Who plans to ride this winter? If so, share your gear and tips.
Who plans to ride this winter? If so, share your gear and tips.
For me, I'll be using my 90s steel MTB.
I've already coated the inside of the frame with anti rust, got a rust resistant chain, and have studded tires at the ready. The studded tires will only go on if there's persistent icy conditions.
Packed marine grease into my hubs, bb ends, and headset bearings.
On my todo list, I'll be installing pogies/bar mitts, which have proven to be way better than any glove solution I tried last winter.
I also want to buy/make a mudflap to expend the front fender. This should prevent a considerable amount of grit, salt, melted snow from reaching my shoes, chain, crankset, etc.
As soon as salt goes down, my bike will get more cleaning around critical parts, and a frame wipe down after every ride.
I do have a winter cycling jacket and fleecy cycling pants, but feeling the cold on my body was never an issue last winter. A fleecy buff and helmet liner that gets over my ears are a must, and i may invest in a few extra pairs.
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- winter tires (no studs---they might be nice on those very icy days, but I didn't fancy changing tires)
- ski goggles, with a very light tint since it's often dark (sunglasses won't do, they fog up too easy)
- helmet liner (down to -10C), or balaclava on colder days
- regular gloves (above 0C), izumi lobster gloves (ok down to -5C or -10C), or ozero long-sleeve ski/shoveling mitts (colder days). I've thought about pogies, but with the bike parked outside I didn't want to have to take them on/off the bike every time. Mitts make it harder to reach shifter and brake, but the ice/slush build-up limited the gear shift to just a few options anyway, and slow, planned braking works better on ice.
- waterproof shell/pants. Not only to stay dry and keep clothes clean, but it cuts the wind too.
- thermal underclothes (only on colder days)
- scarf to cut the wind on my lower face (less cold days), or switch to a full balaclava on very cold days.
- waterproof winter hiking boots
- hose and wipe down bike as needed
- also planning on carrying lock deicer this year, as last year the bicycle lock almost wouldn't open a few times after sitting outside in the weather all day.
ski goggles, with a very light tint since it’s often dark (sunglasses won’t do, they fog up too easy)
Which ones are you using? I'm looking and they all seem really bulky.
Yes, they are all kind of bulky, but as long as they don't interfere with a helmet and give good peripheral vision I figured that was just an aesthetic concern. I went with "ZIONOR Lagopus Ski Snowboard Goggles" (B-clear blue lens, 60% cloudy/night). They have been comfortable, don't fog up, and aren't too dark (could've gone for a bit darker for daytime, but in the winter I'm often cycling at dusk/dawn). On the down side, there's still some minor distortion in the lenses (not enough to bug me, but sometimes noticeable), and they tend to press on the bridge of my nose a bit more than I would like (causing a tendency to mouth-breathe). If you can try some out in a store then that would probably be better.
I appreciate the reply. I've been wearing standard cycling glasses, but the lenses are a little longer, with my helmet liner down to my eyebrows and a buff up my face and just behind the bottom of the lenses. This worked for me last year, but keeping my ears warm was always a challenge. I do have some thicker helmet liners with ear coverings, so that should be much better.
Lens tints drove me crazy on my other cycling glasses... too dim for bright sun and too dark for cloudy or darker. I've been EXTREMELY happy with photochromatic (i.e. transition) lenses, and if there's a way to get something like that with your Zionor goggles, I think it would make a world of difference. I can wear them at night (for wind and bug protection) or during full sun. Granted, they aren't ideal for extremely bright sun as they don't get too dark, but coupled with a helmet visor/cycle cap visor, it's a good combo.