Cold

[dodgyal]

After I fell off again this morning I'm tempted to invest, is the tyre any better on heavy frosts or just for full on ice sheets?

I find it works best on frost and thin ice. really needs to crack the surface to find grip, sounds like you're on gravel which is reassuring

 

[Mussels]

I find it works best on frost and thin ice. really needs to crack the surface to find grip, sounds like you're on gravel which is reassuring

No gravel this morning as that route involves long stretches of unused paving slabs, I kept to well used roads as much as possible. My problems are on normal poor tarmac surfaces that have a very thin layer of frost making it difficult to stand up. Looking at the tyre it seems the spikes won't be in constant contact on a hard surface so I could lose grip suddenly, is this right or does it keep a good grip even on thin frost?

 

[Fecn]

When you lower the pressure the centre of the tyre will deflect inwards enough to pull the spikes from the side to the centre... This causes the spikes to pinch inwards and get some grip

Maybe ASCII artwork can explain it better than words...

(____) 
 v  v

 

[Mussels]

I understand the theory and how it would work very well on ice, but does it also work on thin frost as well where there is nothing much to grip or dig into?
I'll be riding on roads where there are patches of ice rather than constant ice and I'm also concerned I'll wear the studs down in one trip if I don't keep pumping up the tyre between ice patches. I don't really want to have to pump the tyre up at all until I reach my destination which is 20 miles away, I like the idea of the ice tyre but there's limited info so I'm trying to work out if I'm wasting my money by ordering one.

 

[moon]

But I still keep going in all weathers.
Thats what I promised myself I would do, when I spent so much money on a bike that this.

Went to work tonight.
It was sooooo cold.
Gotta ride home again in the morning.

Bob.

Thats quite admirable but I'm not sure I'd continue if there was ice on the roads etc.

 

[Mussels]

Thats quite admirable but I'm not sure I'd continue if there was ice on the roads etc.

It's a pain, in my thumb to be precise after my tumble today.
The cold was fine but the lack of grip is worrying me, breakages on the bike can cost a lot more than a train ticket. I was set on riding in all weathers but I don't fancy sliding under someone elses wheels so this weather may have me beat.

 

[WALKERMAN]

Hi Walkerman

Have you tried using heated gloves? They will keep you nice and toasty and run off rechargeable AA batteries. Run approx 3hrs continous on a good high capacity battery. Currently waterproof ones will only set you back about £17
Warmawear Deluxe Heated Glove £16.95

Cheers, Phil

I ordered these Sunday evening and received them Tuesday morning.
Tried them out this morning in freezing conditions and my fingers were fine.
The gloves don't get very warm just enough to keep fingers normal.

I will use the heating in severe weather only, to save battery life.

I ordered medium size but with the battery holder in the zipped pocket it is a bit of a squeeze getting my hand in the glove. They will probably give a bit in time. Next size would have probably been an easier fit.

My best buy recently was a black gortex-type ballaclava which I wear under my helmet. It keeps my cheeks warm and as a result my eyes don't water in cold weather.

 

[Nick]

Interesting, Walkerman, thanks. I suspect that as my hands get so cold in relatively mild temperatures, I think I might need something that actually feels warm or hot, rather than 'normal', although anything would be better than nothing of course. The next time I'm town I'll get some of those gel packs and see if they help - really should have done this ages ago.

As for hats, I wear them but they don't seem to help my hands - I can be hot but still have white fingers, as it is so localised.

 

[Caph]

I also just got an Ice tyre on the front (metal spikes, £20) as the humber bridge does get covered in ice in winter.

How do you find going round corners in wet road conditions? The first thought that crossed my mind was that the metal studs would be in contact with the road and metal on wet tarmac sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Otherwise I would be quite interested in getting a pair.

 

[dodgyal]

How do you find going round corners in wet road conditions? The first thought that crossed my mind was that the metal studs would be in contact with the road and metal on wet tarmac sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Otherwise I would be quite interested in getting a pair.

The spikes are not massive, the protrude about 2-3mm out of the tread pattern, the rubber is still in contact with the road surface all the time, Ice and frost and corners handle really well. the Humber bridge was a solid sheet of ice on Tuesday with two hairpins at each end, this tire did well, plus the normal riding on tarmac including normal cornering is fine. I'm impressed with it like I say is sounds like im on gravel regardless of the surface.

 

[Mussels]

The spikes are not massive, the protrude about 2-3mm out of the tread pattern, the rubber is still in contact with the road surface all the time, Ice and frost and corners handle really well. the Humber bridge was a solid sheet of ice on Tuesday with two hairpins at each end, this tire did well, plus the normal riding on tarmac including normal cornering is fine. I'm impressed with it like I say is sounds like im on gravel regardless of the surface.

I'm getting pretty convinced, I think I shall have a pair soon.
Schwalbe do full studded Marathon tyres as well that are meant to offer a better grip but I think I'll go for these as they run better and are half the cost.

 

[tenderbehind]

Oh my GOD! How hard are you! (Quote essexman)

I'm not hard, but I may be a little on the stoical side, I quite like the challenge of some of the hadships in life, getting through them and coming out hopefully successfully on the other side.
Anyway, I can't really say I've often felt that my head is cold, despite not much hair, I do quite a lot of small boating in the summer months and now wear a cap because my head can get a bit hot.........

 

[bogmonster]

Oh my GOD! How hard are you! (Quote essexman)

I'm not hard, but I may be a little on the stoical side, I quite like the challenge of some of the hadships in life, getting through them and coming out hopefully successfully on the other side.
Anyway, I can't really say I've often felt that my head is cold, despite not much hair, I do quite a lot of small boating in the summer months and now wear a cap because my head can get a bit hot.........

Well, that was my point exactly. Never had a problem with a cold head, just cold hands. Now I know I am a soft southener but when it gets cold I go for my hat. Reason being that hardships are one thing, seriously cold hands can be just plain dangerous.

BM.

 

[flecc]

My cyclist brother and I both suffer from moderate Raynauds disease, hands and feet suffering very badly in cold weather as the circulation in the extremities falls. No amount or quality of clothing defends against it adequately and it time limits many of my winter trips.

One eccentric thing I do which enables me to extend the winter trips to a degree is to preheat shoes, socks and gloves in the oven immediately before the trip, this delaying the point of cold taking over.

Someone mentioned handlebar muffs on motorbikes earlier in the thread, and they are a great help for the hands, especially when combined with gloves, but unfortunately there isn't any equivalent I know of for pedals on bikes, and a tea cosy on each pedal is probably not an image I could live with.
.

 

[seeker]

Twin?

Im still doing my 12 miles a day to work and home at 8pm and 7am (the coldest times).
I now wear 4 layers of clothes.
Bought a helmet liner, winter gloves, motorcycle neck and face snood, pulled up across my face and long john's.
I look like a ninja !!!
Im covered in frost at the end of my ride.

But I still keep going in all weathers.
Thats what I promised myself I would do, when I spent so much money on a bike that this.

Went to work tonight.
It was sooooo cold.
Gotta ride home again in the morning.

Bob.

Hi Burncycle,
How weird!?! I do the same as you, from the clothing right down to the 12miles to and from work! However, I'm finding the cold is going right through the Aldi winter gloves, which is no fun at all.

Has anybody tried out those heated gloves? I bought a pair from Netto once that didn't work at all.

Seeker

 

[Mussels]

Someone mentioned handlebar muffs on motorbikes earlier in the thread, and they are a great help for the hands, especially when combined with gloves, but unfortunately there isn't any equivalent I know of for pedals on bikes, and a tea cosy on each pedal is probably not an image I could live with.
.

Do you have overshoes? I find they are fantastic at keeping my toes warm, better than thick socks manage.

My ice tyres are on the way. Well on their way whenever Wiggle decide to get their finger out and post them because I didn't pay for 'priority dispatch'

RE the Aldi winter gloves - I didn't think Aldi sold the winter ones, I got mine a couple of weeks later in Lidl who were doing much more cold weather cycling kit.

 

[flecc]

Do you have overshoes? I find they are fantastic at keeping my toes warm, better than thick socks manage.

I haven't tried overshoes, though it's either hands or feet that go first, so I need a twin solution. The only real answer to Raynauds is something putting the heat in though, like electrically heated clothing. The trouble is that ones I've tried previously fail to warm where it's needed with this ailment, the finger and thumb tips and toe tips. It's when the heat is lost there that circulation failure spreads from those areas, ending any chance of activity.
.

 

[musicbooks]

I haven't tried overshoes, though it's either hands or feet that go first, so I need a twin solution. The only real answer to Raynauds is something putting the heat in though, like electrically heated clothing. The trouble is that ones I've tried previously fail to warm where it's needed with this ailment, the finger and thumb tips and toe tips. It's when the heat is lost there that circulation failure spreads from those areas, ending any chance of activity.
.

Hi Flecc,
Have you tried a pre-heated warm hat..? My Father in Law swears by it as a cure for white finger..His doc said that it is the sudden change in Brain temp that brings it on. ( he can get white finger either way.. from warm to cold or cold to warm)

bw
musicbooks

 

[flecc]

Hi Flecc,
Have you tried a pre-heated warm hat..? My Father in Law swears by it as a cure for white finger..His doc said that it is the sudden change in Brain temp that brings it on. ( he can get white finger either way.. from warm to cold or cold to warm)

bw
musicbooks

Yes, but no difference. The same goes for the theory of keeping the trunk warm. With Raynauds the circulation failure is rooted where it occurs, extremities like finger and toe tips, and keeping only one warm does nothing for the others. Ultimately nothing keeps the cold out permanently if there's little heat generation inside to oppose it, so all cold weather activity is time limited to one extent or another. This is why I originally left the motor trade many years ago, the impossibility of working under many cold weather conditions.
.

 

[Mussels]

My ice tyres are on the way. Well on their way whenever Wiggle decide to get their finger out and post them because I didn't pay for 'priority dispatch'

Wiggle went from having them in stock to making me wait for a backorder until they got them in, after taking my money of course. That's what I get for not paying for priority dispatch. I can't cancel it but I can create a returns note, odd for something that's not yet shipped. Second time I've tried ordering from them and it's right mess.
Reordered now through Dodgyal's link so will get them next week and I can send back Wiggle's if they turn up.