Comments on: Sucking It Up In Winter

By: Jenava

Jenava — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:36:15 +0000

I wear wool (smartwool) long sleeve tees under a polyester half-zip and a very light windbreaker when it’s not raining. when it is I add a poncho over the whole mess. I wear regular sneakers with wool socks and when it rains I switch them out for rainboots. Tall rainboots are GREAT for riding because they come up pretty high and so keep my whole lower leg dry and clean.

By: Tom Bowden

Tom Bowden — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:16:36 +0000

I get everything I need in the way of gloves and head protection from Walmart. They have Thinsulate gloves for $5, headbands for $1 and neck gaiters for $5 (or is it $2. Don’t get fleeced. Fleece is fleece. Pretty much anyway. For legs and body, I go with thrift-shop or semi-worn out (as in not quite business worthy)wool pants and sport coats, and sometimes a fleece lined Eddy Bauer/Lands End/LL Bean bomber jacket. A merino wool pull-over is good as an undergarment.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:49:23 +0000

I ride year round in northern Norway. I see plenty of black ice but since I ride on the plowed roads, not too much snow. I use the Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tires and am satisfied with them. The tread blocks are fairly tight which makes for low rolling resistance, but causes poorer performance on loose snow. Everything is a compromise. I absolutely recommend Peter White’s page, http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp for anyone thinking about studded tires.

By: Cyclelogical

Cyclelogical — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:50:14 +0000

Great post on winter riding. Thanks so much.
Check out these for side reflection at night.
http://www.cyclelogicalgear.com/products/reflective-chopspokes.html

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:58:14 +0000

I ride in Ottawa, Canada year round. Climate is approximately equal to Siberia from late December until early April.

For tires, I like the Schwalbe Marathon range of tires as they have great handling and puncture protection. I have been using the Marathon Plus in a 38mm from April until November but will switch to the studded Marathon Winters as soon as we have consistent below zero temps and ice/snow/slush on the ground. I also run slime tubes in the winter as, IMHO, there is nothing worse in the deep cold of winter than trying to change a flattire. Yes, studded tires and slime tubes are heavier and arguably slower, but not as slow as a ride interrupted by changing flats.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:46:46 +0000

For the very cold weather I wear bib shorts under a pair of Sugoi Firewall XC pants. They have a baggier cut and I have had suspenders sewn on to them. The matching jacket is great too. I generally only need to wear a long sleeve base layer under the jacket – currently loving ModRobes Eucalyptus stuff which shares many of the benefits of wool gear but is less delicate from a washing perspective.

For shoes – I run a larger size of Shimano ankle high MTB shoes with the SPD holes backfilled from the insode with some caulking and then top that off with some of those foil & felt contruction worker style footbeds. Smartwool socks inside Sealskin vapour barier socks make a very warm system. Just make sure you have lots of room to still wiggle your toes inside.

By: BluesCat

BluesCat — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:38:20 +0000

I don’t know how they would work for snow and ice, but for the one or two rainy days we have mud-slicked roads in Phoenix (yeah, yer right, I’m braggin’) I’ve found that “inverted tread” tires like the Serfas Drifters are just the ticket.

The canyons in the tread, instead of knobby hills, really stick to the road. They make the Drifters in a 700×32 size now.

By: Chrehn

Chrehn — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:22:21 +0000

Thank you for the winter article. I like to use Nokian Ground and Mount Studded Tires in the winter. They are excellent on ice and snow. It is exhilarating to ride a bicycle in the quietness of a winter morning. I am extra careful around traffic, because, it is no fun being passed by a car on a road filled with rutted snow.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:10:41 +0000

re: Winter Tires

I feel the best advice would come from people in your area who are used to the specific road conditions you face… in NYC I keep my slicks on for almost the entire year — and there are just a handful of days when I feel the need to swap them out. Days when there is snow/ice build up and slush on the streets I feel knobby tires give me more control. We are also fortunate not to have much black ice here, unlike further up north.

As for studded tires, I’ve never used them – even in Montreal. I considered getting some (and even making my own) back then but got away with knobbies in winter. The added weight of studded tires can also be a deterrent but I do know die-hards who favor them when conditions are rough.

By: steve

steve — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 04:44:34 +0000

I have found that Bar Mitts are AWESOME at cutting down on the wind and keeping my hands warm. It’s usually impossible for me to keep my hands warm, but these make it easy! Also, I use a lightweight balaclava instead of the earmuffs and turtleneck. It has a similar effect, but I like the increased coverage.