Cycling in the winter months - best option

[Angelfishsolo]

1) Just watch out for ice. Unless you have studded tyres you are pretty much screwed if you try to ride on it.

 

[marinyork]

Same for me , sometimes it is safer not to cycle , at least if the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere you can keep relatively warm till help arrives rather than freezing to death in a ditch.It is a real possibility on my commute, if i came off and went into a hedge /ditch mid winter then i very much doubt a car would see me on the unlit roads i use.

Well it's up to you, some people on here have commuted as low as -20C last winter (not me). I know very well what derbyshire roads are like in winter I get out in the evenings on them from time to time. Seems to be enormous temperature tolerance variation in cyclists and how well prepared they are. There are some people who think 1 or 2 degrees above is too cold and a few others the other end of the scale. I'm sure when I get older I'll become a lot less tolerant towards the cold. I do think taking the turbo trainer outdoors on subzero nights does help.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Well it's up to you, some people on here have commuted as low as -20C last winter (not me). I know very well what derbyshire roads are like in winter I get out in the evenings on them from time to time. Seems to be enormous temperature tolerance variation in cyclists and how well prepared they are. There are some people who think 1 or 2 degrees above is too cold and a few others the other end of the scale. I'm sure when I get older I'll become a lot less tolerant towards the cold. I do think taking the turbo trainer outdoors on subzero nights does help.

Never been bothered by the temperature. As I say it is only ice that scares me during the winter. (Oh and the possibility of being eaten by polar bears but that is another story )

 

[BSRU]

What are studded tyres like when you're on a clear bit of road?

Apart from being very noisy and having a high rolling resistance, they do not inspire me with any confidence especially in the wet, probably because they do not compare well to my usual tyres, Conti GP4 Seasons.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Apart from being very noisy and having a high rolling resistance, they do not inspire me with any confidence especially in the wet, probably because they do not compare well to my usual tyres, Conti GP4 Seasons.

I also though they were illegal fro road use in the UK. I may well be wrong on this though.

 

[BSRU]

I also though they were illegal fro road use in the UK. I may well be wrong on this though.

Not studded bicycle tyres, studded car tyres are illegal because their studs are bigger with more weight behind them.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Not studded bicycle tyres, studded car tyres are illegal because their studs are bigger with more weight behind them.

Thank you for correcting me

 

[billy1561]

Never heard of studded tyres before this thread. Can i get them for my mtb and if so how much would they cost?

 

[BSRU]

Never heard of studded tyres before this thread. Can i get them for my mtb and if so how much would they cost?

Marathon winters are available for MTB's or the Ice Spikers are knobblies with studs.
About 60 for winters and around 70 for spikers, pair of.

 

[billy1561]

Marathon winters are available for MTB's or the Ice Spikers are knobblies with studs.
About 60 for winters and around 70 for spikers, pair of.

Cheers

 

[MacB]

Apart from being very noisy and having a high rolling resistance, they do not inspire me with any confidence especially in the wet, probably because they do not compare well to my usual tyres, Conti GP4 Seasons.

I find my awareness of the noise goes away quite quickly and I didn't find the rolling resistance or wet grip to be an issue. But then the tyres they swap out for are M+ in 700x35, so it's a relative experience

To be honest, whether you think they are needed or not the investment paid for itself the first time I cycled past cars that couldn't get up a hill

 

[BSRU]

I find my awareness of the noise goes away quite quickly and I didn't find the rolling resistance or wet grip to be an issue. But then the tyres they swap out for are M+ in 700x35, so it's a relative experience

To be honest, whether you think they are needed or not the investment paid for itself the first time I cycled past cars that couldn't get up a hill

Last year I used 35c M+'s, but changed them for 28c GP4 Seasons, a vast improvement in rolling resistance, wet grip, weight and just as comfortable a ride, helped by a sprung saddle.

Definitely without the Marathon Winters I would have had many days off the bike due to ice.