0C/32F
Coldest temperature you've cycled in?
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Kestas
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In high school my buddies and went bicycle camping in the snow one March.
Originally Posted By: Silk
Lowest it gets here is around -3c. Faster you go, you get warmer, but the extremities, hands, nose, ears get colder. Downhills are the worst, you get colder and colder...but then get to warm up the other side.
-3 C? Are you on the South Island? During our year in Whangarei, we flirted with 0 once - I took a photo of the frost on the Suzuki wagon.
By way of contrast, it was -32 C here the other day - that made for a chilly ride to work.
Lowest it gets here is around -3c. Faster you go, you get warmer, but the extremities, hands, nose, ears get colder. Downhills are the worst, you get colder and colder...but then get to warm up the other side.
-3 C? Are you on the South Island? During our year in Whangarei, we flirted with 0 once - I took a photo of the frost on the Suzuki wagon.
By way of contrast, it was -32 C here the other day - that made for a chilly ride to work.
I've ridden my bicycle when it was snowing (just starting to snow). For the most part if my water bottle is going to freeze, I don't go biking in it.
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
I've ridden my bicycle when it was snowing (just starting to snow). For the most part if my water bottle is going to freeze, I don't go biking in it.
Must be all the movement, because I've rarely had my water bottle freeze, even in the coldest temps.
I've ridden my bicycle when it was snowing (just starting to snow). For the most part if my water bottle is going to freeze, I don't go biking in it.
Must be all the movement, because I've rarely had my water bottle freeze, even in the coldest temps.
Originally Posted By: buck91
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
I've ridden my bicycle when it was snowing (just starting to snow). For the most part if my water bottle is going to freeze, I don't go biking in it.
Must be all the movement, because I've rarely had my water bottle freeze, even in the coldest temps.
I have heard that you can use beer instead of water
My experiance is that by short distances up to 1h freezing is not an issue. For longer rides I put the bottle/bottles in my back instead of bike-frame
I use to commute too. I have the privilege to live in mild climate – Minimum winter temperatures T=-10C Max summer T=+30C. Rain is an issue but Goretex makes wonder.
Here in Europe we uses to use following UK/English sentence “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”. Do you have something similar in American/Canadian English?
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
I've ridden my bicycle when it was snowing (just starting to snow). For the most part if my water bottle is going to freeze, I don't go biking in it.
Must be all the movement, because I've rarely had my water bottle freeze, even in the coldest temps.
I have heard that you can use beer instead of water
My experiance is that by short distances up to 1h freezing is not an issue. For longer rides I put the bottle/bottles in my back instead of bike-frame
I use to commute too. I have the privilege to live in mild climate – Minimum winter temperatures T=-10C Max summer T=+30C. Rain is an issue but Goretex makes wonder.
Here in Europe we uses to use following UK/English sentence “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”. Do you have something similar in American/Canadian English?
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Dress for the weather.
Warm this weekend, like 40F. So not the coldest I've biked in. But I took my new phone and snapped a couple of pics.
Word to the wise: it may look nice to shove a bike wheel into a snowbank, but if they're steel rims... don't count on the brakes working afterwards. Probably the biggest issue with all-steel bikes...
Edit: Took about a 20 mile ride yesterday, those are two pics from that ride. Raleigh 3 speed. I walked a few hills.
Word to the wise: it may look nice to shove a bike wheel into a snowbank, but if they're steel rims... don't count on the brakes working afterwards. Probably the biggest issue with all-steel bikes...
Edit: Took about a 20 mile ride yesterday, those are two pics from that ride. Raleigh 3 speed. I walked a few hills.
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Handsome bike you got there. Just did 10 miles today with my son in the trailer... boy am I out of shape but it felt good to get out. Its 40-45 degrees, no pricip but a lot of water on the path.
It's a bit of a kludge. 1969 Raleigh Sprite, which was a 5 speed hub. Picked up with a Brooks saddle and no shifters. Broke the saddle on my first ride. Wound up swapping on an AW hub from... 1969 (I had stripped down a womens bike a couple years earlier), and swapped on a saddle which I hated from my good road bike (oddly, it works well here). Metal rat trap pedals and a modern bag (Click-it?) round it out. More or less a beater.
I had to improvise a bit on the saddle.
I had to improvise a bit on the saddle.
A friend of mine had some big plans for something exciting at his condo when I was a teen, so a bunch of us jumped on our bikes during a snowstorm and tried to ride over...I ended up crashing into the trunk of a parked police car about a block from my house, can't remember if the others made it. Being an amoral little punk, I just picked up my destroyed bike and dragged it home as fast as I could before anybody saw me. My bike was pretty much wiped out, by my dad never said a word about it and just fixed it up before springtime.
Haven't ridden below freezing since then. I rode with a group at work down to about 40F for one winter, but hated it and set my bar just below 60F after that.
Haven't ridden below freezing since then. I rode with a group at work down to about 40F for one winter, but hated it and set my bar just below 60F after that.
My limit used to be low 40's F and sun shining. I did 20 miles on my fixed gear two days in row at 33 F.
Up until the mid 2000s i never owned a car here in Alaska and have work at a shop here since i was 15. I've rode daily in -10 to -15. I've road a couple of times in -30 but it isnt pleasant. Even if you winterize your bike with thinner grease it still becomes much slower, you must wear heavy clothing and if you push yourself to ride harder to stay warm your lung sburn. I winterize many fat bikes because freehubs (the clutch in the rear hub) come with too thick of grease to be reliable and the rest of the bike becomes high resistance with factory lube.
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What type of grease/oils do you use?
How are you winterize the free hub?
I have heard that polar fatbikes are equiped with Singlespeed hub as a front wheel. You can swap the wheels in case of frozen derauler or freehub . it is not the best solution but still you can safely go back home.
BTW: Today I cycled by 20F – yes the average speed was droped to 24km/h – normaly my average speed is around 30km/h
How are you winterize the free hub?
I have heard that polar fatbikes are equiped with Singlespeed hub as a front wheel. You can swap the wheels in case of frozen derauler or freehub . it is not the best solution but still you can safely go back home.
BTW: Today I cycled by 20F – yes the average speed was droped to 24km/h – normaly my average speed is around 30km/h
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Originally Posted By: salcuta88
I think the lowest I've cycled was about 20F. Last Friday I went riding in 30F to test my new winter pants.
Now there's some common sense.
My lowest is around 25 deg F. I'll find some other form of exercise when it's colder out...like shoveling snow or weights indoors. For the gear I wear anything lower than 25 deg. is going to freeze my feet solid. No thanks. I'm an amateur only do this for exercise. I can understand that those in serious competition have to train year round regardless of weather. No rain for me either.
In our winters I can get out at least once a week or so as a rule with clear and dry roads, temps in the 30's or 40's. If I were more serious, I'd have an indoor bike set up. Not too serious biking for the past 15 years. You have to do something when you can't "run" anymore.
I think the lowest I've cycled was about 20F. Last Friday I went riding in 30F to test my new winter pants.
Now there's some common sense.
My lowest is around 25 deg F. I'll find some other form of exercise when it's colder out...like shoveling snow or weights indoors. For the gear I wear anything lower than 25 deg. is going to freeze my feet solid. No thanks. I'm an amateur only do this for exercise. I can understand that those in serious competition have to train year round regardless of weather. No rain for me either.
In our winters I can get out at least once a week or so as a rule with clear and dry roads, temps in the 30's or 40's. If I were more serious, I'd have an indoor bike set up. Not too serious biking for the past 15 years. You have to do something when you can't "run" anymore.
Keep in mine what works in the winter doesn't work as well in the summer, thinner grease can run out of bearings a bit.
I use slick honey grease in as many of the bearings as possible. Some of the bottom brackets are difficult to service, most hubs have cartridge bearings that you can (carefully) remove the seals from and clean/re-lube. the freehub itself can be greased with slick honey or in extreme environments just oil. Oil has a pretty shrt service life tho as it runs out, i would do this for someone doing a race during very cold weather.
I've found that oil works best on the chain in the winter, i like tri-flow. Wax based lubes are great in the summer but cause some resistance in the cold.
A good way to inspect the bike is to just leave it outside for maybe 30 minutes in cold weather cycle some of the components with your hands. It should become apparent what needs to be winterized, many pedals become extremely stiff too.
Shifters are a big one here, the factory grease can thicken up and prevent shifting. Grip shifters seem to be immune tho. The fix is usually pretty simple tho, Flush them out well with a light spray oil.
I use slick honey grease in as many of the bearings as possible. Some of the bottom brackets are difficult to service, most hubs have cartridge bearings that you can (carefully) remove the seals from and clean/re-lube. the freehub itself can be greased with slick honey or in extreme environments just oil. Oil has a pretty shrt service life tho as it runs out, i would do this for someone doing a race during very cold weather.
I've found that oil works best on the chain in the winter, i like tri-flow. Wax based lubes are great in the summer but cause some resistance in the cold.
A good way to inspect the bike is to just leave it outside for maybe 30 minutes in cold weather cycle some of the components with your hands. It should become apparent what needs to be winterized, many pedals become extremely stiff too.
Shifters are a big one here, the factory grease can thicken up and prevent shifting. Grip shifters seem to be immune tho. The fix is usually pretty simple tho, Flush them out well with a light spray oil.
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Originally Posted By: akhoundog
Keep in mine what works in the winter doesn't work as well in the summer, thinner grease can run out of bearings a bit.
I use slick honey grease in as many of the bearings as possible. Some of the bottom brackets are difficult to service, most hubs have cartridge bearings that you can (carefully) remove the seals from and clean/re-lube. the freehub itself can be greased with slick honey or in extreme environments just oil. Oil has a pretty shrt service life tho as it runs out, i would do this for someone doing a race during very cold weather.
I've found that oil works best on the chain in the winter, i like tri-flow. Wax based lubes are great in the summer but cause some resistance in the cold.
A good way to inspect the bike is to just leave it outside for maybe 30 minutes in cold weather cycle some of the components with your hands. It should become apparent what needs to be winterized, many pedals become extremely stiff too.
Shifters are a big one here, the factory grease can thicken up and prevent shifting. Grip shifters seem to be immune tho. The fix is usually pretty simple tho, Flush them out well with a light spray oil.
I dont disagree, necessarily... but I will say I've run into very few problems like this in Michigan. I still ride every now and again in winter but back before I had a family I rode a LOT in winter...
Keep in mine what works in the winter doesn't work as well in the summer, thinner grease can run out of bearings a bit.
I use slick honey grease in as many of the bearings as possible. Some of the bottom brackets are difficult to service, most hubs have cartridge bearings that you can (carefully) remove the seals from and clean/re-lube. the freehub itself can be greased with slick honey or in extreme environments just oil. Oil has a pretty shrt service life tho as it runs out, i would do this for someone doing a race during very cold weather.
I've found that oil works best on the chain in the winter, i like tri-flow. Wax based lubes are great in the summer but cause some resistance in the cold.
A good way to inspect the bike is to just leave it outside for maybe 30 minutes in cold weather cycle some of the components with your hands. It should become apparent what needs to be winterized, many pedals become extremely stiff too.
Shifters are a big one here, the factory grease can thicken up and prevent shifting. Grip shifters seem to be immune tho. The fix is usually pretty simple tho, Flush them out well with a light spray oil.
I dont disagree, necessarily... but I will say I've run into very few problems like this in Michigan. I still ride every now and again in winter but back before I had a family I rode a LOT in winter...
Originally Posted By: akhoundog
Keep in mine what works in the winter doesn't work as well in the summer, thinner grease can run out of bearings a bit.
Thanks a lot. I have some plans to visit Norway at winter - fatbike trails. The problems that you describe are common there and I want to be prepared.
@buck91 - the climate in the Netherlands is milder than Michigan and people cycle more , but as soon as temperatures drops bellow T=-6..-7Celsus LBS starts selling silicone sprays.
It begins with frozen derauler and old fashion brakes. I commute 2x25km/day and this year has to ride 4...5 days without rear brake and fixed gear - frozen cables
Keep in mine what works in the winter doesn't work as well in the summer, thinner grease can run out of bearings a bit.
Thanks a lot. I have some plans to visit Norway at winter - fatbike trails. The problems that you describe are common there and I want to be prepared.
@buck91 - the climate in the Netherlands is milder than Michigan and people cycle more , but as soon as temperatures drops bellow T=-6..-7Celsus LBS starts selling silicone sprays.
It begins with frozen derauler and old fashion brakes. I commute 2x25km/day and this year has to ride 4...5 days without rear brake and fixed gear - frozen cables
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