Slightly terrified of commuting in the (Michigan) winter

[Ana]

I've so enjoyed commuting on my little Trek 830 during the spring/summer!!! :D

Since my move, my commute was trimmed down from 6 flat miles round trip to only 2 (very hilly) miles. Needless to say, I'm kind of a wimp in the cold weather. I can bare the cold but hate wetness.

I love riding my bike but I'm slightly terrified of the winter. Michigan winters can be slushy, cold, slippery, and salty.

I would appreciate any advice/suggestions about gear/chain lube/modifications/maintenance tips you would share to help motivate and prepare me for the snow!

My one thought was to just commute in grubby clothes that can/will be wet and change when I get to work (including shoes). I'm thinking I may need waterproof panniers for the winter for my clothes and to protect against the salt/dirt. :p

If possible, I would like to keep my winter prep purchases around or under $100-$150 (excluding the new jacket I'm planning to get anyway).

Thanks in advance! :D

[Blueberry]

Thankfully, I've not had to deal with such conditions....

However, I'd check the icebike website.

I've also found the advice here: http://www.blayleys.com/articles/WinterTips/wintertips.htm to be very helpful. Mass winters sound similar...

CA

[KnottedYet]

I ruined a really nice mountain bike commuting through the winter in Lansing, Michigan.

Salt is baaaaad. Wet salt is veeeeeery bad.

I'd get ahold of the TriCounty bike club or the Ann Arbor bike club and ask folks how they do it. (without ruining their bikes... hindsight is 20/20)

[Eden]

I somehow managed a winter quarter commute to school when I was in college in Rochester, NY.... (no drivers license and public transit was bad to say the least). I think I've managed to block most of it from my memory.... I remember it was usually icy and I put cross tires on my touring bike, but I don't recall making any other modifications. I think in Rochester they did not salt the roads much... they just scraped off most of the snow and everyone rode around on about 1/2 inch of ice all winter long, since putting the plow blade all the way down dulls the blades and tears up the roads.

[Ana]

The trouble is that I am not involved in a cycling club :(:( I have been wanting to join one but was too late in the game this summer to proactively seek one out :)

I worry a lot that riding in a group will make me feel terribly inadequate, since I am so slow on the hills! :p :(

[KnottedYet]

You don't have to ride with a group to ask them questions.

"Chainwheel Chatter" folks (TriCounty) are very nice about helping, whether they know you or not.

[beccaB]

I'm in Jackson, and probably too sissified to commute in the winter, especially since I've already proven I'm too sissified to commute at all! I would like to ride at least, especially since I've really gotten into committing myself to doing more miles than I ever did before.

[Grog]

It's absolutely not an answer to your question, but 2 miles is not a very long distance. You could fast-walk it on some days when it's really bad and you don't want to take your bike. I walked 3 km (about 1.9 miles) each way to work in the Montreal winter. Not quite as wet as Chicago perhaps, but often very cold, very humid, and very slushy. Having good boots made it work. It took me just over half an hour, and was very invigorating.

For the other days... you might be inspired by the Chicago Bike Winter folks:
http://bikewinter.org/main.php

[KnottedYet]

Matchmaking!!!

beccaB and Ana, start riding together!!!

This is how TE ride/eat/drink groups get started!

[lph]

Slushy/slippery conditions are the worst, I have to say. Rain is wet (duh) and cold, cold is just cold, but the intermediate cr@p around freezing is the worst of both. And salt eats your bike. That said, you might be surprised at how many commutes are quite nice in winter, and how just a small handful are in bad conditions. Commuting daily you get into a different mindset and dress for bad weather anyway. I'm never as cold as when I wimp out and take the metro, dressed in wimpy thin office clothes.. :rolleyes:

If you can afford them and you do get ice, I'd recommend at least one studded tire, in front. It gives you much needed traction for steering. It doesn't matter as much if your rear tire slips, you just end up on your feet. You'll want fenders, and you can tack on half a plastic bottle to extend them if they're a bit skimpy. And if you can, hosing your bike down gently, leaving it somewhere warm to dry, and relubing the chain at least once a week, maye even daily, helps greatly against the salt. And you need LIGHTS. The small blinky diode ones are cheap and quite visible, get several and make sure you can be seen from several directions.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Since my move, my commute was trimmed down from 6 flat miles round trip to only 2 (very hilly) miles. Needless to say, I'm kind of a wimp in the cold weather. I can bare the cold but hate wetness.


They say there is no bad weather- only bad clothing.
I used to hate winter and froze my but off everywhere for YEARS. Then I got good wool outdoor clothes and discovered I was suddenly way comfy even in zero degrees! It opened the whole world up to me and now I love nothing more than to fitness walk, bike, and snowshoe in the winter.

I'm with Grog. I'd be walking that commute in the winter! It's far easier to stay warm while walking than on a bike. You say it's 2 miles ROUND TRIP?- one mile is a very short walk once you get used to it. Very healthy thing to do. It'll save your bike from wet salt conditions, too.
Getting some good insulated hiking boots and good wool socks will cost under $150. :)
Think wool to keep warm but well ventilated. Forget about cotton or acrylic sweaters or sweatshirts in the winter.

[Ana]

Perhaps walking is the best option to save my bike from the salt...I just love riding my bike so much that I can't imagine not riding it when I can...bikes want to be ridden, right? :p Maybe I'll have to get over that. :o

I hate walking in the snow. Biking is so much faster. :)

::sigh::

[kfergos]

And if you can, hosing your bike down gently, leaving it somewhere warm to dry, and relubing the chain at least once a week, maye even daily, helps greatly against the salt. And you need LIGHTS. The small blinky diode ones are cheap and quite visible, get several and make sure you can be seen from several directions.

I second these suggestions. For lube, be sure to get a nice waterproof "wet" Teflon one -- summertime "dry" lube will just wash right off in nasty weather. If you can't wash your bike off, at least wipe it down thoroughly after EVERY commute, especially the chain, cassette, and chainrings. Rust develops on chains incredibly quickly, and it's impossible to really get off well. With the salt factor, your entire bike will rust if you don't take extra-good care of it.

That said, +1 on the walking option. Ride when it's cold but clear; walk when it's nasty. That would save you lots of $ in the long run on bike repairs. (This winter was so hard on my bike, it would cost $600 to repair it -- that's $100 more than I paid for it 10 years ago!) Around here in MA, anyway, we tend to have enough cold, clear days that winter riding can really be beautiful.

As for warmth, layer up, especially on feet and hands. Experiment and you'll find what works for you.

[beccaB]

I'd like to bike with KnottedYet, but Jackson is 45 minutes by car from Ann Arbor. Maybe we will run into each other somewhere. Are you going to do the Cereal City Century-Knotted?

[beccaB]

Correction-Ana, whos' apparently from Ann Arbor, not Knotted yet. I didn't read it carefully enough.

[Ana]

beccaB--yes, I'd love to find a cycling buddy but I do not have a car...my main mode of transportation is biking (yay, small carbon footprint! :D)

Btw, I am in no shape to do a century (mentally or physically!) :p Maybe one day...but that will be in the future :)

If you're ever in town, or planning to be, or are going to a nearby event, let me know!

[Grog]

Walking in the winter in hard conditions, especially when there is snow on the sidewalks, is quite a workout. :D

You can always get snowshoes if there really is too much snow!! ;)

[celerystalksme]

2-3 miles is not that far...that's the good part.

even still...you said you don't own a car, so the trek is your main mode of transportation. things to consider...first, you need the right winter cycling gear. the biggest obstacle for me riding in winter was the old. as cold as it feels once you step out that door, it's a a zillion times colder once you get going 20mph!!!!!!! also...you need the right tires...some good treaded winter ties...maybe even studded tires. next...when it gets wet and slushy, fenders are nice to keep the dirty wet stuff off of you backside and legs and such.

if you can, clean that bike daily. hose it down gently if you can. keep it indoors when possible.

the right riding gear...the right tires...fenders...good bike care. that's about it!!!!! :)

[newfsmith]

Given your budget, a studded tire(s) is out. The only ones worth considering are Nokians, and here in the USA they would take most of your budget. Salt can be washed off daily to minimize damage. Even with daily cleaning of the chain and gears, 6 months of sand and salt will probably require a new chain and probably a new cassette. Think of it as commuting on the beach. If that is still within your budget, go ahead. The other complication is brakes. When it is right at freezing or just below, your rims will ice up decreasing braking enormously. You may need to ride with your brakes applied continuously to prevent this. That is very tiring physically and mentally. Disc brakes avoid this problem, but if your bike isn't already equipped with them, it is out of your stated budget. HOWEVER, WHEN RIDING ON SNOW AND ICE, DO NOT USE YOUR FRONT BRAKE, THE REAR WILL IS LESS LIKELY TO SKID! By the way, even with fenders, when slush is falling from the sky and it is around freezing your gears will ice up turning your bike into a single speed. You need to change gears frequently to prevent this or you may find yourself facing a hill on your big ring and a small cog.

Clothing is less of an issue. Tops and bottom, wool is your first choice, polyester fleece second, never cotton. For the short distance you are describing, you won't get as overheated as on a longer commute, but you still need a jacket that is going to vent the sweat you will generate. I recommend that you change when you get to your destination if at all possible. If you use clipless pedals, take them off for the winter. They ice up and so do the cleats. I like riding with ordinary waterproof winter boots with a side zip and just high enough to completely cover your ankles, about 6 to 8 inches. It is useful to have a pair of rainpants/windpants. Balaclava, ski gloves or mitts, wool liner gloves, wool socks and possibly ski googles finish your wardrobe. Thrift store purchases can bring it into your budget. Become a weather fan, listen to multiple reports to plan your trip. Be sure to allow 30 minutes to dress, and another 15 minutes to turn on all your bike lights and do a safety check on your bike.

From what you've described of your trip I agree that the cheapest, safe solution is to walk on the slushy days and when the roads have not been cleared fully. Avoid riding on days when cars can not safely pass you. When it is just cold, go ahead and ride. Consider putting some money in a jar every day you can't ride, and use it next fall to buy studded tires. This is the only time I would suggest this, but for a winter beater bike, consider going to X-mart. Buy a cheap mountain bike with disc brakes to put those tires on. Then find someone to help disassemble and correctly reassemble the entire bike, making sure that all of the rotational systems are fully greased and putting on headset seals etc. It will be a heavy tank, but you will be able to stop safely. Alternatively, watch the police auctions, and pick up a bike with disc brakes that way.

[kfergos]

Anna, I have a pair of 26x1.9 Nokian studded tires I'm looking to sell (I'm moving away from slush, sleet, snow, and ice -- woo!); ideally I'd get $75 for the pair, but I'm willing to negotiate. Interested?

Edited to add: Winter biking is orders of magnitude harder on your bike -- and thus more expensive -- than summer biking. If you ride all winter in all weather, you'll definitely have to replace the chain & cassette, and, odds are good, the bottom bracket & headset by the time you're done even if you take really good care of your bike. If you can avoid riding your bike on sloppy days, you'll save yourself a bundle. My winter bike requires $600 worth of repairs from last winter (I still haven't done it -- sticker shock, I think).

[tulip]

http://www.icebike.org/