Inclement Weather E-Biking

[fooferdoggie]

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?

yes though not always. here we have so many different temp areas on my ride to work its tricky snow can be fully melted and the roads dry 5 miles away they can be frozen then melted again.

 

[Solarcabin]

I ride year round and love snowy trail riding!

I have knobbies on the Ariel X for better traction and no studs needed.

We don't get a lot of rain and just an occasional storm in the high desert area I live in and if it is raining I rarely ride. I hydroplaned a car through an intersection and took out the guy wire for a power pole knocking out all the power in a rural area after I just dropped my high school girlfriend off after our date and I lost a brother that hydroplaned off a road down a hill after a flash storm. So I don't ride when it is raining and avoid it even when driving my truck.

In snow you still have a little traction and braking but if you hydroplane you have zero control and worse even than black ice.

I always wear gloves to ride and in winter I may put on my ski bibs and insulated boots. I have a Kemimoto heated coat, socks and gloves if needed and you should have a balaclava face protector and goggles/glasses made for skiing to protect from snow blindness.

These are my roads and trails in winter:

 

[Prairie Dog]

yes though not always. here we have so many different temp areas on my ride to work its tricky snow can be fully melted and the roads dry 5 miles away they can be frozen then melted again.

Yeah, I think that I’d rather deal with the snow and cold up here. Commuting in winter drizzle like you (or for that matter anyone in the PNW) doesn’t sound very appealing. @Stefan Mikes might have something to say about that though.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Yeah, I think that I’d rather deal with the snow and cold up here. Commuting in winter drizzle like you (or for that matter anyone in the PNW) doesn’t sound very appealing. @Stefan Mikes might have something to say about that though.

I got used to it and good gear makes all the difference. 34 and rain Christmas even morning.