Winter bike / Snow bike thread

Surly 1x1 with a GT fork sitting pretty in the snow

Lovely.

The pub bike standing up in the snow.

http://www.lfgss.com/picture.php?albumid=1704&pictureid=9625

This is my ss 29er

It has been absolutely abused over the past few weeks in the snow.

Big tyres ftw.

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http://www.lfgss.com/post1847237-1981.html - great brunelle vid from the 'what's everyone up to' thread

Try using a cheap plastic themos flask...if you put hot coffee in it, you have a choice - luke warm or, later still, frappe!
(you can always piss in it when out of coffee)...

This is my ss 29er

It has been absolutely abused over the past few weeks in the snow.

Big tyres ftw.

Too much white.

Hipster.

What effect do you think fork rake has on winter handling.
I can see the advantage of being able to correct very fast, but I have hit the deck a few times by over correcting in snow due to a very twitchy fork.

What do you think is better, a more stable or more responsive fork for winter.

What effect do you think fork rake has on winter handling.
I can see the advantage of being able to correct very fast, but I have hit the deck a few times by over correcting in snow due to a very twitchy fork.

What do you think is better, a more stable or more responsive fork for winter.

Its the resulting trail you need to look at. But I'd say stable is best. Once you start slidding its best not to try and correct it, but control it.

This is a good reason to be riding a mountainbike during winter.

I can't help but think the nobbles would give better grip.

Knobbles only function when the ground is softer than the tyre.

Knobbles only function when the ground is softer than the tyre.

I would say that knobbles deform easier around hard, non-uniform, surfaces. This is mostly useful for riding off-road, over rocky sections though. Still it might help some for lumpy ice.

for a 38c like this:

I have used these in the snow albeit in the 26" version. They got blocked up immediately and I had no grip at all. The gaps are too small. They were very stable on (non snowy) wintery roads, but that was probably because of their width (26x2.0).

In snow I have found that getting my weight as far back as possible and trying to correct the weaving front wheel slowly (rather than reacting instantly) works best. Therefore long wheelbase, mtb style is better as mentioned above. Having weight over the front wheel means slides will be sudden and not correctable.

^Camel back under clothes should be fine no?

I loved ridding around at the weekend. This weather makes the bike worth it. I dropped my tyres down to about 40psi. I'm a bit worried about punctures in the city.

Road position can also make a difference in preventing punctures, i.e. riding too close to the kerbs for example would mean your tyres have a higher chance of getting punctured by debris (such as broken glasses).

I loved ridding around at the weekend. This weather makes the bike worth it. I dropped my tyres down to about 40psi. I'm a bit worried about punctures in the city.
I've got 28c schwalbe marathon tyres that say min inflation 85 psi (max 115 psi). I've got them at 90 and there's very little give. Is it safe/worthwhile to run lower than that? I don't weigh much.

Yes it's safe, and yes it's more comfortable, and you'll have a larger contact patch.

Tyre pressures depend on the compound the tyres are made of high pressure= hard compound
low pressure=soft compound Winter tyres are of a softer compound so can be run at lower pressures

The Dutch are apparently going spare because only the roads and not cycle paths are being treated due to salt shortages-this is the rather hypnotic result! Someone put a wee sign up instead of filming for god's sake!

YouTube - Glad In Lelystad

not salting bike lanes in Holland is a massive fail.

at 1.36 there's a pretty decent skid.

It's pretty funny seeing how some people have the co-ordination to avoid a massive spill and others properly deck it. Still, our roads are like that just now, and we don't have any decent cycle paths so I guess they're still doing better than us. Can always suspend a wee salt shaker in front of your bike!

The saddest bit is the girl who's handlebars seem to literally come off in her hands ;(

In snow I have found that getting my weight as far back as possible and trying to correct the weaving front wheel slowly (rather than reacting instantly) works best. Therefore long wheelbase, mtb style is better as mentioned above. Having weight over the front wheel means slides will be sudden and not correctable.

Tried to add something like this to my earlier answer, but could'nt explain myself. Absolutely spot on.

The Dutch are apparently going spare because only the roads and not cycle paths are being treated due to salt shortages-this is the rather hypnotic result! Someone put a wee sign up instead of filming for god's sake!

Gotta feel for the kid in the child seat.

Trailers are win in the winter. Give great rear wheel traction, and the kids a comfortable place to laugh at daddy falling off his bike.

Someone put a wee sign up [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqo4hwnJt6Y&feature=player_embedded"][/URL
]

Looks more like ice to me.

Gotta feel for the kid in the child seat.

Trailers are win in the winter. Give great rear wheel traction, and the kids a comfortable place to laugh at daddy falling off his bike.

Yeah I winced at that. Poor little thing. Trailers are win all year round I reckon.

My trailer doesnt have winter tyres. which means you have to accelerate out of corners a bit. Last year I rode through a big snow ball, because I thought the powder explosion would entertain the nippa. Turned out to be full of frozen/compact snow, and sent the trailer into the air. I popped myself. He thought it was super cool, and wanted to do it again.

At least I'm not driving around on winter roads with a big heavy trailer with bold tyres behind my car. Fecking deadly .....[rant for another thread]

Apart from the putting a sign up point, what struck me is they are 99% "traditional " bikes, if it was the UK it would be all mountain style bikes