[BikeLongmont] Every day is a good day to ride

[Richard Masoner]

...Although I'll admit some days are better than others :-) Single
digit temperatures (F), icy roads, and heavy snow make for AWESOME
riding! There seems to be more wildlife than usual along the
greenways, the workout is great, and you don't have to spend 20
minutes scraping ice from the windshield.

For those drain-bamaged bicyclists like me who think this stuff is
fun, here are some winter cycling tips:

* Don't ride your good bike. MgCl, salt, sand, and grit will all do
damage to your bikes and components. Washing the stuff off is a
challenge when it's this cold outside.

* You're probably overdressed. During my commute this morning the temp
was about two degrees F. I wore (top to bottom) a light fleece hat,
thin balaclava, two mid-weight fleece shirts, my windproof cycling
jacket shell, midweight fleece pants, windproof pants, light wool
socks, plastic baggies over my toes to block the wind, and my
lightweight hiking boots. My toes were a little chilly, but I arrived
at work wet with sweat.

* If your feet tend to get cold, don't put so many socks on that you
cut off circulation to your feet.

* Remove some air out of your tires to increase the contact area.

* Slow down, especially around turns. Unless you have knobbies
specifically designed to shed mud and snow, the snow will get packed
into the grooves of your tires and reduce your traction. Be prepared
to put a foot down if necessary.

* Consider getting studded tires. All three of the local bike shops
can order them for you. If you get only one studded tire, put it on
the front.

* Avoid frozen ruts. They'll send you down to the ground.

* Changing tires in the freezing cold is no picnic. Use
thorn-resistant tubes and/or "Mr. Tuffy" strips.

* Cables and derailers will ice up. Be prepared to pedal in whatever
gear you're stuck in. Know how to stop your bike if your brakes fail.
Suspensions stop working in extreme cold. Plastic things get brittle
and break in extreme cold.

* If your rear tire slides when going up an icy hill, slide back on
your saddle to shift your weight toward the rear to increase traction.

* Lube every day. Wax lubes are absolutely worthless in the winter.
Use something cheap, like motor oil.

* The days are short. Have rear and front lights. Many motorists have
windshield wipers and defoggers that don't function well.

* I'm an acolyte of John Forester and his "Effective Cycling"
techniques, but Forester lives in California where it never snows. Be
prepared to use some flexibility when dealing with traffic.

Richard Masoner
-- 
http://www.masoner.net/bike/index.php4