Inclement Weather E-Biking

[K PierreR]

Deep snow is fun to play in. The diggers are slow motion but remember to eject from the bike or you will be under the bike fighting to get out. In this photo I went across a drifted ditch. I bogged down a bit and then the rear wheel spun. Over I went. I did eject but left a divot

When the snow gets deep the pedal leave divots and the bike is hard to balance from the drag of the down pedal. Throttle works best along with tire pressures of 3psi rear and 2 psi front.

 

[Rexlion]

I ride year-round. Here are the winter tires. I have heated grips, saddle and batteries I don't care to bike below about 10 deg F -12CView attachment 131527

Looking at your tires, we might have to start calling you "Stud."

 

[tomjasz]

Living in the Pacific Northwest there is some common wisdom - "there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices"

If you are determined to ride, there are good insulated bike boots, layers of fleece and gortex and sub zero gloves, balaclavas and googles as well as studded tires for bikes.

Then again we do not often get the brutal sub zero temps and deep snow here at sea level, that are all too common in Minnesota.

Goretex and goosedown. I’ve owned expedition parkas and bibs since age 15. Snowboard helmet and expedition balaclava, with no fog ski goggles. BUT when it drops below 15-20F it’s only very short runs of under a mile to putz in my away from home shop.(a friends cabinet shop)

looking seriously at a custom fairing

 

[K PierreR]

Yesterday I ordered a waterproof e bike display to replace the aging water resistant display that I have had for the last 16k miles . Now I should be able to ride in the rain without a baggy over the electronics. Still need to do something about the non-water-resistant watt meter I have been running. That meter gets wet, and it's probably toast. I also need to do something about the light switching for high and low beams I currently have. Those switches are not waterproof. At least my phone is in a waterproof case.
If my controller gives out I will replace it with a Grin tech CA-3 and phase runner.

 

[tomjasz]

Get some Boeshield or ACF50. But I’m a Grin(ner) my Baserunner and CA3’s are stellar. Sadly they dis continued their Grinfineon controllers. My favorite!


2022 Update: Product Discontinued-

After more than 10 years offering the Infineon and then Grinfineon motor controllers we decided that our 2021 bulk order would be our last. These controllers played an important role in getting a wide range of ebike conversions on the road but challenges in supply, combined with an oudated form factor and limited feature set meant that they had run their course for us. They have been fully replaced by the Baserunner and Phaserunner controller series which pack an aweful lot more punch in a much smaller package. This page is being left up for legacy and support reasons.

 

[K PierreR]

Get some Boeshield or ACF50. But I’m a Grin(ner) my Baserunner and CA3’s are stellar. Sadly they dis continued their Grinfineon controllers. My favorite!

I have a BBSHD so I am limited for choices without really cobbling. The Phase Runner/ CA-3 setup is $450 at least. It would definitely be worth it if I decide to run higher voltages and lower amps for touring in the future.

 

[tomjasz]

Sorry, yeah cobbling a BBSHD with an external display and controller sucks IMO. Iworked customer support for BBSxx series motors for 7 years. I stand by my suggestion. ACF50 or Boeshield. They work on avionics... I ride year round in Minnesnowta works for me....

we saw a lot of customers wanting repairs after cobbling a great motor like the BBSHD.

 

[Rexlion]

I'm a fair weather biker. If I feel raindrops, I'm packing it in. Rainy, too hot, or too cold is good reason to read a book and go riding some other time IMO. To each his own, though. I have a brother who (until recently due to age and health) liked to tent camp in the snow.

 

[tomjasz]

I'm a fair weather biker. If I feel raindrops, I'm packing it in. Rainy, too hot, or too cold is good reason to read a book and go riding some other time IMO. To each his own, though. I have a brother who (until recently due to age and health) liked to tent camp in the snow.

Cool, you ride for fun. I do too, but I also ride to take care of my personal needs and haven’t driven the cage yet in 2022. I hate caging it. Thankfully the Mrs. drives me to my Mayo appointments.

 

[Sparky731]

The bike doesn't care? I seriously doubt that.

My bike never complains. Any bike that does care about cold weather may need therapy.

 

[tomjasz]

My bike never complains. Any bike that does care about cold weather may need therapy.

Tires with no flat crap complain bitterly in below freezing weather.

 

[Ang1sgt]

Prairie Dog,
Thanks for that fine video! Gosh I’d love to try that but at my age I’ve done enough in my life. Can we assume that you were not using any PAS?
I could hear the studded tires.

 

[BEC111]

I live quite a bit south of you in Western Illinois. Last winter I figured out 40 degrees is no problem. 30 to 40 degrees is getting a little rough, and 20 degrees just doesn’t work for me. I’m sure I could bundle up and ride in colder weather but it stops being fun and is a chore. Wind chill becomes meaningless since you are riding and making your own wind chill even on a calm day.

I‘m more challenged. 40 degrees is my lower limit. 45 is better, though I might start out in the morning at a lower temp. Don’t ride in rain if I can help it. don't go out if there snow or ice around. I’m 74 and much more cautious than I once was.

 

[harryS]

My wife and I will ride as long as the temperature is higher than the battery voltage, which means it has to be low to mid 40's for our 36V bikes, Also needs to be dry. Can't count on jumping up after a fall any more. Just jumping up is hard enough.

 

[Gordon71]

I don't ride my bike in winter slop so I guess I really can't say what it would do to it but after over 55 years of driving cars and trucks in coastal New England winters I can say they would have been much happier and lasted much longer if I didn't.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Prairie Dog,
Thanks for that fine video! Gosh I’d love to try that but at my age I’ve done enough in my life. Can we assume that you were not using any PAS?
I could hear the studded tires.

PAS was at the lowest setting, IIRC, on that day at the local skating pond. Speaks volumes of what the Ice Spiker tires are capable of. The ISPs have their limits though as I can't negotiate deep snow like @K PierreR 's fat Cake Eaters.

 

[WilliamT]

I would rather bike in freezing temperatures and heavy rainstorms for over an hour then drive my car to work where I park underground and completely free from the elements. The hard part is trying to keep my laptop, work clothes, and dress shoes dry going through the storm. Bought some drybags just for the shoes.

 

[m@Robertson]

The hard part is trying to keep my laptop, work clothes, and dress shoes dry going through the storm. Bought some drybags just for the shoes.

Just a garbage bag makes almost any pannier a drybag... for anything inside the plastic, at least. If you look you can find 10 gallon sized ziploc freezer bags. But I have always just done single- or doubled-up trash bags. The ones with the drawstrings work best and if I really feel a need I can knot the bag opening closed. Most of my panniers also have a rain cover so between all that its tough to get my clothes or laptop wet.

 

[tomjasz]

Just a garbage bag makes almost any pannier a drybag... for anything inside the plastic, at least. If you look you can find 10 gallon sized ziploc freezer bags. But I have always just done single- or doubled-up trash bags. The ones with the drawstrings work best and if I really feel a need I can knot the bag opening closed. Most of my panniers also have a rain cover so between all that its tough to get my clothes or laptop wet.

Sierra.com often has dry bags at deep discounts. Having spent most of my working life outdoors in MN, NV, WI,ID, AND MT, nothing worse than wet clothes. Dangerous too especially when in remote locations in temps below 50F.

NorEast Outdoors 10 L Roll-Top Dry Bag - Waterproof, Khaki - Save 27%

NorEast Outdoors 10 L Roll-Top Dry Bag - Waterproof, Khaki in Khaki at Sierra. Celebrating 30 Years Of Exploring.

www.sierra.com

Best version, https://www.sierra.com/s~pannier/

 

[Kayakguy]

Before I retired, I rode my (acoustic) bike almost every day to the high school where I taught. The challenging part of the ride was a very steep, but short hill. One morning, I went to make the turn starting up that hill, when suddenly I was down due to black ice. No traffic, fortunately, but I tore the knee of some new pants. When I walked the bike up the hill, I discovered that concrete (the sidewalk) can be a lot less slippery than asphalt (the street). I wonder if others have found this to be true?