I hope it snows, it snows and snows this winter ........

[fossyant]

Are there any tyres that'll cope with thick snow?

Snow studs were good for the 8 inches we had January 2010 and December 2010.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Ok, snow lovers, can we make a deal? You can have all the snow you want above 200 metres. This will leave me plenty of space to cycle around under the Santa-Bicycle Line without falling off.

 

[Drago]

It's amusing how the people who can't afford one seem to have the loudest opinions.

We're in the main talking about MTB and possibly heavier hybrid tyres. Does anyone here have any experience of using a road bike in the snow, and off so what tyres did you use? I can remember doing it as a kid in my early teens but memory fails me when but comes to how successful it was, though I do think cyclists (and folk in general) were tougher back then.

 

[fossyant]

It's a bit stupid using a road bike, really.

Anyway, this thread is going to mean winter will be very wet. Time to get a group discount at Decathlon for canoes

 

[Recycle]

We're in the main talking about MTB and possibly heavier hybrid tyres. Does anyone here have any experience of using a road bike in the snow, and off so what tyres did you use?

I think that Schwalbe only do a winter marathon 35 tyre and I'm sure other spike or studded tyres are similar. I'm not sure if you would find anything that would fit a road bike rim.

 

[GrasB]

Does anyone here have any experience of using a road bike in the snow, and off so what tyres did you use?

I've ridden on Schwalbe Ultremo Aqua with good results on Ice, just take it really easy. Snow is a real problem however as you tend to lose directional control of the wheel

 

[cyberknight]

I hope it does not snow , seriously considering flogging my MTB as i need the cash so i would be on 23 mm slicks from now on.

 

[Jdratcliffe]

Have no MTB/Hybrid due to funds issue ( needs to fix that as miss my MTB antics!) so i have my CADD8 for commuting into town - i stick to the A23 all the way ( boring but safe pidictablish traffic) suggestions as to what tyre i should shod my beast with for ice/snow currently run 23mm GP4000s should these hold up?

 

[fossyant]

I suspect an icy but damp winter, so I am going to run the Studs but with full guards as I go down the trans pennine and its like liquid concrete when wet. Watch us get six feet of snow, and my guards will clog.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

It's amusing how the people who can't afford one seem to have the loudest opinions.

We're in the main talking about MTB and possibly heavier hybrid tyres. Does anyone here have any experience of using a road bike in the snow, and off so what tyres did you use? I can remember doing it as a kid in my early teens but memory fails me when but comes to how successful it was, though I do think cyclists (and folk in general) were tougher back then.

Having enough cash to buy 4x4's with does not correlate with ability or brains to drive one.

 

[hennbell]

I ride in snow a fair amount, my preferred tactic is cyclocross bike.
Keep the cadence high, do not lean into corners, and never use the front brakes. And ever once in a while go very hard and fast and jump into a big fat snow drift.

When dealing with snow you have 2 options try to float on top of it or cut through it.

To float on top you need a wide tyre that spreads out the pressure exerted on the contact patch between tyre and snow. You need a snow specific bike, not a cheap option.
http://moots.com/afternoon-ti/moots-frosti-snow-bike/
http://salsacycles.com/bikes/mukluk

To cut through and compress the snow you want a thin tyre so you don't have to much snow to compress, cyclocross works best and you can get studded cyclocross tyres.

Try using zip ties, works a treat, but you better have disk brakes.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Ah, so the comments about winky substitutes were humour? And there's me thinking it was an insult from soneone who hasn't the gumption to out and say it.

No I think it was pretty much a statement of fact. Had two top of the range defenders complete with artic packs (1 for me, 1 for the wife). When I decided to retrain and gave them up we had to manage with a micra for a few years. We used snow chains which were brilliant, but we still got stuck behind the unprepared drivers. The difference is in the micra we can go thru smaller gaps in the traffic than the landy's.

 

[Drago]

Having enough cash to buy 4x4's with does not correlate with ability or brains to drive one.

To be honest, the same is true of the majority of bicycle riders I see. It's not a concept that's mutually exclusive.

Anyway, to topic... Will any recumbent riders be riding in the snow. Low C of G would be handy, but never having ridden one I don't know if they'd be any use. Recumbent trike perhaps?

 

[bigtrike]

I WILL NOT be riding the low racer in sub zero conditions, you have to balance the bike by making stearing changes to such an extent that wet grass has me skidding all over the place but thats what the trike is for and yes it will have the marathon winter on again this winter, and yes it has a front fairing to keep my feet warm and yes it was made by ICE. ( there is insufficient clearence for the wider studds on the bike) and yes it is about as much fun looning arround on ice as you can have with clothes on!

 

[summerdays]

Will any recumbent riders be riding in the snow. Low C of G would be handy, but never having ridden one I don't know if they'd be any use. Recumbent trike perhaps?

I remember seeing photos/videos of someone doing donuts in the snow on their trike - looked fantastic fun! (Sorry I can't remember who - though it could have been Auntie Helen perhaps?)