Worthwhile having at least one with permanent mudguards.
This is the best solution, I’ve got a proper poor weather bike.
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Worthwhile having at least one with permanent mudguards.
During winter I like wrapping up warm and walking, but when it comes to cycling I prefer to stick indoors with this.
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I can’t put clipless pedals on because Mrs JtB also uses it and she doesn’t do clipless.Clips and Straps !
I can’t put clipless pedals on because Mrs JtB also uses it and she doesn’t do clipless.
I have handled black ice in the past by break dancing, doing a spin on my back and also adopted Michael Jackson dancing ending with dropping to my knees in triumphGood tyres. Check.
Good brakes. Check.
Breeze Blockers. Check.
Pre ride check - Er, check.
Clean(ish) Y fronts. Check.
And thats it, I'm off. The only weather that keeps me off the bike is hurricane force winds that blow dangerous sized debris about, or heavy fog in which myopic cage pilots will tearfully tell the coroner "I didn't see him". Mind you, I wouldn't drive a car in those conditions either.
People whittle about 'black ice' etc, but how do you develop the skills to handle it if you don't ride it? Micro climates behind hedgerows etc can be as much as 6°C colder than the surroundings, so on a bright, clear day it can still reach out and grab you, and if you haven't developed the skills and experience required to stay upright because you're doing insuficient you have no means to fight it.
Its akin to saying "I love jogging, but it doesn't half make me huff and puff so I don't go out very often " - youre not avoiding the problem, youre actually making yourself more vulnerable to it.
I just ride. I live 52° North on a poky island in the North Atlantic. Dire weathernis a given. If I let the weather dictate everything I did I'd never leave the house to do anything. If it is affecting your daily activities that much they you're living in the wrong country.
I'm sort of with you. I dont go when it rains as I go early mornings before sun up. I got caught in heavy down pour and won't do that again. The riding buddy I'm cultivating just got a road bike and has similar apprehensions about skinny tires. Haven't seen his bike yet but it should be 700x25c. Mine is that and I got 28cm Gatorskins on it with green slime tubes. I ride motorcycle and learned to trust the bike tires. Roads are crap around here as well. Either potholes or patch work. So I understand you.I admire you all weather cyclists. I won't go out in rain and definitely not in ice. Even then I wouldn't use my road bike in winter, even in the dry, as the roads are badly potholed round here and they don't make much effort to clear the leaves.
I think a lot of it comes down to having a bike you feel confident on. I simply don't feel happy on skinny tyres and a light bike unless the conditions are good. It just feels a lot harder to fall off a mtb to be honest.
I've not gotten one as I live in a flat. But stationary bikes are boring. Not talking about turbo trainers.Turbo trainer
Good luck. Hope you recover. Keep at it. 🙂I'd commute in most weather's but my commute was down the Cambridge Busway. Since my op & chemo though and subsequent wfh I've become very risk averse however and will go on the smart turbo instead. Sometimes it has been a bad weather forecast but OK'ish in the morning weatherwise but I've been more motivated about doing a classic virtual climb and opted for that.