Wish we'd see more of that here. But yeah lumping all "cyclists" into one basket is the same as lumping all drivers into the same basket because a few people are jerks.
(Cycling) in the bleak midwinter
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AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Speaking of Arizona, some recent riding. I'm at 5000 feet so we get a little snow.
Granite pebbles
Quartz babyheads along trail
Really steep little downhill spot. Follow the white dots.
Wow! Awesome. Your skill level is about an order of magnitude above mine.Speaking of Arizona, some recent riding. I'm at 5000 feet so we get a little snow.
View attachment 85427
Granite pebbles
View attachment 85428
Quartz babyheads along trail
View attachment 85429
Really steep little downhill spot. Follow the white dots.
View attachment 85430
Good call, B1974 - got it in one! It's a bit pricy, but service is excellent and the food (I always get the burrito crepe) is good. And with the BRT Phase 2 trail, it's a nice ride.
My wife is also a big fan of Stella's, and I really like The Falafel Place on Corydon. And of course we're regulars at Sals. We're spoiled for restaurants here!
It's fine if you dress for it. I have heated gloves that I wear under big mitts when it's colder than about -15 C. My skinny fingers do not handle the cold well at all. Warm winter boots with thermal socks are a must.
It doesn't get cumbersome?
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Maybe not so much, I didn't say I rode down.
I can't do what you're doing, inherited poor circulation from grandpa, one of the reasons we moved here from NW Pennsylvania. Can't ride under 40f at all.
Yup! Beats freezing though.
I used to love running in the winter, but those days are gone. Never got cold running, even at -40.
Cycling is very different - my hands and feet get cold quickly.
Don't get me wrong - no-one likes the cold, but we're stuck with it. Rather than hibernating, I'd rather be outside in the fresh air for at least part of the day
I had issues biking even in relatively mild winters. I actually had a Tyvek windbreaker. It seemed rather bizarre wearing what looked like a big water resistant envelope, but it worked. But I either wore tights or nylon leg warmers (basically just extensions of the bike shorts) and arm warmers, or even a long sleeve wool jersey. I'm guessing that doesn't work where it's cold enough that there's snow on the ground.
But for snow, I remember hearing what some had for the Iditabike. Stuff like dual tire setups (think truck tires) that would tend to float over snow (like snowshoes) rather than sink. That - and studded tires for dealing with ice or hard packed snow.
But for snow, I remember hearing what some had for the Iditabike. Stuff like dual tire setups (think truck tires) that would tend to float over snow (like snowshoes) rather than sink. That - and studded tires for dealing with ice or hard packed snow.
Here in NW OH we are 8 inches or more BELOW our normal snowfall and have had nothing sticking on the ground for weeks. I saw a bicyclist today on the drive into town even though its both cold and windy. Great if you can do it, but not for me.
One of my all time favorite things to do. Trails aren't crowded, no bugs, gets me out of the house... The list is endless.
2 hours of road bike today. It was around 0° Celsius. My toes cannot take more than that in the winter
You cold weather riders have courage. But I suppose you have no choice.
I am ridiculously spoiled. A pic from my ride this past Saturday, January 22nd. I can literally ride for 4 or 5 hours on back roads like this, and they have virtually no automotive traffic.
A video of me on one of my favorite roads. I ride this road 4 or 5 times a week. And I have to climb it to enjoy the descent!
Scott
I am ridiculously spoiled. A pic from my ride this past Saturday, January 22nd. I can literally ride for 4 or 5 hours on back roads like this, and they have virtually no automotive traffic.
A video of me on one of my favorite roads. I ride this road 4 or 5 times a week. And I have to climb it to enjoy the descent!
Scott
Gorgeous mountain biking!.Speaking of Arizona, some recent riding. I'm at 5000 feet so we get a little snow.
View attachment 85427
Granite pebbles
View attachment 85428
Quartz babyheads along trail
View attachment 85429
Really steep little downhill spot. Follow the white dots.
View attachment 85430
Scott
Dual tires, as in side-by-side? That's crazy (in a very interesting way). I wonder if that was before fat bikes?I had issues biking even in relatively mild winters. I actually had a Tyvek windbreaker. It seemed rather bizarre wearing what looked like a big water resistant envelope, but it worked. But I either wore tights or nylon leg warmers (basically just extensions of the bike shorts) and arm warmers, or even a long sleeve wool jersey. I'm guessing that doesn't work where it's cold enough that there's snow on the ground.
But for snow, I remember hearing what some had for the Iditabike. Stuff like dual tire setups (think truck tires) that would tend to float over snow (like snowshoes) rather than sink. That - and studded tires for dealing with ice or hard packed snow.
My wife's bike, and the rear of my bike, are limited to 4", but I run a 4.8" tire on the front of my bike.
If you lower the pressure a fair bit, you get much better traction. I've run as low as 4 - 5 PSI on a long ride across a frozen lake, but I start out around November at 12 PSI. The pressure drops as the temperature does, so I'm probably down around 7 or 8 PSI now.
I love Nokian winter tires for cars; have never checked out their bike tires. Thanks for the heads-up!
I couldn't find anything for the Iditabike, but I remember hearing that some of the bikes had dual tires/rims on the same wheel. But here's one although I don't think it's for snow. And I'm not sure how one is supposed to lace the spokes or where to get a hub like that (maybe drill extra holes?).
Lowering tire pressure has some interesting effects. I thought that sometimes it's more desirable to sink (like narrower snow tires) but sometimes wider is better to create a wider biting surface to dig in to mud or hard packed snow. It's probably not anything that's one size fits all because there are all sorts of conditions.
Now the old Nokia tires (back when they were a combined conglomerate) are pretty interesting. I posted a photos of one Nokia bike tire (before the added N) here, but I can't find it.
Michelin has some dedicated winter bike tires, like the Stargrip.
MICHELIN STARGRIP
MICHELIN STARGRIP. The urban tire that enables you to go out in all weathers conditions.
www.michelinman.com
We haven't got much snow but this is how I ride through it. The only thing that gets me is the wind, it snakes around in weird ways along my commute.
Wow, that's be quite a ride! Well done, and thanks for posting.
