Winter roading.

[sizlinseagulsoup]

What do most of you do in the winter for roading? Any tips (or tires) for staying up in the icey stuff?

[boingboing]

What do most of you do in the winter for roading? Any tips (or tires) for staying up in the icey stuff?
Yea ride the fat tire bike or get an indoor trainer.

[sizlinseagulsoup]

...

I know people ride in the winter (local clubs do a flew weekend rides at awfully inconvenient times). They must do something since I don't hear about them dying because they slid out into incoming traffic.

[boingboing]

Wow I couldnt imagine trying to maintain any kind of spped on a road bike when theres any kind of ice snow or slush on the road. Have people been breakin out the cross bikes for the winter? I couldn't imagine riding on studded tires on the pavement like that.

[sizlinseagulsoup]

I do agree with you. Perhaps they are using a cross bike or they have incredibly good balance. I do not believe they are using studs. Maybe we'll never know :-/

[boingboing]

Hey Kevin if you find something out let me know. Not like I'd hurry and get out there, but now the curiosity is killin me. Bong

[AA]

I do a fair amount of winter riding on the road (when there is too much snow on the trails). I just use my regular road bike with fenders. The key is to go in the middle of the day when it gets over freezing so the roads are just wet not icy. There will alway be some shady spots w/ ice you just need to be careful.

AA

[sizlinseagulsoup]

Do you usually stay in the middle of the road and piss off traffic (not that there is any cars where I live :) ) or are the sides of the roads good enough?

[AA]

I do my best to stay out of the middle of the road. I personally cant stand people riding in the middle of traffic when I am driving. You do get a little wet winter riding but its better than the wind trainer.

AA

[benb]

I've just been riding my mountain bike. No need to push the monster gears right now, and if you do push them you end up getting more wind chill from the speed and you just freeze.

My rides lately seem to be:
- Pull MTB out, put on tons of clothes
- Ride on the road 2-3 miles to trails, freeze the whole way there
- Finally warm up in the woods
- Take off jacket, helmet cover, etc..
- Ride for several hours in the woods totally comfy
- Get back on the road, put all the clothes on, and ride like 10 miles or so in relative comfort

Ben

[C.P.]

RE: winter roading - I haven't ridden with this group in a while, but CRW has been running a year round ride for 300 consecutive Saturdays as of late November 02, yes you heard right, they haven't missed the infamous Saturday Morning Fitness Ride YEAR ROUND for over 5 years! They are mostly die hard roadies, but many of them are NEMBA members including one of the ride leaders, Dave McElwaine. It goes out of Needham at the Nahanton park. Scroll down to the "saturday morning fitness ride" on the following link. If you go, don't be late, they are riding promptly at 8:30.
http://www.crw.org/RecurringRide.htm
Oh, they all ride regular road bikes, but many break out their fixed gear road bikes and many have them equipped with fenders in the winter. A few break out their cross bikes.

[GP-TJ]

We have a group that goes out on the East Bay bike path on Tuesday nights when the weather is OK. It is tough right now because the ground is pretty wet and refreezes at night. There are also some bike shops that do rides on Sundays. I did one last week with a bunch of guys. We did 38 and it wasn't too bad. Riding in a large group isn't so bad. The cars can see you. They get a little ticked off but this ride was in Seekonk/Rehoboth area. Not too many cars after leaving Rt. 6 and getting into the farm areas. Velocite in Seekonk Ma. has a ride on Sundays at 0900. I am no racer and the pace was comfortable (avs = 17 to 18)