- Poured for your tasting pleasure by
Eric
- Vintage 01/28/2009 17:35
Seems like every year there is the same article about how to beat the cold on a bike. Nothing new here, but perhaps a refresher is in order. From Bicycling:
* When riding in snow (or sand) it’s a good idea to let some air out of the tires. This increases the surface area and helps tires to float rather than sink. You can find how much psi to lower to here.
* Be sure to lubricate and clean your chain more often. Here are more details on winterizing your bike.
It takes longer to stop with wet brake pads. Judge your stopping distance and prepare accordingly.
* One of my favorite cycling apparel items is my balaclava. On a 10-degree morning it keeps my face from hurting and my lungs from freezing up. Some people think it looks geeky. I prefer to think of my balaclava as intriguing, or mysterious. I’ve had friends and a coworker ask if that was me riding in to work in the snow. They thought they recognized my bike but they weren’t sure because they couldn’t see my face. (See? Mysterious.)
* A good pair of thermal tights is such a comfort. I had my first experience wearing them this winter. I was amazed at how something as thin as tights could keep me so warm. On blustery days with a wind chill factor of -2 degrees I wear wind pants over the tights and life is good.
* Keep your digits from freezing. My favorite style of gloves are the lobster or split-finger type. They can take a little getting used to, but they keep your hands warmer than full-finger gloves and are better for finger dexterity than mittens. Here’s a head to toe checklist.
Stay warm! link
Just in case you were wondering, “hey, what does an 85cm bike look like?” Here’s one for ya.
Right after you’re done ordering me the 
Happy New Gears everyone! And to all a good night.