My thoughts and attitude towards winter cycling

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12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
As the folks in Edmonton Canada like to say, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing choices. Actually, there are bad tire choices too. As a person who always disliked and even feared cold weather, there is something very satisfying about finding a way to be outside when it is really cold, perhaps windy, and being warm and comfortable. Roads dry, ride my Brompton. Roads icy, ride my Surly Steamroller with studded tires. Too snowy for that, take a mountain bike with 2 inch tires and a lot more studs. If the roads aren't passable with that sometimes good riding can be had one bike paths and singletrack. Because cold air is denser and because the extra clothing is an aero drag a shorter winter ride will keep you as fit as a longer summer ride. Sometimes it seems, though, that putting on and off all the stuff to wear takes as long as a ride.
 
No car = cycle commute 5 days a week here. Bus is very inefficient and would take 1.6-1.8x as long, plus I'd have to share it with the great unwashed of Leeds and Bradford. Happened to hop on one the other day to get to a meeting across town, and boy was it an "experience" of how the other half live. Sounds snobbish, but give me a solo bike ride any day over that chaos. If I become old, decrepit, smell of wee and reliant on public transport you have my permission to shoot me.
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
As the folks in Edmonton Canada like to say, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing choices. Actually, there are bad tire choices too. As a person who always disliked and even feared cold weather, there is something very satisfying about finding a way to be outside when it is really cold, perhaps windy, and being warm and comfortable. Roads dry, ride my Brompton. Roads icy, ride my Surly Steamroller with studded tires. Too snowy for that, take a mountain bike with 2 inch tires and a lot more studs. If the roads aren't passable with that sometimes good riding can be had one bike paths and singletrack. Because cold air is denser and because the extra clothing is an aero drag a shorter winter ride will keep you as fit as a longer summer ride. Sometimes it seems, though, that putting on and off all the stuff to wear takes as long as a ride.

It is against forum etiquette to speak of a Surly. Especially a Steamroller and NOT provide a photo. Is it white? And is it fixed or single speed?

Yours faithfully,

A devout Surly fan.
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
It is against forum etiquette to speak of a Surly. Especially a Steamroller and NOT provide a photo. Is it white? And is it fixed or single speed?

Yours faithfully,

A devout Surly fan.
Here you go...if you look closely you may see a bar end shifter and top tube cable for an SA 3 speed. At this moment it is a 48/18 singlespeed with studded tires. Nice thing about Steamrollers is they are so changeable. IMG_20181206_103442.jpg
 

Jimidh

Veteran
Location
Midlothian
Route Choices are important in winter as I found out today. Decided to cycle across an open moor road into the face of brutal winds today - complete torture.

I really didn’t know why I did that as even on milder days it can be a rough ride if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction.

Old enough to know better!!!
 

adamangler

Veteran
Location
Wakefield
Winter is hard for me to get motivated for.

I'll still get a ride in on a Sunday but there's no chance I'm going out in the dark after work for a ride.

My winter rides are usually limited to 3 a week, a ride on a Sunday and two short mid weekers usually on the turbo. (Well zwift)
 
Location
London
I doubt the Secu-Clips are very effective, as things can still get jammed at the fork crown. In any case, plastic mudguards just break if a decently large twig is sucked under them. I've seen it happen. Metal ones are riskier.
Yes. I warned someone on a ride about their new swish metal guards with no secu-clips of any sort that I could see.
 
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