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Tip of the month, November...
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Now its time to winterize that bike for riding in the snow and cold
To get your bike ready for winter riding there are a few things you can do to make your rides much easier.
****Wide tires with widely
separated knobs work best on snow. Use low pressure: start with
15-20 psi and experiment for yourself. Sometimes
5 psi feels like the right place to be.
****Snow Cat rims improve flotation, traction and stability on snow or ice and studded tires improve traction on ice. Chains improve traction on snow or ice but dig themselves in on soft snow and give a rough, slow ride on pavement.
****Lubrication,
Bicycles don't need to be "winterized" the way cars do. The loads on bicycle bearings are so slight that just about any grease will protect them. You can use low temperature grease in bicycle bearings to make them easier to pedal and steer.
If your bike works well in the cold, it's already "winterized" , the grease doesn't have to be changed for summer.
****You should also check your cable lubricant, you want one that stays liquid at -40 f, or use Goretex RideOn, which work well at any temp.
Hands and Feet
As seen in the photo above, the Apocalypse
Design Toasties and toe-clip covers
provide
warmth and comfort to the extremities. With these covers you are
still able to shift and break without any interference from the
covers, and you don't need to wear as heavy of a mitten as you
would without having these on.
Lights
The best way to see and be seen is to have very BRIGHT front and rear lights. There are a lot of different styles on the market for all sorts of riding and temperature conditions, look around and one that suits your riding style / area and get them on your bike.
Things to remember...
When riding in the winter, if riding on roads, it is generally best to let autos have the right of way, even if you really do. They are much heavier and can't stop as fast. If you ride on snowmachine or dogmushing trails, everyone has equal rights to be on these trails, so whoever can stop and get out of the way the easiest way, for the others to pass, should do so. Most ski trails generally are not good places to ride as these trails are groomed to be very smooth and bikes tend to tear them up a bit. Check your local area.
Working on your bike while out riding can be a bit of a chore when its cold, so make sure everything is in good working order BEFORE you head out to make your ride more enjoyable.