Your latest bike purchase?

[jabberwocky]

@Vicegrip 94327 wrote:

Obvious answer. Ice bike.

My winter solution is to put the studs on my touring bike, and then ride the road bike when there is no ice (which is 98% of the time).

[dkel]

I seem to remember a few week-long (or longer) stretches last winter where some parts of the W&OD were impassable due to residual rutted ice, at least in the parts that I commute (Falls Church to Vienna). My problem was in trying to decide which route to take: sloppy trail or relatively clear road. There were a few occasions when I rode the trail, and found it clear and dry–except for a section of 50 yards or so of ice, which was all it took to make the trip miserable and slow. I could just take streets all winter, but it’s not as relaxed a ride as taking car-free MUPs. So I still don’t know what to do, but I’m leaning towards studs, and also towards leaving them on quite a bit through the winter, especially with forecasts–premature as they may be–predicting a repeat of last year’s mess. At least then I won’t have to worry about which route to take, and when I meet the slow, icy paths, I’ll feel safer, and I’ll be going slowly anyway.

One other possible benefit of studs: the well-meaning church-folk I encounter at my church gig won’t be able to argue with me about riding all winter, because I’ll be able to tell them my bike is less likely to slide on ice than their cars are. That would be priceless.

[Greenbelt]

@jabberwocky 94331 wrote:

My winter solution is to put the studs on my touring bike, and then ride the road bike when there is no ice (which is 98% of the time).

[IMG]https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10590690_699936630073057_2946040765462231016_n.jpg?oh=e97db1972dd1cca0c19d524411afc9e0&oe=54918930&__gda__=1418941369_ee1f152dd00c95d11727988ca0a7ff74[/IMG]

[dkel]

Don’t even get me started on fat bikes! I did talk to Jan at Bikenetic about the fat bike v. studs question (and there have been some good threads about it on this forum as well), and he told me that fat bikes have the same problem on icy ruts that other bikes do. Since I’m riding the MUPs all the time, a fat bike wouldn’t necessarily be better on the icy remnants that linger on the MUPs. Now a fat bike with studs…

[jabberwocky]

Yeah, the fatbike might have been nice when I use to commute on the W&OD, but these days I’m 100% on roads, so packed snow and patchy ice are all I have to deal with. Light fluffy snow I just ride the road bike and do fine; anything else I switch to the touring bike with its Marathon Winters.

[Crickey7]

I know WABA already reported this, but after years of maintaining that they would not clear the CCT of snow, Mont Co will start a pilot snow clearing program this year. We’ll see how it goes, since unless they get out pretty quickly, the joggers beat the snow into slick, freezing mess.

http://www.cctrail.org/PilotSnowRemovalProgram.pdf

[hozn]

@dkel 94333 wrote:

There were a few occasions when I rode the trail, and found it clear and dry–except for a section of 50 yards or so of ice, which was all it took to make the trip miserable and slow.

Well, getting off your bike and walking it for 50 yards will still make your commute much faster than doing the whole things on studded tires. That’s my logic, anyway, for not leaving them on all the time.

@dkel 94333 wrote:

I could just take streets all winter, but it’s not as relaxed a ride as taking car-free MUPs. So I still don’t know what to do, but I’m leaning towards studs, and also towards leaving them on quite a bit through the winter, especially with forecasts–premature as they may be–predicting a repeat of last year’s mess. At least then I won’t have to worry about which route to take, and when I meet the slow, icy paths, I’ll feel safer, and I’ll be going slowly anyway.

Sure, this sounds great. But you may change your mind when you actually ride on studded tires.

This isn’t to say I don’t think studded tires aren’t a great idea. I love having studded tires because it does mean I can ride in conditions that I couldn’t otherwise — and when we get snow there are miles of those “ice cobbles” that would be impassable otherwise west of Vienna (and sometimes east of Vienna).

But I stand by the belief that I’m less likely to wipeout in non-ice conditions with good grippy all-season tires — like the Schwalbe Duranos — than I am with knobby studded tires. And it is so, so, so much nicer to ride on slicks than studs.

[mstone]

Are any local shops stocking studded tires?

[dkel]

@hozn 94342 wrote:

Well, getting off your bike and walking it for 50 yards will still make your commute much faster than doing the whole things on studded tires.

True.

@hozn 94342 wrote:

But you may change your mind when you actually ride on studded tires.

Also true.

@hozn 94342 wrote:

I love having studded tires because it does mean I can ride in conditions that I couldn’t otherwise — and when we get snow there are miles of those “ice cobbles” that would be impassable otherwise west of Vienna (and sometimes east of Vienna).

Which is why I’ll probably get them.

@hozn 94342 wrote:

But I stand by the belief that I’m less likely to wipeout in non-ice conditions with good grippy all-season tires — like the Schwalbe Duranos — than I am with knobby studded tires. And it is so, so, so much nicer to ride on slicks than studs.

You’re probably right. I’ll have to experience it for myself, obviously. Which is to say, I think I just made my decision! Now, when to order them…? Or a more serious question: what size? I have room under my fenders for the knobby 41s that came with the bike, and the Marathon Winters come in 35s (similar in size to the Contis that I normally run) or 42s. Is there benefit to the larger size? Is there benefit to the smaller size, which would give me more room for snow to accumulate under there (which it will!).

[hozn]

The 35s sound sufficient for our area. Maybe bigger tires work better on packed snow, but that isn’t the main thing we have to deal with on the trail. I would do 35. Mine are 32mm and seem fine — though I contemplated getting 35-38mm tires this past winter. Would make the choppiness a little softer (running bigger volume tire lower pressure).

Clearance for packed snow under fenders seems relevant, though …. I have only used fenders with snow tires a couple times, so can’t really comment on that. Do you keep the fenders on for off-road? Riding on the packed ice is like riding off-road from a bumpiness perspective. Your metal fenders probably won’t break, but may make quite a racket?

[DanB]

@dkel 94339 wrote:

Don’t even get me started on fat bikes! I did talk to Jan at Bikenetic about the fat bike v. studs question (and there have been some good threads about it on this forum as well), and he told me that fat bikes have the same problem on icy ruts that other bikes do. Since I’m riding the MUPs all the time, a fat bike wouldn’t necessarily be better on the icy remnants that linger on the MUPs. Now a fat bike with studs…

This is the perfect thread to bring up the Minnesota 2.0 from Framed Bikes. http://www.framedbikes.com/mn2/ (I have no affiliation and don’t own one, but my friend works at a LBS in Minn. and rides fat tires.) Sounds like they really thought this one through. For $900 you get a frame that accepts 2 sets of wheels (both included): a complete fat tire wheel set and a complete 29er wheel set. You can switch out the wheels with no adjustments–including the (disk) brakes.

So you could have a fat tire bike and switch to 29er wheels with studs for ice.

[dkel]

@hozn 94351 wrote:

Do you keep the fenders on for off-road? Riding on the packed ice is like riding off-road from a bumpiness perspective. Your metal fenders probably won’t break, but may make quite a racket?

I played with the mounts on my fenders for weeks to get it just right, and they way they are set up they have almost no movement at all while riding. They’re also a bit of trouble to get on and off, so I do keep them on all the time. When I had two weeks of gravel commuting out of Wakefield and Accotink, the only sound I got was from the occasional rock running up through them. Even with 41s on, I have enough fender clearance such that I don’t think I could pick up a rock big enough to jam in there. In that regard, all the research I did before getting the bike, and all the research I’ve done on the various add-ons has paid off: the thing works for everything I want to do, and is almost maintenance-free. Chain lube and tire pressure is about all I ever worry about, except for occasionally making sure all my bolts are tight. I also have to keep recharging my lights, until I get that coveted dynohub.

[americancyclo]

@DanB 94363 wrote:

This is the perfect thread to bring up the Minnesota 2.0 from Framed Bikes. http://www.framedbikes.com/mn2/ (I have no affiliation and don’t own one, but my friend works at a LBS in Minn. and rides fat tires.) Sounds like they really thought this one through. For $900 you get a frame that accepts 2 sets of wheels (both included): a complete fat tire wheel set and a complete 29er wheel set. You can switch out the wheels with no adjustments–including the (disk) brakes.

So you could have a fat tire bike and switch to 29er wheels with studs for ice.

frame/fork on DC Used Bicycle marketplace for $350 now.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204132803987705&set=gm.1538338419730081&type=1&theater

[KWL]

@Greenbelt 94335 wrote:

[IMG]https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10590690_699936630073057_2946040765462231016_n.jpg?oh=e97db1972dd1cca0c19d524411afc9e0&oe=54918930&__gda__=1418941369_ee1f152dd00c95d11727988ca0a7ff74[/IMG]

This belongs in the Covet thread.

[dkel]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6655[/ATTACH]

So I don’t have to fish my keys out of my pannier every time I roll home. (Took me all afternoon to install the dang thing…)

[Author]

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