Open discussion for winter riders.

[Bruce Arnold]

I don't ride below 35 F. Which means, here in eastern NC, I can ride just about any day of the year, although maybe not first thing in the morning during the winter months. Yes, I could ride below 35 deg., but it would take a different level of gear than what I have, and it's just not important enough to gear up for. If I were commuting to a job, that would be a different beast. I only work 3 afternoons a week since semi-retiring a couple of years ago, so no worries.

We also don't see a lot of ice and snow, so no comment on that front.

 

[Ebiker01]

Thermal case is not firmly mounted to

Yes is very dusty and itchy .very few people can and will do a project like you and me...

Do you think or have you tried warming up the battery even further (before heading for a ride) , to 70-80F ? I wonder if once insulated with the aerogel it will maintain a higher temp- 60-70F ?
That would be the perfect temp. For the cells.

what do you use to measure the temp. ? Only the thermistor wire ? I may get a laser probe and double check it

 

[Ebiker01]

Aerogel : https://www.insulation4less.co.uk/aerogel-spaceloft-blanket-10mm (I ordered long

Is Overly expensive there.
Here is a much better price. I think is 3-4x cheaper.

One 10mm thickness 150 mmx 200mm is ONLY 8$.

8of those make a 1.5x 1.6 meters @64$ only.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Bobsiii]

I'm on a Magnum Metro with the battery partially integrated into downtube, limited room for top cover without going over both tubes. I've thought about insulating it but the logistics and the look both put me off. I've ridden in 35F here (Colorado), see some range reduction but frankly snow and ice on roads/paths are bigger deterrents for me than temps. I could probably deal with that better if I switched fm balloon to knobby tires for the season, may look into it.

I just use a shorter distance - 40m vs 60m - as ride planning guide in winter and keep a close eye on my battery voltage on my display.

 

[tomjasz]

Winter and snowy streets are the ideal conditions for my front hub motor Trek Pure. Being a flat foot frame I can use my legs as outrunners and wear my Vibram sole Sorel boots. I run a normal street tire, 2" inflated to the rated minimum. It takes some practice but that front wheel pulls me right out of skids.

Winter has been crazy mild here too. Another winter like none I can ever remember in my nearly 7 decades of riding and 45 years of MN winters. Yesterday 3" of snow on the ground and snow mixed with ice on the streets but I just slow down and run about 8-10MPH. So far it hasn't been cold enough to even wear a balaclava on short 2-3 mile rides. I've got an old 800 count down Goretex parka and until it gets below freezing, around 30F, I'm fine under the hood that covers my forehead.

Lately, I've not bothered to use my battery heater and have been running with a 7Ah pack I can stuff in my pocket when I park and shop.

I expected to be driving more after being able to give up a medication that caused dizziness. But after 5 years of sporadic winter rider, I've come to really enjoy it. I stick with less traveled streets and away from busy intersections. I get surprised looks often which reinforces the need for me to be even more attentive to traffic when winter riding.

 

[antboy]

I'm on a Magnum Metro with the battery partially integrated into downtube, limited room for top cover without going over both tubes. I've thought about insulating it but the logistics and the look both put me off. I've ridden in 35F here (Colorado), see some range reduction but frankly snow and ice on roads/paths are bigger deterrents for me than temps. I could probably deal with that better if I switched fm balloon to knobby tires for the season, may look into it.

I just use a shorter distance - 40m vs 60m - as ride planning guide in winter and keep a close eye on my battery voltage on my display.

If it were just about distance, I'd do the same, but I've had other lithium batteries killed by cold, so I'm a bit paranoid.

 

[Cowlitz]

One thing not mentioned, is sand. The ice and snow melted on our roads. The roads dried out and the hazard has become sand. It's the sand dumped on slick roads. It gets blown off by the traffic in most places, but then is on the shoulder or edge of the road. It then causes what it was put down to stop. Beware the sand.

 

[Nomad]

I have been running schwalbe marathon winter plus studded tires and I'm very impressed so far. I would recommend that if you live in the snow belt pedal to work regardless of the weather you try these tires.

 

[fooferdoggie]

here is a simple hack. my electric gloves have to be hand washed s oI don't want to wipe my drippy nose on them so a simple sweat band gives a place to wipe it

 

[Nomad]

here is a simple hack. my electric gloves have to be hand washed s oI don't want to wipe my drippy nose on them so a simple sweat band gives a place to wipe it View attachment 43679

while I don't wear electric gloves and this is SNOT something some people want to talk about it's SNOT a bad

 

[Nomad]

Winter is just around corner again and I'll be trying out some Crossmax sl pro thermo by Mavic. I'll be sure to report back after several miles in the white stuff

 

[Alaskan]

here is a simple hack. my electric gloves have to be hand washed s oI don't want to wipe my drippy nose on them so a simple sweat band gives a place to wipe it View attachment 43679

Ask your doctor about Ipatropium. I turn 70 soon and usually do a couple of sprays before each ride. Helps a lot. Lightweight stuff with no side effect that I have experienced.

"Ipratropium nasal spray 0.03% is used to relieve a runny nose caused by year-round allergic and nonallergic rhinitis (runny nose and stuffiness) in adults and children age 6 and older. Ipratropium nasal spray does not relieve nasal congestion, sneezing, or postnasal drip caused by these conditions."

 

[fooferdoggie]

Ask your doctor about Ipatropium. I turn 70 soon and usually do a couple of sprays before each ride. Helps a lot. Lightweight stuff with no side effect that I have experienced.

"Ipratropium nasal spray 0.03% is used to relieve a runny nose caused by year-round allergic and nonallergic rhinitis (runny nose and stuffiness) in adults and children age 6 and older. Ipratropium nasal spray does not relieve nasal congestion, sneezing, or postnasal drip caused by these conditions."

I would forget and since I ride at least 3 to 6 times a day not practical.

 

[Mike TowpathTraveler]

Winter riding thoughts: I worry not so much about a slight loss in battery power due to the cold. No. What worries me more is going on some long distance jaunt, some 25 plus miles away from home and I suffer a flat tire. It's the idea of being all warmed up to the point of sweating, and the very real chance of getting a chill or even hypothermia; numbed fingers and the like, dealing with repairing that flattened tire. I get more then my fair share of flats on my Haibike Full FatSix (even had one this afternoon!). Mercifully and knock on wood, no winter flats yet, in sub freezing temps.

As you can see in my avatar, I lose the helmet in cold weather ops in lieu of a balaclava and a military issue cold weather hat with ear flaps. I've taken to wearing Gore Wear full fingered gloves, Fox Racing Fire Full Length Pants, as well as 3 long sleeved poly pro shirts ontop of a short sleeve poly pro tee shirt. On top of that usually goes a vest. But in the case of the photos below, with a coming winter blizzard to the NJ area I ride in, I took my Bosch heated vest with me and ran it on high power, keeping me quite warm in that falling snow.

I believe I got 1.5-2 hours run time on the heated jacket's high heat setting. And on top of it. it's a very stylish looking jacket that would fit in most anywhere.

For footwear, I took a liking to UnderArmour's GTX Fat Tire Boot, which has a Gore Tex upper connected to a Michelin fat tire tread sole. It does a great job cutting out the wind chill factor on the feet and are effectively water proof up to the ankles.

All told, an expensive "piece of kit" as some may say, but I was always told by my Grandmom that you always attempt to buy the best you can afford. And when one goes miles from Homebase, it's a wise investment to buy the best. It could maybe save your life.....or some finger and toe digits!

Final note: That last shot of the ice is the Delaware River at Trenton, New Jersey and it's public boat ramp. On the other side of that packed ice Delaware River is Pennsylvania. 10 miles north of here was where General Washington crossed the icy Delaware on Christmas Eve, 1776 to ready a surprise attack on the Hessians quartered in Trenton. Gives you an idea of how iced up the Delaware can become. And what an incredible struggle that Christmas Eve night must have been....

 

[Taylor57]

I couldn't imagine riding in extreme conditions like you guys tackle. Call me soft, but when it gets over 100 or under 50 I am comfortable on a bar stool or in my lazy boy...

 

[Sierratim]

I have to admit my winter riding cut off is also about 40°F. Below that my solution is Key West, though I do admit to riding Scottsadle, AZ last winter...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I will just leave it here