Road bike tires

Indianapolis may not be one of the snow capitols in this part of the US, but we do get snow and ice. I hate to see my Trek 7.6 FX grounded due to the weather - and my lack of experience.

Someone suggested to me that if I were to put mountain bike tires on my flat-bar road bike that my bike would be far less likely to slip in the ice. However, even I know that mountain bikes take a different size tires than road bikes and that I can't use real mountain bike tires.

I did stop by my LBS today to ask them about different types of tires that my bike can take, and one of the mechanics told me that one can find 700c tires with far more aggressive tread than my Bontrager Race Lite tires. They don't sell them, but would mount them for me.

Is this a good idea for a novice cyclist? Right now I am still in the parking lot stage - and if I could practice more consistently I could graduate from the parking lot :)

I understand that I can go wider than my current 700c28 tires if there is clearance, and I don't know how important that would be if I can find a more aggressive tread. Any suggestions?

I did have a great day today, even if my ride was cut short. It was wonderful to be out on my bike - even after a 2 hour spinning session!

You can get cyclocross tires that are likely to fit your bike fine (I had some on an old Trek 420 with no problems) and some of them do have pretty aggressive tread patterns. They will help you go in the snow/slush, but for slick ice I don't think anything except for studded tires will help much.
I'm also not sure I'd recommend any of this for a learner... it really takes your whole body (lots of core) and a smooth pedal stroke to keep a bike up when it is very slippery.

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Originally Posted by Eden

You can get cyclocross tires that are likely to fit your bike fine (I had some on an old Trek 420 with no problems) and some of them do have pretty aggressive tread patterns. They will help you go in the snow/slush, but for slick ice I don't think anything except for studded tires will help much.
I'm also not sure I'd recommend any of this for a learner... it really takes your whole body (lots of core) and a smooth pedal stroke to keep a bike up when it is very slippery.

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I am thinking of patches of ice as opposed to sheets of it - but of course - ice can get you regardless of the amount. It is the black ice that concerns me rather than the stuff we can see and hopefully avoid.

Thanks for your caution regarding core strength and pedal stroke needed for riding in slick conditions. I am having problems with a consistent pedal stroke right now - once I start building cadence my pedals start "skipping" - and quite a lot - especially on one side. They haven't found anything wrong with my bike - so it must have something to do with the "engine". My cycling instructor thinks that it is either a fitting issue (I have a fitting scheduled in a couple of weeks) or I've one leg stronger than the other.

Tread won't help too much on black ice and indeed it only takes one patch (ask me how far I slid on my back today.... I'm OK, even did the ride - I slid out on a hill on the way to meet the group) Unfortunately not too much helps at all on black ice - maybe studs, but I've never tried them.

You can do one-legged drills on your spinning bike, or your trek up on a trainer, to help you master your pedal stroke.

In terms of tires, I put cyclocross tires on my hybrid and love that it gives me the option to ride on the trails when the weather prohibits a road ride. If you decide to do this, you might actually want to find an "easy" trail (unpaved, but not very technical) to practice on. You (probably) won't have as many issues with black ice as you will on the road - and practicing off-road will help you master your bike handling skills as well.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

once I start building cadence my pedals start "skipping" - and quite a lot - especially on one side. They haven't found anything wrong with my bike - so it must have something to do with the "engine". My cycling instructor thinks that it is either a fitting issue (I have a fitting scheduled in a couple of weeks) or I've one leg stronger than the other.

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How fast are you spinning when it starts to happen? Everyone gets a bit choppy when they get really high. Some people can spin exceptionally fast and smooth (like pros who are known for sprinting ability), but many people start to bounce and get choppy at speeds over 110 -120 rpms or so. I can spin smoothly up to about 130 or so, but I rarely do this anywhere but on the trainer...

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Originally Posted by Eden

How fast are you spinning when it starts to happen? Everyone gets a bit choppy when they get really high. Some people can spin exceptionally fast and smooth (like pros who are known for sprinting ability), but many people start to bounce and get choppy at speeds over 110 -120 rpms or so. I can spin smoothly up to about 130 or so, but I rarely do this anywhere but on the trainer...

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I am not spinning fast at all - indeed am still going fairly slow when it starts (I've only had my bike for 2 weeks). I DO know that one leg is stronger than the other - and my podiatrist suspects that one leg is shorter than the other. I do not notice this on the spinning bike in class, but that is not the same.

The trainer I am working with on conditioning for cycling (and who is a life-long avid cyclist and mountain-bike racer) isn't sure that it is a leg-strength issue - but of course he hasn't been present when it happens. I will ask him to show me the spinning drill with one leg - I do not have an indoor trainer and am trying to wait until next winter for that if I can. (Personal training sessions and new bike support has tapped me out for now :eek::)

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I am not spinning fast at all - indeed am still going fairly slow when it starts (I've only had my bike for 2 weeks). I DO know that one leg is stronger than the other - and my podiatrist suspects that one leg is shorter than the other. I do not notice this on the spinning bike in class, but that is not the same.

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It's not particularly uncommon. Even if you don't have a measurable leg length discrepancy you can have a functional one. A few shims in your shoe (if you have clipless pedals) can go a long way to fixing it - and yes it sure can make your spin smoother.

Nokian makes very good studded snow tires. The ones I'm using should fit your bike. I've liked the way they handle ice. I don't want to discourage you, but as a newer rider, I'd maybe wait on the bad weather riding. When you are able to do it fairly confidently, it can be fun. If you hurt yourself, not so fun.

Deb

Do studs work on black ice? Thick ice has something to grab, but it seems like black ice might be too thin and too slippery?

Yes, studded tires would work on black ice... that's why so many commuters use them. Although I would caution people that even using studded tires does NOT leave you in a position where you'll never fall, so be cautious.

Nokian and Schwalbe are two of the companies that make stidded tires, and offer stud replacement for either studs that you lose or wear out.

CAtrin, I lived in Indiana for many years, so I can apprecaite where you are coming from. I know that CIBA used to do trainer/roller rides as a group if you are interested... certainly makes the time go faster and I'm sure you can pick up lots of tips as well:D

The thing about studded tires is that you are riding on metal studs, whether they have ice to grip or not. They work best on smooth flat porous ice of some thickness, but epsecially if you have a decent tire pressure up to minimize the "tractor with a flat tire" feeling, carbide studs and cold rubber will never give you the same grip that dry warm rubber will. You can give it your all when going straight ahead, but think of skating, be careful of cornering or banking, and try lower pressure first until you know your tires well. I had a most spectacular slide-out when braking with studs on a smooth granite pavement - I left stripes several meters long :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Eden

It's not particularly uncommon. Even if you don't have a measurable leg length discrepancy you can have a functional one. A few shims in your shoe (if you have clipless pedals) can go a long way to fixing it - and yes it sure can make your spin smoother.

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I do have cycling shoes - but right now am only using them on my spinning bike - it is rather too early to start attaching myself to my bike :) Right now I am simply using the small platform pedals that came with my bike - and the toe cages were removed as the floppy straps kept causing me to fall. So...could part of the pedal skipping be due to my not using clips or clipless pedals? Just considering what could be going on. I really, really dislike the floppy straps and can't figure out how anyone can insert their foot in them when getting on the bike....

Thanks for all of the advice on bad winter-weather riding. As badly as I would like to get out there - it is probably too early for that. I will just wait for dry pavement - after all this IS central Indiana - most of the time we don't have snow/ice on the ground :) There is always NEXT winter!

Absolutely - the pedals are probably most of the problem... You've been using clipless on the spin bike and have become accustomed to being able to pull up. When you switch to the platforms on your road bike you're probably still trying to do that. The few times I've been on a non-clipped bike recently I've had a hard time not lifting my feet off the pedals - especially when it is taking some effort and uphills when I am used to being able to pull up.

You can put the toe clips back on and leave the straps off, but honestly I think toe clips are harder to learn to use than dual sided clipless models, especially if you been doing it on the spin bike and know what it feels like to clip in and out. Yes, there is the danger of forgetting to clip out and falling over, but with toe clips so many beginners have to look down trying to flip the things over and you can still forget to take your foot out.