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winter commuter ideas? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 11 months ago by hamtron5000 to c/utilitycycling

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hi all - i am wondering what your daily riders look like - for example above i have my ebike (a secondhand Eco-Evo by Easy Motion), which is my summer daily driver since i can charge it with solar energy and don't get as hot cycling (i'm fat and i live in a desert, which is a miserable combo sometimes).

right now i'm working on putting together a winter "acoustic" bike by putting together a bunch of parts stripped from old bikes i've salvaged or been given, but i'd love to see any ideas for what folks ride.

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[–] kersploosh@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

My year-round commuter is a road touring frame with fenders and panniers. I have a whole separate winter wardrobe, though: lots of warm layers, thin beanie under the helmet, fleece neck/face gaiter, ski gloves, winter-specific clipless shoes, etc. I'm curious to try pogies but can't justify the expense when my gloves work well enough.

As @cerement@slrpnk.net mentioned, the lack of decent infrastructure is a limiting factor for me. I don't ride on the road if there's ice and snow present because it's always slick, lumpy, and unpredictable. The nearby bike path is an improvement but it only gets me half way to my destination. I just expect to drive to work until road conditions improve.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 3 points 11 months ago

I'm curious to try pogies but can't justify the expense when my gloves work well enough.

Fwiw, even the cheapest neoprene pogie off amazon will work better than any glove I've tried, including heated gloves (which get too bulky for cycling, IMO).

I've got a cheap neoprene pair and a more expensive, fleece lined pair and the neoprene works better and holds its shape you can signal easier.

My hands can get so warm, even in freezing temps, that thin glove liners are more than enough. I usually still ride with fingerless gloves when it's still slightly above freezing. They work that well.

[–] cerement 4 points 11 months ago

depends on how cold it gets for you (and what winter conditions you have to deal with like deep snow or ice storms), but another source for inspiration is countries that deal with this on a regular basis (although Nordic countries have a distinct advantage of decent cycling infrastructure in the first place):

Not Just Bikes | Why Canadians Can’t Bike in the Winter (but Finnish People Can) – Youtube / Piped

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Pogies/bar mitts are the way to go for winter riding.

On the bike I plan to use during the winter, I've got full fenders and a DIY fender extender on the front to keep crap from spraying my chain and bottom bracket.

It's a steel frame bike, so I've already internal coated it with rust protection; once my city drops salt on the ground, it'll get a wipe after every ride.

Other than that, Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 tires, with plans to get a spare front wheel mounted with a Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus studded tire for when things get dicey.

[–] hamtron5000 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

i've been looking at Surly's on Craigslist for the steel frame factor. and Shifter on youtube also has a studded front tire - i don't usually need one here in western Colorado where i live; i mostly deal with the cold and a bit more precipitation than any other time of the year.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago

studded are nice, but even when I ran them on both wheels last year, I might have only really needed them twice, maybe. LOL

I'm happy with the GT 365 tires. They are "all season", so they do offer good traction on all surfaces and I can run them all year without worry.

There's a guy on YouTube named ryan van duzer who lives in Colorado and bikes everywhere (doesn't own a car). His videos will have some tips for winter commuting in your state :)