will adjust as well to the road conditions.
Rider51 is offline  
Old 08-19-20, 01:35 PM
  #96  
Bryanmaloney
Newbie
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Carmel, IN
Posts: 3

Bikes: Cheap, from WalMart

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
Too bad it's a dead link.
Bryanmaloney is offline  
Likes For Bryanmaloney:
Old 09-14-20, 08:14 PM
  #97  
timebomb
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 19
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Is the info that was on that site available elsewhere? I'd love some tips on winter biking as this will be my first season doing so and midwest winters are pretty harsh.
timebomb is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Machka
General Cycling Discussion
15
11-25-17 06:52 AM
A_Guy_Riding
Winter Cycling
2
02-27-15 10:27 AM
sauze
Winter Cycling
0
05-31-13 09:38 AM
jrickards
Winter Cycling
3
11-19-11 02:01 PM
vtjim
Winter Cycling
1
12-27-09 02:20 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.