I have been riding as much as possible in Minnesota winter going back to 2004, and I LOVE it! Nokians were my first studded tires, but now I'm committed to Schwalbe studded models, which are lighter, have more studs, and seem to roll easier. Winter riding is in many ways different than summer riding, with a variety of challenges that fair- weather cyclists never consider, but the result is generally stronger spring legs and sharper bike handling skills. There is some danger, of course, both from drivers and simply slipping on icy roads. I crash several times each winter, generally with little or no injury. We have great bike trails here, which are typically better maintained than roads, so winter cycling is a no-brainer for me.
My now-elsewhere Atlantis saw me through a few winters. My 1984 Stumpjumper fixed-gear (now for sale, by the way) was my steed in the most recent winter or two. This year, my utility winter bike will be my 1992 Trek 750 fixed-gear and my fun/training bike will be my Surly "Pugstigator" (Instigator with Pugsley fork) with the gnarliest studded tires I can find (probably Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro). I don't generally shy away from using nice bikes in winter. A halfway regular cleaning/lubrication schedule prevents most winter issues. Stainless and nickel-plated chains seem to do ok without a ton of maintenance, and Shimano derailleurs tend to work fine as long as they stay somewhat clean and lubed once in awhile. Shimano freehubs and all freewheels often seize in subzero temps (lower viscosity grease may help), but I've never had a problem with Phil freehubs. Generator hubs and internal gear hubs tend to die prematurely if ridden in snow/slush/ salt slop. Around here, I can generally avoid the sloppiest days, since most of the time things are frozen solid, and then everything melts all at once over the course of a few days. On Oct 16, 12:16 pm, Garth <garth...@gmail.com> wrote: > I'm wondering what folks in the North do for the Winter. > > I've been riding rollers in the winters, but this year I'd like to get > out on the road or tail some. I thought of putting together a > sacrificial beater bike, but when you ride tall/long(62-63cm TT) > frames, such things are rare to non existent. > > I sort of cringe at the thought of using my Bombadil on our local > roads as they are always covered in steel mill slag(black steel making > by-product) and calcium chloride, which is even worse than salt. It > sticks to everything like glue, and eats steel like mad. Fenders help, > but it's still a mess. > > I do have a rails to trails Panhandle Trail somewhat nearby, but it > requires a vehicle to get to. If I got some Nokian studded tires, it > would be okay. Dead flat, but at least there are no chemicals on the > trail. I don't mind snow, rain or slush, but I really hate the > chemicals. > > I have a long term goal to move somewhere I can ride year round > without ice and snow, but for now here I am. > > What do you folks that live in the cold do for the winter? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
