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Winter Riding



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 10th 03, 03:02 AM
Jeff
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Default Winter Riding

Howdy.

I'm seeking advice on riding in winter (with snow, ice, etc). I'm planning
on heading back to school in the fall (18 years after getting my BCSc) and,
money being tight, the daily commute will be bus or bike. I've yet to
ascertain whether there is a bike lockup at the relevant campus.

Winnipeg does a good job of snow removal on major roads, which would suffice
for 95% of the commute. But there is always some snow, sand, and salt, left
on the road.

Has anyone tried commuting under such conditions? If so, have you any words
of advice?

My primary bike is a road bike (Giant OCR3). If a mountain bike is more
appropriate, I could probably pick up an el-cheapo at a local sporting goods
store. Might do that anyways as my road bike doesn't really (and shouldn't)
support panniers.

TIA.


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  #2  
Old July 10th 03, 03:23 AM
S. Anderson
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
Howdy.

I'm seeking advice on riding in winter (with snow, ice, etc). I'm

planning
on heading back to school in the fall (18 years after getting my BCSc)

and,
money being tight, the daily commute will be bus or bike. I've yet to
ascertain whether there is a bike lockup at the relevant campus.

Winnipeg does a good job of snow removal on major roads, which would

suffice
for 95% of the commute. But there is always some snow, sand, and salt,

left
on the road.

Has anyone tried commuting under such conditions? If so, have you any

words
of advice?

My primary bike is a road bike (Giant OCR3). If a mountain bike is more
appropriate, I could probably pick up an el-cheapo at a local sporting

goods
store. Might do that anyways as my road bike doesn't really (and

shouldn't)
support panniers.

TIA.


You're going to commute in Winterpeg?!?! Portage and Main, 15 below!?!
Good for you! My first word of advice is, don't use any bike you care
about! Salt will destroy its appearance very quickly. I'd pick up a
clunker..a used mountain bike or a cheapie at Sportchek or something. Maybe
consider some studded MTB tires for those days when you get 4" of snow
unexpectedly..maybe mixed with some ice pellets or freezing rain. Get some
real fenders too..they are a real help. They are quite underrated
IMHO..they keep a lot of gunk off your bike and off of you. And they're
cheap and pretty lightweight. Make sure you do all the right lube things on
your bike..grease the seatpost and stem, oil all the bolts while assembling
etc. Salt is really very bad on a bike..I've seen some bikes here in
Toronto...blecchh.

Good Luck,

Scott..


  #3  
Old July 10th 03, 04:09 AM
M. Barbee
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

Here's a webpage in case you haven't seen it yet.
http://users.rcn.com/icebike/

Last winter was my first winter riding and it was in Washington, DC, where
I'm sure the winters aren't as bad although this past winter was unusually
snowy, so I don't have a lot of experience at it. I road my Giant Cypress,
a cheap hybrid. I did change to tires that were a little more knobby for
part of the winter but part of my commute is on a path that isn't cleared so
when snow didn't melt completely and was able to freeze hard I couldn't
ride. I'll be looking into getting some studded tires before next winter.


"Jeff" wrote in message
...
Howdy.

I'm seeking advice on riding in winter (with snow, ice, etc). I'm

planning
on heading back to school in the fall (18 years after getting my BCSc)

and,
money being tight, the daily commute will be bus or bike. I've yet to
ascertain whether there is a bike lockup at the relevant campus.

Winnipeg does a good job of snow removal on major roads, which would

suffice
for 95% of the commute. But there is always some snow, sand, and salt,

left
on the road.

Has anyone tried commuting under such conditions? If so, have you any

words
of advice?

My primary bike is a road bike (Giant OCR3). If a mountain bike is more
appropriate, I could probably pick up an el-cheapo at a local sporting

goods
store. Might do that anyways as my road bike doesn't really (and

shouldn't)
support panniers.

TIA.




  #4  
Old July 10th 03, 05:07 AM
Zoot Katz
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

Wed, 9 Jul 2003 21:02:02 -0500, ,
"Jeff" wrote about Winnipeg winter:

Has anyone tried commuting under such conditions? If so, have you any words
of advice?


Get a patch of sheepskin and stuff it in your shorts.

The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters have some good tips.

http://edmontonbicyclecommuters.ca/c...?action=winter
--
zk
  #5  
Old July 10th 03, 07:41 AM
heater
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

Brrr...

When I was in school, I rode my bike in the winter. First two years I
had a road bike with cyclo-cross tires and then a mountain bike for the
last two. Mostly the roads were plowed so the road bike was ok but it
was more fun on the mtn bike since I could take the unplowed paths and
have some fun in the snow.

I still rode on the coldest days (maybe -25 + windchill) because it
was colder but faster than walking. Not sure how long your commute
will be but make sure to wear lots of layers (which you probably
already know, being in Winnipeg but it is colder once you get on a
bike and start moving).

Also, I would imagine that any school would have lots of bike racks but
I hear that lots of bikes get stolen from them too.



--
--------------------------

Posted via cyclingforums.com
http://www.cyclingforums.com
  #6  
Old July 10th 03, 05:37 PM
Paul Southworth
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

In article ,
Jeff wrote:
Howdy.

I'm seeking advice on riding in winter (with snow, ice, etc). I'm planning
on heading back to school in the fall (18 years after getting my BCSc) and,
money being tight, the daily commute will be bus or bike. I've yet to
ascertain whether there is a bike lockup at the relevant campus.

Winnipeg does a good job of snow removal on major roads, which would suffice
for 95% of the commute. But there is always some snow, sand, and salt, left
on the road.

Has anyone tried commuting under such conditions? If so, have you any words
of advice?

My primary bike is a road bike (Giant OCR3). If a mountain bike is more
appropriate, I could probably pick up an el-cheapo at a local sporting goods
store. Might do that anyways as my road bike doesn't really (and shouldn't)
support panniers.


Get the el-cheapo (I suggest finding a used one rather than a
department store POS) because regular commuting in salt will use
up the bike. Make sure the brakes work well - careful adjustment,
new cables, pads. Fat tires are a good idea.

I don't know what it's like in Winnipeg, but on many college campuses
even an OCR3 is too nice a bike to lock up on campus on due to theft
risk. I usually picked up $10 3-speed from a garage sale for the
purpose.

--Paul



  #7  
Old July 10th 03, 10:00 PM
Drew Cutter
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

Two more suggestion . Remove your (seat / post) while on campus and
learn how to properly secure your bike . I've seen to many bike locked
that would allow me to steal their wheels.

  #8  
Old July 10th 03, 10:26 PM
Bran
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

"Jeff" spake thusly on or about Thu, 10
Jul 2003 02:02:02 UTC

- I'm seeking advice on riding in winter (with snow, ice, etc). I'm planning
- on heading back to school in the fall (18 years after getting my BCSc) and,
- money being tight, the daily commute will be bus or bike. I've yet to
- ascertain whether there is a bike lockup at the relevant campus.
-

well I have ridden the past two winters just west of you in Saskatoon. if
you live in this country you know how to stay warm trick is staying dry
while being warm. I am considering studed tyres this winter but my
superheat tyres handle everything but glare ice pretty well.

I had one fellow whip past me on a touring bike this past winter but I
prefer a mountain bike. the ice bike and edmonton links have been offered
up and they do cover most of what you need. I rode down to -38 this past
winter with no ill effects other than having a 12 month season and no
issues getting reaquanted to the saddle in the spring.


--
I hurt before the ride so fibro gives me a head
start on the rest of the pack. silver lining?


  #9  
Old July 10th 03, 10:33 PM
Buck
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Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

"mark" wrote in message news:Z5kPa.40423

1. A mountain bike does seem to work better for commuting, although a

tourer
works well, too.


I agree with this. The bike that sees the most commuting miles under my butt
these days is my rain/beater bike. It's an older rigid mountain bike with
slicks, full fenders, rear rack with a "trunk," and plenty of lighting. But
I am also known for riding a full-suspension mountain bike with slicks as my
primary commuting steed. The beater just can't match the comfort, but it is
a moot point on the roads I find myself riding these days.

2. Messenger bags are nice- easier to ride a bike with than a backpack,

but
unlike panniers you can still take eveything with you when you lock up the
bike on campus, at work, etc.


While I agree about the panniers, I have had less than stellar experiences
with messenger bags. If heat were a concern for you like it is for me in
Texas, I would recommend a cycling pack from Vaude (www.vaude.com).
Otherwise, you just can't match the carrying capacity or security of a good
backpack with a messenger bag. I'm sure they are fine for carrying papers
and whatnot, but when you throw in a bunch of books or a laptop computer,
the messenger bag just becomes to unwieldy for bicycle use. Messengers
really like messenger bags because the compartment is easily accessible
without removing the bag.


3. Lights are crucial- the new LED blinkie lights are best. Get at least

one
taillight on the bike, and clip a few more on your seat bag, messenger

bag,
or wherever else is convenient. The more powerful LED headlights are
adequate for commuting (Cateye EL-300). I don't know what's available in
Canada, but here in the US Wal-Mart sells lithium AA batteries, which work
well in LED lights and last much longer in severe cold than alkaline
batteries. They cost more than alkaline batteries, but the extra life span
more than offsets the higher cost, and not having to change batteries all
the time is nice.


I wholeheartedly agree. Lights are a must-have item.

As for dealing with the cold, It hasn't been a problem for me this far
south. I wish you the best of luck on that one.....

-Buck



  #10  
Old July 11th 03, 02:28 AM
Jeff
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Winter Riding

Thanks for all the suggestions.

As I mentioned in my prior post, I'm probably going back to school in
September. The "campus" is an adjunct (basically one building) right down
town (9 miles from home), so a good lock-up area is questionable. Basically
I have three concerns:
1. Good lockup.
2. The safety of riding in down town rush hour traffic (having returned to
Winnipeg after a decade absence, I find the local driving ability to be
pitiful).
3. The safety of riding in poor road conditions in down town rush hour
traffic. I have ridden in snow, albeit years ago, but that was in minimal
traffic.

So, we'll see what happens. Personally, I don't find the winters here to be
too cold. I've run outdoors here for the past two winters. I only found it
cold below -25C (-13F). I'd like to ride, but the bus may turn out to be
simpler.


 




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