Comments on: Our Annual “Winter Warriors” Article

By: Dottie

Dottie — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:09:10 +0000

As jhaygood said, it’s the lake front path that runs along Lake Michigan almost the entire stretch of the city from north to south. The park district plows and salts the path after snow, except for the section in the picture because, I’ve been told, several years ago a plow truck slid down the ice and almost fell into Lake Michigan, one tire hanging over the edge (the path slants down slightly toward the lake at that section). This is the one place I’ve fallen, before the studded tires. Here’s a picture of that spot from the ground level that I took this summer. To the right is Lake Shore Drive and downtown (Gold Cost area) and you can see the ferris wheel of Navy Pier ahead.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/3157953697_a39ff88eb4.jpg?v=0

And another more recent (but snow-less).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/3149688058_591959c6f5.jpg?v=1230609103

By: Donaldo

Donaldo — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:37:26 +0000

I agree with travesty. The most important tool to winter riding is the desire to ride. If you have that you’ll figure out what works for you and develop the skills necessary to do it in the process.

Other than using poagies, I don’t change my bike at all between winter and summer, I just adjust my riding to the circumstances. Every cyclist does that. Winter just adds some new twists.

By: travesty

travesty — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 02:22:32 +0000

You don’t have to be hardcore to ride in winter. All you need is to know how, and have some skill.

Good gear will help keep you warm, and the right bike might operate better or require less care, but pretty much any bike and ride in winter. Not necessarily on every combination of snow and ice, but you would be surprised what is possible to ride on once you try. Salty roads will rust the bike up surprisingly fast, so cleaning it becomes necessary more often. It sucks when your chain gets a new layer of rust in as little as a day, so you have to stay on that and keep it clean.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:06:23 +0000

My best winter bike is an old 10 speed converted to single speed with knobby cryclocross tires and upright, swept back handlebars. I may convert this to fixed gear for even better traction.

The knobbies help on rutted snow but for sheer ice studded tires are essential.

By: Donaldo

Donaldo — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:49:36 +0000

I ride year round in La Crosse, Wisconsin and we’ve had some cooler than normal temps this year. I moved here from Chicago and learned while there that dérailleurs are no good for winter time gunk and freezing temps.

I switched to an internal gear hub which works pretty well until it gets down around 10 degrees F. It’s a little sluggish then (my bike remains out of doors), I think whatever oil is inside my hub starts to coagulate. Not sure what to do about that but pedal harder, and it’s usually better going home when it’s a few degrees warmer.

If you ride in the cold, I can’t recommend Poagies highly enough. I wear a pair of medium weight wool gloves under mine and stay pretty toasty. In fact I was sweating when I arrived at work the other day after a 5 mile ride into a headwind on a 4 degree day with -20 degree wind chill. They keep the wind off my hands and warm my forearms which seems to have some magical warming effect on the rest of my body. I couldn’t commute by bike without them.

Cheers

By: Iron Man

Iron Man — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:20:08 +0000

Anyone have problems with the rear derailleur freezing up at temps in the teens? The beard also freezes up. I had a nice coat of ice on mine when I got to work.

By: Chip Haynes

Chip Haynes — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:27:11 +0000

Man, that photo of cyclists along Lake Michigan looks COLD. Winter in Florida presents some different hazards: The air cools down, but the sun still heats the earth. That means all of our reptiles are out sunning themselves on the asphalt to stay warm. The first rule of cycling in Florida: Do NOT bunny-hop the alligator’s tail. He does not find it amusing, and he really is faster than you.

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:14:36 +0000

Thanks, James! That really helps pinpoint the area for me and the rest of our readers.

By: jhaygood

jhaygood — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:52:45 +0000

That’s my photo, and it’s the bike path that runs along Lake Michigan and in this spot Lake Shore Drive. The part you see here is just north of Navy Pier and then Grant Park, etc. Even walking there was a bit tricky, ice patches and such. Hearty souls…

By: Quinn

Quinn — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:31:08 +0000

Finally This winter (thanks to Christmas) I finally have a SS/studded tire/fendered bike, just in time for a move back to the snowy part of Reno, and am looking forward to testing the bike in the next snow, even though my daily rig (urbanized 29er) handles phenomonally well in the snow