[MarkinDC]

Hey,
Since you can do voting polls in Facebook groups I started a poll for the team name in the team Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/161868077782035/

[MarkinDC]

Hey all,
It was good meeting several of you last night, here are my suggestions for our team name:

Team 2 “F”ing Cold Outside
Team 2 Cold for this Sleet
Team 2 Legit 2 Quit (Riding Just Cuz it’s Cold Outside)

I am a first time freezing saddles participant and a winter rider for above freezing temps, when the weather is below freezing I only log miles on bikeshare bikes because I live at the top of the hill on Wisconsin.

-Mark

[MarkinDC]

I’ll be there.

[MarkinDC]

If you are regularly commuting for an hour in the teens and 20’s (more power to you) it’s worth investing the money in a designated pair of winter cycling boots. I follow the clearance section on the Specialized website very closely and picked up a pair of Defroster Trail bike shoes in October for only $70 instead of the usual $200. I haven’t ridden in them as much as I would like (sorry when it’s in the teens the only riding I’m doing is on nice slow stable bikeshare bikes), the couple of rides I’ve done I didn’t like the stiffness of the hightop boot so I don’t specifically endorse the Defroster trails, but I think if you ride clipped in for the miles are talking about you have to go with a designated winter bike shoe.

[MarkinDC]

So some folks have talked about tires and here are some general points:

– Wider and softer is generally more grippy in cold weather conditions, but note if your tires are “underinflated” and not tubeless you will be more prone to flats
– Wider is nice and wider allows you to generally run a lower pressure, but not all road bike frames will take a wider tire. For example a few winters ago I bought some 700×28 tires for my carbon road bike which rolled fine on the maintenance stand, but in certain conditions under the weight of a rider were actually rubbing up against the side of my frame and damaging it, so now even though I’d like to roll 700×28 in the winter 700×26 is with widest tire my frame will accept. The norm used to be 700×18 for road bikes so a lot of older road bikes just won’t take a wider softer tire for the winter.
– If you can’t fit a wider winter tire, look for a set of tires with winter specific rubber. Different types of rubber behave differently in near freezing or below freezing temperatures so especially if you are rolling wide and soft look for something winter specific.
– In the winter it’s more important than ever to think about fenders/mud guards and to really wipe down your bike after each ride. Salt can do a lot of damage to all types of bikes. It’s a bit OCD but I tend to first wipe the salt off with a dry cloth, then a clean damp cloth, then if I have time, another clean dry cloth. A wet cloth when your bike is still salty might help the salt get places it wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise. (it goes without saying my bikes all live in doors).

[MarkinDC]

@Harry Meatmotor 170010 wrote:

I’m guessing it’s because Brett Favre didn’t have giant snot-cicles hanging off his face when he approached non-cyclists after a cold ride into work.

If you are getting snot-cicles then I think you need to work on your technique

[MarkinDC]

So a lot has been covered, here are my most novel pieces of advice on this topic, a winter beard goes a long way, always ride with eye protection even at night, glove liners can go a long way if another pair of gloves isn’t quite warm enough, if you are riding more than a short distance chemical warmers (plastic bags stuck in your shoes) will do bad things to your feet. Also in addition to/instead of shoe covers/overshoes/designated winter bike shoes like Specialized Defrosters, Sealskinz water proof socks maybe over a thin wool sock (if it’s really cold) are awesome when it’s cold and wet out.

[MarkinDC]

Hey,
I’ve been biking for a long time, and just got into bikepacking in 2017. I rode the Pittsburgh to DC GAP/C&O ride in September with my brother and I’m looking forward to riding it again in the Spring at a faster pace. Has anyone heard anything about the Parks Department stopping treating the water at the Hiker/Biker campsites along the C&O? There was an announcement on the GAP Trail website about that.

-Mark

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