Winter riding .... winter tyres and coping with frost. Advice please

[gbb]

Thanks everyone reassuring to know its not just me being a wimp. Sounds like all the whizzers I saw out and about are probably trusting to luck.

Not so much trusting to luck, but theyve probably done many miles through several winters and can judge conditions better .
Commuted for several years, all weather's , mostly on ContiGators. No sudden steering changes, steady round bends, avoid ironworks and white lines, avoid leaning the bike in too much all help.
Ironically, I rarely had problems until the last year I was commuting and had three off in one winter, more than id had in the last 10 years. None of them caused damage or injury although they were instant offs, no chance of recovery.
Also, watch out on country lanes where you see that shiny tarmac where the summer sun has melted the tar. Its very smooth and thats where ice reallly settles. I had one spectacular off on such a spot..instant, no warning, nothing visual to warn you.
To put it into perspective, I commuted daily for maybe 8 winters, rarely let anything stop me, I had a couple of squirmy moments and maybe 4 off in all that time. Not bad in my book.

 

[mustang1]

What gbb said is spot on. I will also add (several of you mentioned ride slower) to control your power. There's a stretch of my commute where I have to go on a metal drain slightly uphill and also increase speed because I've just come from a narrow cycle restriction. I have to ease off for a fraction of a second otherwise I'll fall over. (Yes I know the alternative is to just get off the bike for a few seconds...)

Also, since you mentioned frost, DON'T use studded winter tires. They are only for when you have thick snow/ice conditions. The studs will give you far less grip in non ice/snow conditions.

I run 25mm tires not because of winter but because I find them more comfortable than 23mm. I don't reduce the air pressure during worse conditions but your mileage may vary. So this is how I will summarise:

Control your power
Ride slower
No sudden movements
No sudden direction changes
Wider tires

(ps: I also have a more winter specific bike with 35mm tires)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Also, since you mentioned frost, DONT use studded winter tires. They are only for when you have thick snow/ice conditions. The studs will give you far less grip in non ice/snow conditions.

May I disagree with this?
Following a spectacular off on ice a couple of winters ago I found CC and the excellent advice of its members, got Marathon Winters and Marathon Ice Spikers - I'm in Scotland after all).
They do the job. You need clearance of course, and they are heavy.
Both tyres can be used all winter, even when there is no ice: indeed I go to work sometimes in pouring rain and no ice (never had any grip issues), when I finish the temperature can have dropped considerably, the roads icy.
Run them at the max pressure when there's no ice, drop the pressure when there is.
Only the Ice Spiked tyres work on slush and snow, that is the studded knobby ones.
The Marathon winters (studded not knobby) work a treat on ice, but not on snow.
This my third winter of using them.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Control your power
Ride slower
No sudden movements
No sudden direction changes
Wider tires

+1 for these, also if you know its slippery stay of the brakes as much as possible, if you have to brake use the back, I've been all weather commuting for over 30 years and tend to just use what tyres are on the bike , I haven't used specific winter tyres, in recent years I've done all my commuting on a fixed wheel and have found it gives me more control in slippery conditions.

 

[mustang1]

May I disagree with this?
Following a spectacular off on ice a couple of winters ago I found CC and the excellent advice of its members, got Marathon Winters and Marathon Ice Spikers - I'm in Scotland after all).
They do the job. You need clearance of course, and they are heavy.
Both tyres can be used all winter, even when there is no ice: indeed I go to work sometimes in pouring rain and no ice (never had any grip issues), when I finish the temperature can have dropped considerably, the roads icy.
Run them at the max pressure when there's no ice, drop the pressure when there is.
Only the Ice Spiked tyres work on slush and snow, that is the studded knobby ones.
The Marathon winters (studded not knobby) work a treat on ice, but not on snow.
This my third winter of using them.

I respect your opinion especially since you have more winter experience than me!

 

[sreten]

Also, since you mentioned frost, DON'T use studded winter tires.
They are only for when you have thick snow/ice conditions.
The studs will give you far less grip in non ice/snow conditions.

Hi,

Not true. The cheapest Schwalbe studded tyre :
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schwalbe-winter-stud-mtb-tyre/rp-prod24564
Is designed to be used at low pressure for snow and icy conditions,
but at higher pressures it is very useable with no snow or ice.

Not available for a road bike, and a road bike and real winter tyres
makes little sense. I'd be all for a second cheap MTB bike.
If nothing else you have much more control on a MTB.

Whilst a cheap decent MTB might be heavy, especially if you
fit mudguards,racks and baskets etc, it doesn't really matter
if you use it as a utility bike, or for getting in a shorter ride.

Around town it would be miles better than a road bike.

rgds, sreten.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I respect your opinion especially since you have more winter experience than me!

Example of weird Scottish weather: last Saturday it rained heavily all day, took my single speed with sleeks to work.
By the time I finished at 2am the roads were a sheet of ice, the temperature had dropped from the afternoon.
Had to walk a stretch, ride the rest very carefully.
So I changed to the bike with spiked tyres, no ice since lol, just rain but can't chance it so carried on with the ice bike.
It rides like a normal mb unless I let out some air.

 

[mustang1]

Hi,

Not true. The cheapest Schwalbe studded tyre :
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schwalbe-winter-stud-mtb-tyre/rp-prod24564
Is designed to be used at low pressure for snow and icy conditions,
but at higher pressures it is very useable with no snow or ice.

Not available for a road bike, and a road bike and real winter tyres
makes little sense. I'd be all for a second cheap MTB bike.
If nothing else you have much more control on a MTB.

Whilst a cheap decent MTB might be heavy, especially if you
fit mudguards,racks and baskets etc, it doesn't really matter
if you use it as a utility bike, or for getting in a shorter ride.

Around town it would be miles better than a road bike.

rgds, sreten.

Those tires look great for dual purpose at various air pressure. I always get a queazy feeling when i see studs on the side of tires and using in non-ice conditions because you're cycling along straight, with contact area at the centre, and when want to turn, ie lean where the studs are, i thought the metal surface of the studs would have less friction which one might not be accustomed to.

Do those studs press-inwards when you roll over them, and only stay protruded when the stud encounters softer (than tarmac) ice? If so, I might give them a go this winter (not those particular tires though since i have a cx bike, but something with studs).

 

[Shortmember]

It's not usually the falling over that hurts you badly in icy conditions, but the vehicles that are inevitably following too close can ruin your entire day if they can't stop in time.Because of this hazard I usually cycle carefully on the pavement - if there is one- in icy conditions and slither to a stop if I encounter any pedestrians.

 

[fossyant]

I have the Snow Stud which has been renamed Winter Stud. Its a good all round tyre and works well in snow, ice, tarmac, mud, rocks and gravel. These are on my MTB for very cold days. Now on their 4th Winter

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It's not usually the falling over that hurts you badly in icy conditions, but the vehicles that are inevitably following too close can ruin your entire day if they can't stop in time.Because of this hazard I usually cycle carefully on the pavement - if there is one- in icy conditions and slither to a stop if I encounter any pedestrians.

Ime pavements and cycle paths ice over first, while the roads with motorized traffic are usually ok if you stay away from the gutter.

 

[captainhastings]

After reading all this I went and bought a couple of these
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schwalbe-winter-stud-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod48758
I enjoy the commuting so don't want any reason to take the car.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Ime pavements and cycle paths ice over first, while the roads with motorized traffic are usually ok if you stay away from the gutter.

I have a large roundabout on my commute, there is a network of cycle paths in the area, when the weather is bad, snow and ice, its safer to ride round the roundabout than use the cycle paths, the cycle paths don't get treated.

 

[Glenview09]

I have thought about studded tyres before, my commute is about 7 miles on single track back roads (that are not a gritting priority) plus 5.5 in town (Glasgow).
It occurs to me though that if a car driver sees a cyclist riding with no difficulties (on studded tyres) then they may not appreciate it is slippery and they could collect you in their own accident.
Between Oct and May I run my finger over my car windscreen and if it is covered in ice I take a busier route to work. The plus is the road is gritted and actually 1 mile shorter. The minus is that you have to play with more cars on major roads and you have to be more assertive, particularly on right turns.

 

[fossyant]

Cars are much heavier, and do have more grip. Fall off and ice, and you'll as a minimum lose some skin. Broken hips are very common ! I'll be on my ice bike tomorrow. Today was cutting it a little fine on 23mm tyres. My lad came off on his MTB this morning.