http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attach...tid=6866&stc=1
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$5-6 in various nuts, washers, bolts, PVC to make this little DIY light mount to get my main headlight off my handlebars and lower down onto my front rack to better illuminate the road. It's still a bit of a work in progress, but tonight will be its maiden check ride. :)
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This wasn't technically my purchase; it was a going away present from work. While I was quite certain the GoPro camera would be more Linux-friendly, can't look a gift horse in the mouth. This looks lime an awesome setup!
That looks like it will be an awesome setup indeed. Can't wait to hear how it works for you!
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Jeebus...going away gifts at my office generally consist of a hastily signed card and an awkward "party" with donuts and old orange juice. AKA "The luxurious life of fat-cat bureaucrats" if you're of a certain political bent.Quote:
Originally Posted by hozn
Yeah, my company is/was pretty awesome! (But after 12 years it became time to do something a little different.) I will miss the cycling team and race fee reimbursement too :)
Ordered a pair of these:
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Nokian W240. In your face, winter!
Pretty sure those are the ones I had on my 700c wheeled LHT back in the day. They should serve you well! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by dkel
Since it's going to be in the 20s from now until probably March here I broke down and got a Lazer winter helmet and some studded tires yesterday.
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Now I just need to order my Wolvhammers and I'm set.
The same pair of which I'm pretty sure went on my Fargo last winter. They took me uphill on ice on the Custis once, even.Quote:
Originally Posted by cyclingfool
Indeed. Glad they served you well! :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Phatboing
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Originally Posted by dkel
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Originally Posted by cyclingfool
Do you guys all live in the same house?Quote:
Originally Posted by Phatboing
No, we bike so we don't have to. Duh.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve O
I have a W240 as well, mounted to a dedicated front 26" wheel. Works on my beater MTB and also clears my CX bike fork. It definitely got decent use last winter.
http://photos-e.ak.instagram.com/hph...67117312_n.jpg
Nice. Mine are 700c to go on my existing rims. They're a tiny bit smaller than my CX tires, so they'll even fit under my fenders! (I love my Straggler sooo much!)Quote:
Originally Posted by vvill
My last look at the NWS forecast says there may be a tiny bit of snow early Friday morning; I hope my tires arrive in time for me to use them if it snows (even a little bit!).
I had a horrible time mounting them (I also have 160 stud Nokian on a rear 26" wheel) so I don't ever plan to remove them. Although I am tempted to get a 700c rear studded tire for my CX bike as the MTB is overkill sometimes. Studs aren't particularly useful in snow but yeah it if ends up icy they'll be handy!Quote:
Originally Posted by dkel
Were they tight going on? I don't really want to get additional rims for them...Quote:
Originally Posted by vvill
I know the studs don't help with snow, but the knobs can. I don't think there is any chance of there being enough snow this week to justify putting them on, but how can I possibly resist? Besides, I think fat, knobby tires make my bike look badass, particularly in a mashup with my classy VO fenders.Quote:
Originally Posted by vvill
I'm running the studs in starting tomorrow! I can't help myself! Soooo excited!Attachment 6997
You might change that tune when you find out how slooooooow studs are. ;) But congrats, they'll be awesome when it gets icy!Quote:
Originally Posted by dkel
Absolutely. And sound badass -- you can practically take your bell off, as pedestrians on the MUPs will all do WTF head turns as you approach.Quote:
Originally Posted by dkel
I won't be surprised, likely. I can already tell they weigh a ton. Still...sooo excited!Quote:
Originally Posted by jabberwocky
Anyone have a tire pressure they're particularly fond of for these?
Oh, it's not the weight that makes them suck, but suck they do. When you aren't riding on ice and in snow, they are painfully slow. I can't tolerate them unless there is significant ice on the ground. Also they really aren't a good choice for gripping dry or wet pavement.
Yeah, the weight doesn't make them slow, but it will make me slow! My bike weighs a ton already, and this won't help. I haven't experienced the rolling resistance yet...and the poor cornering will doubtless have me creeping along. Now's the time to break them in, though, and I really didn't have any trouble mounting them, so switching back to road tires won't be much of a chore.Quote:
Originally Posted by hozn
Sounds fun. I did a decently long (15mi) dry ride to "break them in" too. I remember getting a few weird looks on that ride.Quote:
Originally Posted by dkel
(And yeah I had trouble mounting mine (on MTB rims), but I also wasn't super experienced changing tires back then. Maybe I could've gotten the bead around better.)
the lowest pressure you'll probably want to run is 35-40 PSI, and I'd leave that for when there's actually snow/ice on the ground. if it's dry, keep them up around 60-70 PSI. I'll also be one to reiterate that you're going to HATE those tires if the trails are clear and dry after about a month of daily commuting on them.Quote:
Originally Posted by dkel
mark my words, a second set of wheels will be on your mind constantly when it's 27 degrees out (and no precip) and all you want to do is get home because it's dark and cold and those stupid studded tires are SO SLOOOOOOW!
I leave the studs on my touring bike for the winter and ride the road bike when things are clear. I don't have comparable numbers on the current commute, but for my old 11 mile commute to Tysons down the W&OD, the studs added roughly 7-8 minutes. They are sloooooow. There was certainly a point on my old commute where I'd switch back to road tires before the trail was fully clear of ice, just because it was faster to ride normal speed for the vast majority of the trail that was clear and walk the last few icy patches.
They are great on ice though! They are one of those things that you don't need often, but there are days that its almost impossible to ride to work without them.
Maybe you can call it training, like I call riding a singlespeed mtb with sticky, knobby, low-pressure 2.4-inch tires on dry pavement training. Come spring you'll have legs that could stomp the Earth out of its orbit. Everyone wins.
Now that I've resolved the issues associated with ridiculously tight fit of my tires on my wheels, I'm back to where I was with a previous bike, i.e., I think of swapping out regular tires for studded tires on my one wheelset practice for fixing flats. Thanks to good tires, I don't have to do that often (knock on wood). It only takes me 5 or 10 minutes to swap out the tires, which still makes biking the fastest commuting option available to me. That's not to say that I don't want to build up a spare wheelset so that I could just swap out wheels in even less time, but changing the tires really isn't that much of a hassle.
I rode the studs up and down my street a minute ago (late shift at work today), and in slow maneuvering they seem pretty squirmy. It's really weird riding on those studs, man. As far as mounting them, it wasn't much trouble, except I had a massive blow out because I didn't seat the bead right the first time. Live and learn: if you see the tube slowly expanding out from under the tire, don't try to pull the pump off and let out the air, cover your ears instead.
I debated not putting studs on but it's going to be in the 20s, snowy, and windy for the next two weeks here in South Canada™ so it's studs or no riding. Hopefully I can do 15 miles with them on tonight without struggling to keep a 10mph pace. I need to cruise over to St Paul today and pick up a pair of these so my feet don't freeze:Quote:
Originally Posted by hozn
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Also, if you're in the market for ski/snow goggles I picked up a pair of these at Costco yesterday:
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They won't fit over glasses (get the Oakley Ls for that) but for $30 with an extra lens they're a good deal and seem like they've got enough venting to keep from fogging up during long rides.
Heh, yeah, I think in MN I would actually buy a snowbike/fatbike -- and probably studded tires too! Good luck out there!
Brings back memories of winter camping in the BWCAW as a kid. Northern lights were awesome. Howling wolves a bit scary. Ice fishing boring. Being on bike instead of snowshoes / skis would have been really cool.
Thanks, I should hit 1,000 miles this year here which isn't that bad considering I only rode for about five months. Fortunately I think I've found a way to get a fat bike to work with my heft so if I can get the right price I'm going to get one of these for an early 40th birthday/multiple Chankamas presents:Quote:
Originally Posted by hozn
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Those gumwalls are hot.Quote:
Originally Posted by NicDiesel
I have some studs, but I only put them on when the snow and ice are out. From what I've read, keeping them on all the time can cause some of the studs to pop out and/or wear down quickly. That said, on icy roads, there is nothing like them.
So my wife twisted my arm and made me go buy a pair of Wolvhammers last night. Chanukamas came early for your ol' buddy.
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While these are perfect for December to March riding here in South Canada they're way overkill for riding there. Having said that, if you want a good pair of winter shoes check out the Fasterkatts (they work with SPD or three bolt road cleats). Similar design but super light and watertight, perfect for temps between 25 and 45. My only complaint about the 45NRTH shoes are that they tend to run small and they don't offer a 14 in the Wolvhammers so I had to go with 15s and, either as a cost cutting measure or a design issue, the zippers on the Wolvhammers are not super sturdy or easy to close. Hopefully once I put some wax on them they'll close easier but it's a struggle to zip them up and if you bust the zipper you're out of luck.
Sweet. If my wife ever insisted I spend that much on a piece of cycling apparel, I'd wonder what she was planning to get for herself.Quote:
Originally Posted by NicDiesel
My wife and I had an agreement - if we left DC and bought a house I could buy whatever cycling gear I wanted. We bought a house this summer so I have the ok to buy whatever I want now, though I'm still 50lbs away from being fat bike. Besides, $300 is a small price to pay to keep the weight loss train moving. Certainly beats the $200/month I used to spend on medication or the $10K I'd have to spend if I did weight loss surgery.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crickey7
I find it very easy to justify spending hundreds of dollars on warm feet -- or pretty much warm/dry anything in winter. I can't justify spending hundreds of dollars on bib shorts, though, when the $60 Performance bibs or ~$75 Primal bibs (team kit) are comfortable for 12-hour rides!
As of today, my wearing-SPD-sandals-into-cold-weather experiment has taken a downturn. I rode from Falls Church out to Best Buns in Shirlington, and my toes were cold by the time I got there, and were cold all the way back. I had wool socks on, too! My only other idea is to get some waterproof socks to squeeze in there as a water and (I hope) wind layer. Ultimately, it's looking like I may have "to justify spending hundreds of dollars on warm feet."Quote:
Originally Posted by hozn
Noooo! It wasn't even freezing! What size shoes do you wear? If 48 in Specialized/Northwave, you can borrow some boots for evaluation. I got my first pair on GearTrade.com for $80. Some people don't like the idea of buying used shoes, though :)