Ice On the Street - how do you deal with it?
11-29-20, 03:42 PM
#26
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Then the pandemic hit, and my spouse and I moved to our weekend home in the Hudson Valley. I don't have anywhere to commute to on bike, as I'm taking classes online. My cycling is all different now. I have to tell myself to get on the bike in order to get a ride in. In other words, my need to get places doesn't put the miles on. So in one way it's hard. I don't get enough miles in. In other ways, it's much better. The roads here are amazing. Traffic is light, scenery is fantastic, and even the drivers are nice to cyclist. We have no shoulders on the roads, so I ride in the middle of the lane. Drivers wait until it is safe to pass. But just about all the roads are very hilly.
I hope to ride as much as possible this winter. It's not my favorite season for riding but riding in the cold is better than not riding. How is your pandemic?
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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11-29-20, 08:51 PM
#27
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Ooh, a Varsity is a great idea for a winter bike, @Gresp15C.
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12-01-20, 06:20 AM
#28
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I've had work from home since March 17 or so. That was a hard-fought victory but we got it. So now I cycle only 1 day out of 7 to the grocery store.
12-01-20, 02:07 PM
#29
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Last winter I was on my usual morning commute to work. It wast 6 AM and still dark. The temperature was about 33 American Degrees. I came onto a roundabout at the top of a hill and hit a patch of ice - and down I went. My instincts, as I felt myself falling, were to protect the bike with my body. That's what I did but I banged up my left side pretty badly. Nothing broken or irreparably damaged, though. So... How do you guys deal with treacherous ice patches in the winter gloom? It makes me not want to ride when the temp approaches the freezing point of water. Stupid ice!
Honestly, I have a dedicated winter bike that I get ready for ice/snow before temps get to freezing.
Edit/afterthought: for 'fun' we do stuff like this in Minnesota
:Last edited by Hypno Toad; 12-01-20 at 02:10 PM.
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12-01-20, 02:54 PM
#30
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The way I deal with it ... first, I go out in the early winter with summer tires saying I can handle it (reference video below); then later that day, I mount studded tires and get my winter bike ready to ride; finally, ice bruises and take some advil with whiskey. Then spend the next 12 months forgetting this lesson so I can repeat it the following winter.
Honestly, I have a dedicated winter bike that I get ready for ice/snow before temps get to freezing.
Edit/afterthought: for 'fun' we do stuff like this in Minnesota:
Honestly, I have a dedicated winter bike that I get ready for ice/snow before temps get to freezing.
Edit/afterthought: for 'fun' we do stuff like this in Minnesota
:
12-01-20, 03:11 PM
#31
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12-01-20, 10:47 PM
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Now, so far as whether anything will last longer than a 1972 Varsity, I won't be alive to find out.
My other winter bike is a 26" MTB with Kenda studs that someone was throwing out. But my son is using it now.
Just out of curiosity, how do the shocks handle salt? It looks like there are rubber boots around the stanchions. Is that the case?
12-02-20, 09:43 AM
#33
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About shocks in winter: Long story (with pics) of my old 26er winter commuter and shocks.
First pic is the Nail Trail with stock fork, it froze up on me after 3 full winters of Minnesota road salt.
Second pic is with a Surly Troll fork ... I really loved the look and set up for winter commuting.
Third pic is the massive crack in the BB that retired this bike back in 2015 (AL frame).
12-02-20, 12:58 PM
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Drat...
I pumped it up and engaged the lockout, then rode to work. The air spring fork never again would work. It is my understanding that the Bluto fat bike forks fail a lot in sub-zero conditions, but that may be exaggerated.
I replaced the fork with an Ohlins coil spring fork, which was a huge improvement on trail rides in the summer, and has not had any issues with sub-zero temperatures.
12-03-20, 09:50 AM
#35
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I'd take either of those, or both. But I just can't bring myself to drench such nice bikes in sandy road salt every day. And I mean drench. They lay it down thick here.
Now, so far as whether anything will last longer than a 1972 Varsity, I won't be alive to find out.
My other winter bike is a 26" MTB with Kenda studs that someone was throwing out. But my son is using it now.
Just out of curiosity, how do the shocks handle salt? It looks like there are rubber boots around the stanchions. Is that the case?
Now, so far as whether anything will last longer than a 1972 Varsity, I won't be alive to find out.
My other winter bike is a 26" MTB with Kenda studs that someone was throwing out. But my son is using it now.
Just out of curiosity, how do the shocks handle salt? It looks like there are rubber boots around the stanchions. Is that the case?
The shocks have been used for roughly 2 decades of winter riding and haven’t shown any signs of problem. They are higher quality shocks with coated stanchions but I’ve covered them with Lizard Skin covers to cut down on any issues with salt that could arise as well as keep them from getting dust covered.
I also started using KMC Ecotech chains several years ago to keep the chains from rusting.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
12-03-20, 02:21 PM
#36
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Both of those bikes are titanium. I could ride them in the Dead Sea and they wouldn’t corrode. That’s part of the reason I have them. The YBB gets studs in the winter.
The shocks have been used for roughly 2 decades of winter riding and haven’t shown any signs of problem. They are higher quality shocks with coated stanchions but I’ve covered them with Lizard Skin covers to cut down on any issues with salt that could arise as well as keep them from getting dust covered.
I also started using KMC Ecotech chains several years ago to keep the chains from rusting.
The shocks have been used for roughly 2 decades of winter riding and haven’t shown any signs of problem. They are higher quality shocks with coated stanchions but I’ve covered them with Lizard Skin covers to cut down on any issues with salt that could arise as well as keep them from getting dust covered.
I also started using KMC Ecotech chains several years ago to keep the chains from rusting.
I've been intrigued by front shock for winter riding. Did I interpret the other thread correctly, that you put a shock fork on a non-shock frame with no adverse issues?
12-03-20, 06:13 PM
#37
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Ah, nice. I had never seen boots on shocks before, not that I really looked all that closely. We've got four winter bikes in the family fleet, Two of them needed new chains this year, so I ordered KMC "rust buster" which is a galvanized chain available for 7 speed. Just in time for "all dressed up but nowhere to go" because salt season hasn't started yet and we don't know who's going to need a bike this winter with the lockdown and all.
The boots are Lizard Skin fork protectors
I've been intrigued by front shock for winter riding. Did I interpret the other thread correctly, that you put a shock fork on a non-shock frame with no adverse issues?
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
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12-11-20, 09:24 PM
#39
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Snow and slush are the main enemies. They'll bog you down. Some friends of mine love their studded tires. My opinion: nice to have but not critical.
Also, use rubber pad brakes. They never failed on me. I never had the opportunity to pick up serious speed. Stopping was never a concern; keeping up speed was the challenge. You also should have proper winter gear. Go through the checklist here:-
https://bikesreviewed.com/gear/winter-cycling-gear/
Also, use rubber pad brakes. They never failed on me. I never had the opportunity to pick up serious speed. Stopping was never a concern; keeping up speed was the challenge. You also should have proper winter gear. Go through the checklist here:-
https://bikesreviewed.com/gear/winter-cycling-gear/
12-13-20, 09:35 AM
#40
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When riding on ice you should do as Loudin Wainwright III said in The Acid Song: “don’t laugh and don’t fart and don’t sneeze”. Don’t try to turn corners. Don’t try to brake. Don’t try to shift your weight. You should act like you are on eggshells. If you have to turn, do very, very, very wide turns without leaning the bike.
If you have to brake, do so gingerly and sparingly. Use the rear more then the front. If you use the front, just realize that it takes very little brake pressure to lock the front. You won’t go over the bars but the front wheel will immediately wash out and put you on the ground. The rear is going to slide as well but it won’t put you on the ground as quickly as the front well.
Shifting your weight is more involved with pedaling than anything else. If possible, coast over the ice if it is just a short patch. Put your feet parallel to the ground and glide over the ice. Don’t coast like most people do with one foot down and one up. You are more stable if your feet as parallel to the ground. If you have to pedal, do so as smoothly as you can. Try not to rock the bike in any way.
If you do fall, keep your hands (and arms and legs) inside the vehicle at all times. Our monkey minds work really well at walking speed and we can probably “catch” ourselves when we fall at walking speed. At running speed, trying to catch yourself in a fall is probably going to result in skeletal injury. At about 4 times walking speed, putting anything out to “catch” yourself is just going to result in gravity trying to break it off for you. Ride the bike down. Keep attached to it. Hang onto the bars and let your larger muscle mass...your hip and butt...take the impact. There’s more meat there and meat does better at impacts then bone does.
Studs will make a huge difference but like many others, I don’t run them the whole winter. Roads here aren’t icy for more than a few days after a snowstorm and studs are horrible to ride on pavement. Being able to ride over short icy patches is a skill that is good to develop.
If you have to brake, do so gingerly and sparingly. Use the rear more then the front. If you use the front, just realize that it takes very little brake pressure to lock the front. You won’t go over the bars but the front wheel will immediately wash out and put you on the ground. The rear is going to slide as well but it won’t put you on the ground as quickly as the front well.
Shifting your weight is more involved with pedaling than anything else. If possible, coast over the ice if it is just a short patch. Put your feet parallel to the ground and glide over the ice. Don’t coast like most people do with one foot down and one up. You are more stable if your feet as parallel to the ground. If you have to pedal, do so as smoothly as you can. Try not to rock the bike in any way.
If you do fall, keep your hands (and arms and legs) inside the vehicle at all times. Our monkey minds work really well at walking speed and we can probably “catch” ourselves when we fall at walking speed. At running speed, trying to catch yourself in a fall is probably going to result in skeletal injury. At about 4 times walking speed, putting anything out to “catch” yourself is just going to result in gravity trying to break it off for you. Ride the bike down. Keep attached to it. Hang onto the bars and let your larger muscle mass...your hip and butt...take the impact. There’s more meat there and meat does better at impacts then bone does.
Studs will make a huge difference but like many others, I don’t run them the whole winter. Roads here aren’t icy for more than a few days after a snowstorm and studs are horrible to ride on pavement. Being able to ride over short icy patches is a skill that is good to develop.
Good recap and taking the time to try to explain the basic stuff. Its funny but bike handling skills really can only come from doing it and learning from your mistakes, for most of us goofing around on bikes since we were kids helps a lot, and for those of us who have done two wheeled riding on dirt and or anything that involves sliding , we've picked up the instincts over time and don't think about what we are doing for a given situation (and that includes falling and split second decisions of how to place our body in a fall--TOUCH WOOD, TOUCH WOOD.
those are neat front shock covers. My old Rockhopper that I use as my winter bike has late 90s non air non oil suspension, those foam things, and are great for any temperature. They just have those accordian covers, but I clean them after each ride with a soft brush I clean the whole bike with.
to me, the most important thing for a winter bike is to be disciplined and to just do a fast wash after every ride, if you are lucky and have a garage. Here on Montreal streets, salt is a major issue, so unless its bone dry and fresh snow, you're getting salt spray on stuff. I'm a really really fast cleaner now, less than 5 mins bing bang boom, including chain wipe and lube spray--I use an old attachement meant to clean a car, a big floor broom shaped thing with soft bristles, that get around corners and into nooks , and it does a great job--but again, Im lucky cuz I can do it in a garage and not worry about water on the floor.
cheers
12-13-20, 05:35 PM
#41
Senior Member
Carbide-studded tires go on in mid-December and stay on until mid-March. I avoid using front brakes unless I know I have dry pavement. Otherwise, I pay no attention to the weather -- hell, I'm going there anyway. Non-studded tires can work. I started winter riding 60 years ago on a balloon-tired Columbia, which was quite good on snow and ice. One could broadslide the thing around a corner with one boot down for stability. I think the wide tire gave a lot of traction, compared with a typical modern bike. Some people have reported phenomenal traction with share bikes, which are similar. However, nothing, especially a car, beats studded tires on ice. Studs on ice are about equivalent to non-studs on wet pavement.
12-14-20, 05:15 PM
#42
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@PaulH, I'm another person who rather inadvertently discovered how good bike share bikes are in winter. I've ridden them through slush in NYC and have been impressed. When it's bad, these bikes are much preferable to my own bike. They have slick tires or close to it, and it doesn't seem to matter. The bike is heavy and most of the weight is on the rear. I don't know how wide the tires are, perhaps 1.5 inches, perhaps more.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
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Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
12-16-20, 02:42 PM
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Last winter I was on my usual morning commute to work. It wast 6 AM and still dark. The temperature was about 33 American Degrees. I came onto a roundabout at the top of a hill and hit a patch of ice - and down I went. My instincts, as I felt myself falling, were to protect the bike with my body. That's what I did but I banged up my left side pretty badly. Nothing broken or irreparably damaged, though. So... How do you guys deal with treacherous ice patches in the winter gloom? It makes me not want to ride when the temp approaches the freezing point of water. Stupid ice!
12-16-20, 07:52 PM
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12-16-20, 09:13 PM
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[QUOTE=xyz;21836379]Bah. Celsius is just as bad. Kelvin is the only way to go. If I'm riding I need to know when I'm going to die.[/QUOTE
Sorry, I just can't bring myself to use a scale that doesn't go negative. Though telling someone that you rode last weekend when it was 312 degrees out, does have the allure of you sounding like a total badass!
Sorry, I just can't bring myself to use a scale that doesn't go negative. Though telling someone that you rode last weekend when it was 312 degrees out, does have the allure of you sounding like a total badass!
12-17-20, 01:47 AM
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01-08-21, 02:00 PM
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Who are we all kidding? If you're traveling on ice, you need more than 2 wheels/feet.
01-08-21, 02:16 PM
#49
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1) if there is ice around, NEVER use the front brake.
2) let some air out of your tires. 1.75 or wider MTB knobbies with a little less air can work pretty good. Skinny road bike tires are hopeless.
3) ride with your bike upright and your weight centered always. No big sudden movements. Anticipate braking and turns.
4) drop your seatpost an inch or so. Fine tune your sense of balance.
5) nothing works very well on glare ice
2) let some air out of your tires. 1.75 or wider MTB knobbies with a little less air can work pretty good. Skinny road bike tires are hopeless.
3) ride with your bike upright and your weight centered always. No big sudden movements. Anticipate braking and turns.
4) drop your seatpost an inch or so. Fine tune your sense of balance.
5) nothing works very well on glare ice
01-08-21, 06:14 PM
#50
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