winter

[eddie]

Who is a fair weather biker and who's a
All year rounder
I'm considering taking my trx of the road till
Spring in favour of cycling the 14 mile round trip

Yes I know......I'm mental
But I can't see myself subjecting my bike to the road salt
Hell that is mcr traffic
Did it last year on my old gsx750es
Was not fun and probably safer and warmer to cycle

[SDN]

Yes I do agree, biking in winter is no real fun and always seems these days a touch machochistic.

Cyling is ok, pedalling keeps you warm and also keeps you fit, hands and ears are allways the real problem + there is allways the waterproof problem, how to keep dry without sweating buckets

[coxylaad]

I cycle a 14 mile round trip to work which saves the bike, the petrol, and keeps the blubber off

I dont do it all the time, but its nice to mix it up.

Provided your cycle journey is not to treacherous go for it!

[xs2jammu]

Yes I do agree, biking in winter is no real fun and always seems these days a touch machochistic.

Cyling is ok, pedalling keeps you warm and also keeps you fit, hands and ears are allways the real problem + there is allways the waterproof problem, how to keep dry without sweating buckets

I agree you. Here in Finland it can be really cold and lof of snow so it´s better with bicycle or skis.
My friend is thinking otherwise and he use his Yamaha XS2 also in winter with studdtyres.
Here´s a little video of his bike:
http://youtu.be/LfXDL0czMfM

[phuk72]

ACF50 is the answer to all your problems

[Mincehead]

+1.

Stuff that`s designed for military use is guaranteed to be the dogs danglies to protect metals from deterioration. It ain`t cheap but nothing good ever is.

[frankyboy]

After about 20 years of biking through the winter and having to overhaul everything on the bike each year, i got fed up with it as well and started cycling to work. it's only 5 mile there abd 5 back, but i can do in in the same time as the motorbike now, and must admit that i really got the bug 10 years back now, and spent a year training with an old pro racer.
Winter cycling can be hard, but good clothing is a must, first thing is a top quality gortex jacket, neoprane overshoes to keep your feet dry, good waterproof gloves, and ski gloves for when its min 5 or less. The trick is to get the layers right in the winter, a base layer that wicks the sweat away, a long sleeve top, and your gortex jacket should be enough for most cold days, you should feel a little cold when starting out, but will soon warm up to a nice temp, if you put to much on and are warm at the start..... you will cook.
Invest in some really good lights.... its worth it, i do 120 miles a week in the winter 50 a week going to work and back, and 70 on the Sun training runs, and have one 5 led on the front constant, and another 5 led on flashing, the constant one gives motorists something to judge the distance of you. At the back you want as much as possible, i have a 5 led on the seatpost, 5 led on my rucksack, a single led on my helmet, and 2 singles on the seat stays of the bike, and believe me...... you need them.
I have 5 bikes, 2 which are each worth twice what my trx is worth, and are for compitition racing, and 3 for training on, i can recomend a fixed wheel for winter riding to work and back, as there is very little to service on it, just keep the chain oiled. If you can manage to ride a fixed wheel... its great, but it takes a bit of getting used to in traffic, and can be a little scary at first.
It's just like on the motorbike, it's all about reading the road, not assuming anything, and being safe.

[fung]

don't forget that fixies can run a 'flipflop' hub with a bmx style coaster rear sprocket on the back.
comes in handy when going thru roundabouts eh !
cheers
fung

[coxylaad]

After about 20 years of biking through the winter and having to overhaul everything on the bike each year, i got fed up with it as well and started cycling to work. it's only 5 mile there abd 5 back, but i can do in in the same time as the motorbike now, and must admit that i really got the bug 10 years back now, and spent a year training with an old pro racer.
Winter cycling can be hard, but good clothing is a must, first thing is a top quality gortex jacket, neoprane overshoes to keep your feet dry, good waterproof gloves, and ski gloves for when its min 5 or less. The trick is to get the layers right in the winter, a base layer that wicks the sweat away, a long sleeve top, and your gortex jacket should be enough for most cold days, you should feel a little cold when starting out, but will soon warm up to a nice temp, if you put to much on and are warm at the start..... you will cook.
Invest in some really good lights.... its worth it, i do 120 miles a week in the winter 50 a week going to work and back, and 70 on the Sun training runs, and have one 5 led on the front constant, and another 5 led on flashing, the constant one gives motorists something to judge the distance of you. At the back you want as much as possible, i have a 5 led on the seatpost, 5 led on my rucksack, a single led on my helmet, and 2 singles on the seat stays of the bike, and believe me...... you need them.
I have 5 bikes, 2 which are each worth twice what my trx is worth, and are for compitition racing, and 3 for training on, i can recomend a fixed wheel for winter riding to work and back, as there is very little to service on it, just keep the chain oiled. If you can manage to ride a fixed wheel... its great, but it takes a bit of getting used to in traffic, and can be a little scary at first.
It's just like on the motorbike, it's all about reading the road, not assuming anything, and being safe.

lets have some snaps of your bikes then franky!

this was me in the top couple of km of Mt Ventoux this July:

that was fun.

[frankyboy]

Ok.... a couple of pics of my bikes, the one with me standing next to the bike was a training run heading up to Killberry on a very nice day.
The one on the timetrial bike was my first and last 100 mile timetrial and was round the Campsies a few times, not an enjoyable day, think i'll stick to road racing, much more interesting.
And the one in the race..... was over the Trossachs, it's not the hardest of climbs, but when you are trying to keep up with someone who is a little faster than you.... it's murder.

[fung]

100_2413 (Medium).jpg

19032010 (Medium).jpg

cheers
fung