Stuff needed for Winter commuting with Fat bike

[Adrian]

Is there a worthwhile difference between the 27 tpi and 120 tpi Dillinger 4's? Quite a price spread

The 120tpi are a little lighter and more flexible. I'm not sure you'd really feel a lot of difference in ride on an ebike.

Going by memory (I could be wrong here so check) the cheaper tires not only have a lower tpi but also have the old type of studs not the new concave carbide studs which make a lot of difference by all accounts. I have the 120tpi and the studs are amazing. Take that for what it's worth though as I haven't tried the old type studs to compare.

Okay, just checked and the 120tpi D4s have concave aluminum carbide studs vs the 27tpi which have the old steel carbide studs. The aluminum carbide are lighter and bite better into ice.

 

[PJungnitsch]

Thanks all for the help!

First step for winter:

Not the fancy 120 tpi version, but a 33 tpi. At half the price I could not pass it up

 

[pxpaulx]

@PJungnitsch Where did you pick those up at that price?

 

[PJungnitsch]

Local shop, velocity cycle in Edmonton. They had these oddball 33dpi versions for $175Cdn and a buy one, get one half off sale, so they ended up at 132 each plus tax, or about $100 US

 

[pxpaulx]

Hmm I should pop into the 45nrth headquarters to see if they have any more laying around!

 

[Adrian]

They are the non folding, wire bead type and the studs are the old steel design so, a heavier tire, not so flexible, not so easy to put on or off and the studs are not as effective. There are reasons it's half the price but having said that, perhaps they are good enough to do the job.

 

[Tara D.]

You might look into a neoprene cover for the battery you can read a little about them here if you haven't already.

 

[Adrian]

Gloves:

Last winter I was using a pair of Swix "lobster claw" ski mittens on my winter commute. They were okay, not extremely warm but warm enough for my relatively short commute, and flexible enough not to hinder gear changing.

I've been wearing them in the cold/wet Autumn this year (-2C to +5) and they aren't waterproof (or at least they aren't any more) and I can feel the wind through them these days so I decided to look around for some new ones.

Seems like there is a lot of choice of gloves but not a lot of good choice out there for bike specific winter gloves that can really deal with sub zero temperatures.

I finally came across the 45 North gloves (I should have know as I have their winter tires and they are just awesome). http://45nrth.com/products/gloves
I decided on the Sturmfist 4 which are a halfway house between glove and lobster mitten and are rated to -18C.

Strangely, the price I found them for in Norway was lower than what I could find elsewhere and I got free shipping - $120 is a pretty good price considering what you get for your money; a heavy duty, waterproof glove, with goat leather palm and merino wool lining plus removable merino wool liners. The removable liners have a silicon strip pattern on the palm so they can be used separately on less cold, dry days.

First impressions - just one ride this morning - warm without the liners. It was only +5C this morning so not very cold. Wind proof without a doubt. The feel bulky compared to my old winter gloves and a little stiff but I hope they will become more supple over the next few weeks. Size seems to be spot on for the outer glove (I usually use a large glove, large here is a size 9) and is a comfortable fit. With the liner, they feel a little tight but not unwearable. I hope they will loosen up a little after a few more days. If certainly recommend going up to the XL if you're borderline though.

All in all, so far, I'm pleased with them and they look like they will keep me toasty in most of the weather Norway can throw at me and I'll not be on a bike for anything they can't.

 

[PJungnitsch]

Good to know! I tried using my ski gloves, but didn't like the clumsy feeling. As recommended previously I've been trying out a pair of these:

14.00 when I bought them from Amazon.ca. Have been working well at around zero C with a light glove. Tried throwing some hand warmers in the bottom, and they stayed and kept things even warmer, looks like they might be a good addition when things get colder.

 

[PowerMe]

Saw someone's bike @ work outfitted this past week with BarMitts, which I had heard about last year. It's gotten very chilly here in the south, with morning temps in the upper 30's and 40's, then warming up quite a bit in the afternoons. This seems to be a very good strategy and then some lightweight gloves can be worn underneath.

 

[Kaldeem]

Do you guys have public wishlists on amazon? I've added some of ur recommendations to my ebike wishlist. LOL thanks for the tips.

 

[PJungnitsch]

Yeah, there was some good tips here. I also bought a pair of the mentioned Columbia Bugaboot II (on sale, as they are last years model now) and they do seem warm as hell, plus light and all around useful. Already had them fitted into snowshoes, looks like they'll work well there too.

 

[J.R.]

I used bar-mitts in the 1980's for motorcycle commuting in the winter, they can be very useful. I've not been as successful with them of late because of my typical riding style. My posture when I ride my bicycles is a forward bent, not upright and being older with some back issues I tend to squirm a little, riding one handed to straighten up at times. If you think you may want to use bar-mitts, take note of your riding style and will you have your hands in them for the time to ride your commute. Bar-mitts are amazing, when your hands are in them, I'm just not able to take advantage of them.

If you have any issues like me, I've found motorcycle gloves to be very useful. You have dexterity with them and they are made for more severe conditions than ebiking. Unfortunately they are more expensive.

 

[PJungnitsch]

Anyone with experience with heated gloves?

 

[Tara D.]

I don't have personal experience with any heated gloves besides the little hand warming pouch you can put inside your gloves which I don't like. Here is someone else's review of a few different gloves. http://workwearguy.hubpages.com/hub/4-of-the-Best-Heated-Work-Gloves-Battery-Warmed-Glove-Reviews

 

[Adrian]

It's been icy the past few mornings here so I changed back to my studded Dillinger 4.0 tyres (the 120TPI ones with concave studs) last night. Wow, I forgot how great these things grip the road.

Yesterday morning, I spent half my commute worried I'd end on my butt and had my feet sliding on the road in the corners. Today, the ice was worse but it was like riding on dry asphalt. I only noticed how slippery it was when I stopped and got off the bike. Really, these tyres go beyond highly recommended.

 

[Nirmala]

There are times like reading these posts when I thank my lucky stars that I live in Arizona

Actually, it is Northern Arizona so we do get some cold and snow, but winter here is more like a part time hobby and not a full time job. Anytime of the year, we can have a week of sunny warm days in the 70's. Still, I do find a balaclava or neck gaiter to be key to keeping warm. There is something about keeping the neck (and head) warm that makes a bigger difference than anything else I do.

 

[Kaldeem]

It's been icy the past few mornings here so I changed back to my studded Dillinger 4.0 tyres (the 120TPI ones with concave studs) last night. Wow, I forgot how great these things grip the road.

Yesterday morning, I spent half my commute worried I'd end on my butt and had my feet sliding on the road in the corners. Today, the ice was worse but it was like riding on dry asphalt. I only noticed how slippery it was when I stopped and got off the bike. Really, these tyres go beyond highly recommended.

Thanks for the info, I will definitely be looking into studded tires soon

 

[Kaldeem]

It's been icy the past few mornings here so I changed back to my studded Dillinger 4.0 tyres (the 120TPI ones with concave studs) last night. Wow, I forgot how great these things grip the road.

Yesterday morning, I spent half my commute worried I'd end on my butt and had my feet sliding on the road in the corners. Today, the ice was worse but it was like riding on dry asphalt. I only noticed how slippery it was when I stopped and got off the bike. Really, these tyres go beyond highly recommended.

Are you running tubeless? or anyone riding a fatty running tubeless for commuting?

 

[George S.]

Still, I do find a balaclava or neck gaiter to be key to keeping warm.

You're right about that. If you feel the balaclava makes you look like a terrorist, you could try one of these. Maybe you just end up looking like a Panda terrorist. Not sure.