Saturday, December 01, 2007

Winter riding tips

Well, looks like winter is here. I thought it would be a good idea to publish some tips for riding in the winter. Here are a few winter biking links:

http://www.icebike.org/

http://www.allweathersports.com/winter/winter.html

http://bikewinter.org/tipsAndResources/ginstips.php

What we really need is a list of Iowa City winter riding tips. You know, good routes, places to avoid, and any other general winter riding tips. So, go ahead and reply to this post with some winter riding tips.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This mornings commute reminded me to stay off non-bus route streets.

Anonymous said...

Fenders come in pretty handy if you want to stay as dry as possible. The Planet Bike Freddy Fenders are decent, though you might want to modify the mudguards a bit.

Keep the drivetrain clean and lubed.

Lower the psi in your tires a bit for better traction.

Dress in layers so you can add/remove clothes. You want to be warm, but not sweaty.

Buy and use lights if you don't already.

If your lock gets wet, don't leave it out overnight. Bring it inside so it can thaw/dry. If it does freeze up, you can hit it with some hot liquid.

If you can afford studded tires, I hear they're pretty nice on the ice. If not, no big deal, just be careful.

A flask of whiskey never hurts. Surly makes a nice one. ;-)

Stay safe everybody!

-Jay

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with "non-bus route streets"?

Don't mess with your tires. The cold air will lower the pressure for you.

Follow cars' tire tracks.

Wear gloves.

Make sure you have enough room on both sides to fall, spin, etc. Don't ride too close to cars, walls and busses.

Just go out and ride. It's fun!
No one will yell "Get on the sidewalk!" ;-)

Scott said...

If you own a car, hang your bike up right next to your car. I have my bike hung so that I actually have to move it off to the side to open my door. Man, I feel so guilty every time I push my bike away to drive.