Winter bike / Snow bike thread

I'm relying on the coating of oil and grease from not cleaning it the rest of the year to protect my frame from the grit.

does that work? was my original plan.

its not the grit thats the problem its the salt, itll fuck it up good even if its new, mudguards will reduce the ammount of shite lobbed over the bike but the best way to deal with it is rinse it with cold water daily, using hot will just spred it and get the salt in deeper, weve been battling the salt for years on motorbikes, you can get stuff called acf50 or scotoilers 365 which does a good job keeping the corrosion away

Good advice this.

I'm lucky enough to be able to store my bike indoors, in a work room. I dont have the heating on in there, but its still well above freezing, so the bike will dry after a rinse.

Up here they dont bother salting all the roads, all the time, as motorists have decent tyres. So I can just rinse my bike when its particularly bad. Also, everything on my bike is either aluminium or stainless steel. Its still a losing battle though.

Dissolvable heroes of hypothermy WTF.

When my bike vanishes under me, I just pull another one out the dumpster.

Just found this on EBay.
Seems to have double tyres front and rear, which looks great at first.

...then you consider the cornering
...and you notice the lack of front brake (although I think thats because its not finished),
...and you realise that the tyres add 4Kg of rotational weight.

No thanks.

we'll find out if my bike disintegrates.

Loose the second front, add rear wheel spacing. Voila, a trike.
Might be a good idea, if you do no single track.

But single tracks in the winter appear in funny places...

buy a surly pugsley if you want something like that

This bike is all win this week.
I've just done 10 miles to Ilford and back through Wansted Flats. Some bit on snowy pavements, icy local roads and some of road deep snow action - all after dark. For once this bike doesn't feel sluggish.
For once I appreciate the 35mm tires .

Vittoria Randonneur Trail are superb on icepack and allowed me to take shortcuts through some bushes :-) Have them since Spring and no puncture.

ps. Surprisingly those "shorties" fenders actually work. I rode on Romford Rd on my way back - in some nasty slushie - and my arse is still dry.

That's lovely, EEI.

Randonneur trail good, eh? I wonder If I have the clearance for them. I think I am going to need something more suitable than the skinny things I have on now if this weather keeps up.

On the rear I've got exactly 2mm on both sides :-)

Randonneur Trail are shit slow tires for the town (compared with the rainy season dedicated City ones), but work well in the winter and for muddy puddles. They make sounds like a brand new pair of wellies too...

Here there are on henry's bike:

Mine are 35mm, but I'd go even wider if I had space between the chainstays, as my rims are touring Mavics. I'd also want to try 32 or 35mm Cross.
I will probably switch to the 25mm City version for the Spring.

I really don't want to ride my Swift into town where I would have to leave it locked up so I'll put up with the slowness I guess. It's not like I'm fast in the first place :-)

I rode those on my mini tour with JoshPrecise, and beat him up hills everytime.
Tyres are as slow as you make them, and those are pretty decent.

My frankenbike came of age today. 10 miles to Brentford and back in London's great snow event.

That was the best fun for ages.

Don't look at the brake cable - it's temporary.

36x18, what size wheels? 26s?

26 x 1.6 Schwalbe Marathon XRs.

I suspect it was the perfect temperature, slushy not icey, that made them work. The virgin snow in the middle of the road the entire length of the Chiswick High Road/King Street was the place to be.

One little skid the whole way, but I wasn't going for it.

My bike in the snow;

my charge plug and childish antics, i guess the snow bought my immature side back out...

yeah!

Fuck yeah! You go to Richmond Park?

had about 20kg on my back, thats putney common!
unreeal isn't it?
thinking may hit RP tomorrow....for some 'cross practice.

ps. Surprisingly those "shorties" fenders actually work. I rode on Romford Rd on my way back - in some nasty slushie - and my arse is still dry.

There's a lot of non-belivers on here, good to see someone else in the shortie club

had about 20kg on my back, thats putney common!
unreeal isn't it?
thinking may hit RP tomorrow....for some 'cross practice.

You may well see us there - Roehampton Gate cafe around 10:30.