Winter cycling photos and writeups

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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Jon in Sweden
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Joined: 22 May 2022, 12:53pm

Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by Jon in Sweden »

Hello all :)

I thought that it might be nice to have a thread for those of us mad enough to be cycling through winter.

I'm in SE Sweden and this is my first Scandinavian winter, having moved from Devon in summer. I'm equipped for the winter now, with studded tyres and various layers of clothing (I tend to run hot, except for my feet).

We're into proper winter now. I did 35km this morning - a mixture of road and gravel with the temperature between minus 8 and minus 11. Serious beard icicles formed!

The studded tyres hold me quite well. On the blacker ice, the bike can be a bit squirrelly, but the slides are very small and not dissimilar to riding on loose gravel. It's much harder work cycling in snow and ice compared to unfrozen roads, but it's well worth the effort.

I'll tee us off with a few photos from today:

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pedalsheep
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by pedalsheep »

Great post!
'Why cycling for joy is not the most popular pastime on earth is still a mystery to me.'
Frank J Urry, Salute to Cycling, 1956.
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fossala
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by fossala »

Not quite the same but it was a nice clear night coming home from a night shift. So crisp and clean.
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cycleruk
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Location: Lancashire

Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by cycleruk »

A bit breezy. 23 mph wind.
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Splish splash.
Bike and me covered in a layer of sea-salt.
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Guess where?
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Setting up for the Christmas market on the prom.
You'll never know if you don't try it.
Jon in Sweden
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Joined: 22 May 2022, 12:53pm

Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by Jon in Sweden »

Nice photos folks. It's like a completely different season in the UK :lol:
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foxyrider
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Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by foxyrider »

I'm definately a year round rider, not much keeps me inside as a rule.

First proper frost today hereabouts, i delayed setting off for the roads to clear but even so there was still a few patches in sheltered spots and some rime persisted right through the day. Just a short, 75km at a positively balmy 0c average around South Glos.

Z8u2mnZ1bbTkRnUZ6R3AY84UIxY2aVCvmFVKQxPUR_o-1536x2048.jpg
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on the levels at Hill nr Thornbury @ 1.00pm
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Jon in Sweden
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by Jon in Sweden »

foxyrider wrote: 8 Dec 2022, 5:55pm I'm definately a year round rider, not much keeps me inside as a rule.

First proper frost today hereabouts, i delayed setting off for the roads to clear but even so there was still a few patches in sheltered spots and some rime persisted right through the day. Just a short, 75km at a positively balmy 0c average around South Glos.


Z8u2mnZ1bbTkRnUZ6R3AY84UIxY2aVCvmFVKQxPUR_o-1536x2048.jpgjOps6JTeVlBmafVI3zoH9_K9v-6WQ_eGo_BVaRI2K3M-2048x1536.jpg

on the levels at Hill nr Thornbury @ 1.00pm
Very nice. After 4 winters in the SW of England, those sorts of days weren't so common. Have to take advantage of them when they come.

We had a lot of snow fall yesterday (about 5 inches, onto 3 inches of already very well frozen snow). It was pure powder and bloody difficult to cycling on/through. I went out for just 10km in the evening (at 16kph average! :lol: ) and it was a exercise in bike control to stay upright. Nothing really sketchy, but the bike was squirrelling away under me constantly.

They hadn't yet ploughed the roads, so I was cycling on the tyre tracks. Really fine powder, too cold to stick to itself, hence the lack of traction (even on studded tyres).

I'll chalk it up as another type of snow that I need to learn the characteristics of. I'm out for 32km today up to a local town. I'm optimistic that the roads will be cleared though.

This is what my bike looked like after yesterday's ride:

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foxyrider
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by foxyrider »

one from 2018 on the Eastern Edges near Chesterfield

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and a trio from Austria on Xmas Eve 2018 on the Arlberg Pass then Boxing Day on the nearby Faschinajoch

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Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
roubaixtuesday
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Great post and lovely idea Jon.

Woke up to a little snow, so out for a play on the mtb.
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willp01908
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by willp01908 »

Little bit of a ride out on the cycle trails in Milton Keynes. Quite rare for us to get snow here, so a real treat!
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roubaixtuesday
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by roubaixtuesday »

A pre breakfast ride over the frozen Lindow Moss.
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Jon in Sweden
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by Jon in Sweden »

Nice photos everyone.

Curious what you're all using for tyres? I'm looking for a less aggressive winter tyre for when the roads are largely clear, but with the risk of ice. Sometimes the studded tyres are unnecessary.
colin54
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by colin54 »

The Leeds & Liverpool canal frozen over nr Newburgh W.Lancs, OK with studs and low pressures along the towpath, frozen slush mainly, it turned to frozen water - shiny black ice towards Wigan, a bit too slippy for me so I turned for home, nice to get out of the house though - no wind, very pleasant.
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Some stranded boats with bikes at Parbold, old mill in the background.
Jon in Sweden wrote: 12 Dec 2022, 7:54pm Nice photos everyone.

Curious what you're all using for tyres? I'm looking for a less aggressive winter tyre for when the roads are largely clear, but with the risk of ice. Sometimes the studded tyres are unnecessary.
Schwalbe Marathon Winters, I leave these on my shopping bike at this time of year, though it's seldom that cold, they're chunky enough for the muddy tow path.
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roubaixtuesday
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Jon in Sweden wrote: 12 Dec 2022, 7:54pm Nice photos everyone.

Curious what you're all using for tyres? I'm looking for a less aggressive winter tyre for when the roads are largely clear, but with the risk of ice. Sometimes the studded tyres are unnecessary.
I have full on ice spiker tyres on the mtb for winter. Overkill probably, but makes me feel safe on the commute if it's icy. I think I used them once last winter :-)
willp01908
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Re: Winter cycling photos and writeups

Post by willp01908 »

Jon in Sweden wrote: 12 Dec 2022, 7:54pm Nice photos everyone.

Curious what you're all using for tyres? I'm looking for a less aggressive winter tyre for when the roads are largely clear, but with the risk of ice. Sometimes the studded tyres are unnecessary.
I`m on 40mm Schwalbe Winters - they have only 2 rows of studs but quite a deep knobbly tread and ( I presume) a soft winter rubber compound.

According to the blurb, you run them at full pressure when it`s not icy and the studs largely clear the road surface, at least while not leaning. You`re supposed to run them in for 40k on proper tarmac and they do get a fair bit quieter after this.
Reduce pressure in the ice and the studs have better contact.

They are noisy and noticeably harder work, but I`m going to be going a lot slower in any case.
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