Are You Still Commuting on Your Bike?

[01xj]

it melts at 2pm and it's ice by 6:30 when I'm trying to ride home in the dark.

That's how I totaled my Jeep in 09. Rained all day and froze instantly with quickly dropping temperatures.

I rode a little bit today just to move some parts around on both bikes. It was pretty warm and the roads were clear.

[nt650hawk]

threw in the towel on the X-mas day snow. tough to ride up hill when it is still covered in the whire stuff and no knobbies. gues it is tiem to tear the front end apart.

[RandyO]

threw in the towel on the X-mas day snow. tough to ride up hill when it is still covered in the whire stuff and no knobbies. gues it is tiem to tear the front end apart.

riding up the hill is easier than riding down the hill

[nt650hawk]

+1

[gregp]

Over the years, I have found that regular knobbies do not work well in the snow. I was riding on a snow covered lake one year, and discovered that my knobbie clad DT250 could not go as well as my friends TL-125 with trials tires. The sipes in the trials tire (as well as the smooth power delivery of the TL, I am sure) allowed him to out accelerate me. If I were riding with no studs or spikes, I would chose a trials tire for the snow.

[Kenn157]

Yeah, I'm done until March or April.

Me too, since I just took delivery on the new bike. May as well let it sit.

[sveesix]

Me too, since I just took delivery on the new bike. May as well let it sit.

It's not sitting, it's meditating before all the awesome riding in a few months!

[RandyO]

Over the years, I have found that regular knobbies do not work well in the snow. I was riding on a snow covered lake one year, and discovered that my knobbie clad DT250 could not go as well as my friends TL-125 with trials tires. The sipes in the trials tire (as well as the smooth power delivery of the TL, I am sure) allowed him to out accelerate me. If I were riding with no studs or spikes, I would chose a trials tire for the snow.

going to the darkside works even better

[reks95]

I don't recognize those. What is this darkside you speak of?

[nhbubba]

General Altimax

Great tire. I have a set mounted up on my car right now.

[reks95]

Meh. I don't think I've ever put a set of snow tires on my car.

[G21forme]

I don't recognize those. What is this darkside you speak of?

Car tire on a bike.

[RandyO]

Meh. I don't think I've ever put a set of snow tires on my car.

that's the problem today, most people think all season radials are an adequate winter tire

[reks95]

that's the problem today, most people think all season radials are an adequate winter tire

I usually work from home when it snows, which is usually only a handful of days a year. I live in a state that plows and treats the roads until they are white with salt. All season radials have been more than adequate as long as one does not drive in conditions where they won't work. Of course, people who drive in those conditions still have to deal with all the other morons who have all seasons and less sense. Risk Management and all that.

But if you live somewhere where the roads aren't immaculate on day 2, I'm sure it makes sense to spend the extra money.

[B440]

Beautiful day to ride to work! Too bad my moped died on the way in
So by default, my bike is put away.... unless it was something easily fixable

[rpete]

After leaving the bike outside for yesterday's snow, this morning the ignition was completely iced shut. Usually I can warm the key a few times just by squeezing it in my hand, enough to eventually get the ignition to de-ice. But with temps in the teens, that wasn't working. So I had to pour hot water in the ignition. And what do you know, when I get to work I can't move the key to turn the ignition off. So more hot water. And when I am ready to go home, do it all over again.

Gerbing's makes all of this possible.

[RandyO]

So I had to pour hot water in the ignition.

you "had to" eh



NEVER put water in a lock, especially in winter

[reks95]

Fortunately I don't have to leave it outside, so no problems starting or stopping it today.
But as I predicted when I got my heated gear, teens is a little too cold .

[SprintPoser]

My bike is also parked in a semi-heated area, my cellar. I rode it last Saturday, gave it a bath on Sunday.

While not commuting, I plan on giving it a ride tomorrow just to burn off some fuel and top off the tank with fresh stuff in case it has to sit through more snow storms in the next few weeks. Here's a shot from last Saturday:

[RandyO]

I plan on giving it a ride tomorrow just to

I haven't really had a chance to ride much this winter, I might ride up to Madawaska & back

[rpete]

Fortunately I don't have to leave it outside, so no problems starting or stopping it today.
But as I predicted when I got my heated gear, teens is a little too cold .

With the whole kit and kaboodle - heated jacket, pants, socks, gloves, balaclava, frogg toggs outer layer - it works nicely. If only I could get heated tires somehow.

And yeah, obtaining lock de-icer was a foresight I was just too lazy to do. So I work with what I have. If I had electricity near the bike I would have preferred to use a hair dryer or something.

[RandyO]

Lock deicer is also a graphite lubricant, I use it in summer as well as winter, mostly on my seat lock on the back of my bike that gets gunked up, its something I have kept in my tool kit for several years. I've never had to de-ice my ignition, but have had to de-ice my gas cap a couple times

[rpete]

Thanks RandyO, I didn't know that. I will have to pick some up this weekend.

[reks95]

With the whole kit and kaboodle - heated jacket, pants, socks, gloves, balaclava, frogg toggs outer layer - it works nicely. If only I could get heated tires somehow.

I didn't get pants. If I had gotten pants, I'd say maybe down to 10F. But for around here, I figure 20F is good enough for 50+% of the winter days. Besides, I'm not sure if there's enough power for pants too

[SprintPoser]

I didn't get pants. If I had gotten pants, I'd say maybe down to 10F. But for around here, I figure 20F is good enough for 50+% of the winter days. Besides, I'm not sure if there's enough power for pants too

What bike do you have? I think I saw some mention of a Triumph, and most of their bikes have a rather generous power output. My 2011 Tiger 800 is rated the same as my 2000 Sprint RS, 645 watts.