Winter weather tips thread?

[Judd]

Although pricey, wool garments are magical. I have a mid-weight base layer that I’m comfortable wearing under a soft shell from the mid-20’s to about 50 degrees. It dries fast and takes a while to get stinky.

[Steve O]

Here’s a reprise of my post from a couple years ago. (This was before they plowed the Custis.) Still applies:
@Steve O 110378 wrote:

Several people reported going down today and many have expressed trepidation about riding on snow and ice.
This morning I rode to Java Shack, back home (near EFC) and back to Rosslyn on my 3-speed Western Flyer with wide slicks (see photo below), and–with just one momentary exception–felt pretty comfortable the whole time. Most of this was on the Custis, but some was on streets, too.

I’m not saying this to boast, but to relay the fact that it is possible, and pretty safe, to ride in these conditions if you use the proper techniques.

I think the #1 tip is to avoid using your front brake. If you skid your rear tire, you will slide sideways, but you probably won’t go down. (That was my one time this morning: on a downhill a truck presented itself as an obstacle while I was literally on a 20-foot patch of ice. I locked up the back wheel, but did not apply the front brake, but rather steered across the ice toward the packed snow along the side of the road. My bike slid partially sideways, but did not fall over, and when I hit the snow, everything straightened back out. If I had hit the front brake [which is one’s tendency], I would surely have gone down. I wasn’t travelling too fast to start with, so even if I had gone down, I probably would have only bruised my pride.)

#2 – Keep moving–straight and steady. A moving bike is much more stable than a walking or running person, and way, way more stable than a still bike. You don’t have to go very fast, but as long as you are moving in a straight line your bike will virtually always stay up–even on pretty slick surfaces. Try to keep your pedaling as smooth and steady as possible, so that your rear wheel applies a constant pressure.

#3 – Plan ahead.
– If you are going to be crossing an ice field, plan ahead for your exit spot, and plot a straight line to it.
– If you are going to be heading down a hill, slow way down before the beginning, so that you can roll slowly down without needing your front brake
– Turns can be dangerous, just like using the front brake, so slow down and plan your turns before you start them.

#4 – When navigating actual snow (like an inch or more deep), you may find that standing up and pedaling is more comfortable. I’m not sure what it is about controlling the bike, but having the bike slide around while you are standing and pedaling is much less troubling than while sitting–at least for me. A more advanced skill is to stand and shift your weight backwards, so that your rear wheel has more weight, and hence more traction, to keep you going. This is helpful on uphills when you don’t want to come to a dead stop. Riding in actual snow is harder work, but far less likely to result in falls than on icy surfaces.

The street I am standing on in the photo below–taken this morning–is completely rideable, even on a road bike (not recommended, though; my druthers is my heavier, wider-tired, 3-speed), if you use the techniques above.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]13041[/ATTACH]

[hozn]

@Judd 151349 wrote:

Although pricey, wool garments are magical. I have a mid-weight base layer that I’m comfortable wearing under a soft shell from the mid-20’s to about 50 degrees. It dries fast and takes a while to get stinky.

Agreed. Well worth the money. I like the Icebreaker LS base layers; they are relatively affordable on http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

[Judd]

@hozn 151360 wrote:

Agreed. Well worth the money. I like the Icebreaker LS base layers; they are relatively affordable on http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

Bookmarking. Those are way good prices.

[ewilliams0305]

At least once every winter go out in shorts and t-shirt and ride really really fast, you won’t regret the momentary laps of reason

+1 for wool!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sunyata]

Bar Mitts. It is all about the Bar Mitts (or Moose Mitts, or other similar devices) with me. These allow me to ride with no gloves if it is more than 30F outside. Thin gloves or glove liners if it is between 10-30F. Below 10, I will wear mid-weight gloves with them. (I am also lazy, and do not take them off during the winter riding season, so on days like yesterday and today where it is pretty mild, I am still sporting them with sweaty hands!)

Winter boots and flat pedals. I have a pair of insulated Keen boots that I got for cheap on Sierra Trading Post that I wear if it is below 32F. They keep my feet toasty warm. In addition, they have great grip if I need to put a foot down in snow/ice.

Ski Helmet/Goggles. I wear these if it is below 25 and windy. The ski helmet is often a bit too warm, but it keeps my goggles in place better than my commuter helmet.

[Tim Kelley]

Cold Weather Biking Tips: Infographic!

Scared of riding in the winter? Winter in DC really isn’t that bad. 2015’s winter only had 14 days that it actually snowed, and 16 days that there was snow on the ground. 93% of winter days had a high above freezing, and 66% of winter days had a low above freezing. Here’s the blog post.

Venturing out into the snow? Here are some equipment and technique tips!

[drevil]

@hozn 151360 wrote:

Agreed. Well worth the money. I like the Icebreaker LS base layers; they are relatively affordable on http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

I started shopping with them … 18 years ago(?) and have been getting what feels like a coupon everyday since Their coupons range from 25-35% additional off to the rare 45% off. I’m the Imelda Marcos of helmets and have purchased at least 8 Giro Xar helmets over the years for ~$50/pop from STP 😮

So, sign up for their coupons and get at least 25% additional off, and set your filters to funnel them into their own category before it gets too annoying.

*I just checked, I get 2 emails every day from them.

[epilsk]

The best bargain in wool, especially for base layers, are those old sweaters with holes in them you (if you are like me) have stuffed in the back of drawers, closets, and bins. Wool is wool and you already paid for those old sweaters. You can be cheap and warm!

[Emm]

Super helpful thread, thank you!!!

Any recommendations on good tires for DC winters? I’m not 100% sure yet I want to go studded, but my commute is mostly on the MVT from Tulane to the 14th st bridge, so they might be a good idea. The commuter I plan to use once salt goes down on the road has Vittoria Randonneur 32s on, which I think I need to upgrade to be something a little grippy-er. I can’t afford a second wheelset since it’s an IGH/disc brake bike, so whatever I mount is what I’m using from now till March. I think studs just concern me because if my commute takes much longer than the hour it already does I’ll be cranky.

I’ve searched old forum posts and got a few good ideas off them , and CPTJohnC has also sent me a helpful email at work…but the more ideas the better

[bentbike33]

@Emm 151382 wrote:

Super helpful thread, thank you!!!

Any recommendations on good tires for DC winters? I’m not 100% sure yet I want to go studded, but my commute is mostly on the MVT from Tulane to the 14th st bridge, so they might be a good idea. The commuter I plan to use once salt goes down on the road has Vittoria Randonneur 32s on, which I think I need to upgrade to be something a little grippy-er. I can’t afford a second wheelset since it’s an IGH/disc brake bike, so whatever I mount is what I’m using from now till March. I think studs just concern me because if my commute takes much longer than the hour it already does I’ll be cranky.

I’ve searched old forum posts and got a few good ideas off them , and CPTJohnC has also sent me a helpful email at work…but the more ideas the better

Perhaps just an additional front wheel with a studded tire. The front end is where studs help the most.

[Sunyata]

@Emm 151382 wrote:

Super helpful thread, thank you!!!

Any recommendations on good tires for DC winters? I’m not 100% sure yet I want to go studded, but my commute is mostly on the MVT from Tulane to the 14th st bridge, so they might be a good idea. The commuter I plan to use once salt goes down on the road has Vittoria Randonneur 32s on, which I think I need to upgrade to be something a little grippy-er. I can’t afford a second wheelset since it’s an IGH/disc brake bike, so whatever I mount is what I’m using from now till March. I think studs just concern me because if my commute takes much longer than the hour it already does I’ll be cranky.

I’ve searched old forum posts and got a few good ideas off them , and CPTJohnC has also sent me a helpful email at work…but the more ideas the better

My daily commuter is also IGH, so I just run my regular commuter tires during the winter (which, are pretty beefy): 38mm Kenda Kouriers. It does pretty decent in light snow (less than 3 inches), but gets a pretty squirrely once the snow gets rutted or on ice. I bought a set of studs last year and put them on my 29’er rigid mountain bike and they worked AWESOMELY. So, if you have a second bike that uses a standard hub, I would go that route and just throw the studs on there when needed. I absolutely refuse to take the rear wheel off my commuter unless I absolutely have to (it is SUCH a pain and takes me a good half hour to remember how to take it off). The only problem with this was that I ruined the drive train on my Niner because of the salt and my laziness (which is why I have a belt drive IGH in the first place). I will do better this year about cleaning the drive train on that bike, I promise. 😮

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Emm 151382 wrote:

Super helpful thread, thank you!!!
The commuter I plan to use once salt goes down on the road has Vittoria Randonneur 32s on, which I think I need to upgrade to be something a little grippy-er.

Also, Vittoria Randonneurs are heavy AF…

[Emm]

@Sunyata 151390 wrote:

The only problem with this was that I ruined the drive train on my Niner because of the salt and my laziness (which is why I have a belt drive IGH in the first place). I will do better this year about cleaning the drive train on that bike, I promise. 😮

That’s actually my main concern about using my road bike in the winter–my road bike has all external cables, and 105/ultegra components, so my wallet gets angry when I have to replace the drive train (which already seems to happen every other year without salt…). I bought the IGH bike to make winter and wet riding easier since I am NOT very good about cleaning my bikes after dirty rides!

I did google the front-wheel only approach, so that may be what I do and see how it goes.

@TwoWheelsDC 151392 wrote:

Also, Vittoria Randonneurs are heavy AF…

Yea, and almost impossible to get on my rim. I have a deep hatred for these tires already, so getting rid of them wont make me sad.

[worktheweb]

Schwalbe Marathon Winters are my go-to for studded tires. While slower than regular tires, they’re reasonably fast when fully inflated, and at the lower end they grip ice very well. For the MVT, you’ll still have problems if there are ruts as the tires are narrow enough to get caught in them. One added plus of studs, you can ride those wooden bridges on the MVT as if on rails … It also sounds like you have your own hive of bees along for the ride.

[Author]

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