Do most of you have winter bikes? Might need to bring my old Explosive back into riding condition if it means I can ride year round.
I turned my old 2002 Hybrid into my winter bike last year, put the studs on it (still need fenders) and away I went. Got a new road bike this year for the good weather.
Anyone use a fat bike as a winter commuter? If so, studded tires or not? Dare I ask, as well, if anyone has gone as far a Fat eBike? (have a colleague who was trying to figure why this guy on a fat bike kept passing him on the same hill on his commute and finally realized the dude had an eBike)
(I might be just trying to rationalize the purchase of one ; )
My rain pants didn't work so well on the way to work today. I think I need to replace them. These ones were made by Axiom, and I'm not sure they still make pants anymore. They lasted at least 7-8 years in Vancouver, so they had a good run.
I searched and found a company called Showers Pass. They have a really well reviewed High Visability pant (https://showerspass.ca/collections/m...nt=47062462788) but I don't really feel like spending $192 on them. Has anyone heard of them and have any reviews?
I ended up ordering the Sugoi Commuter Pant (https://ca-store.sugoi.com/collectio...-commuter-pant). They arrived the next day and included free shipping. I signed up for the newsletter so I received 15% the $145 price.
I've worn them a few times and they are excellent. I really like the material and how lightweight the pants are. There are velcro straps on the waist to tighten them. The snaps on the bottom of the pants are functional. I can tighten them to my desired level, and they don't get caught in the chain. My Axiom pants needed those neon fasteners applied to them, as they would flair out and catch all the time. They are completely waterproof and fairly breathable. I've even worn them a few times when it hasn't rained, just for some protection from the wind. I couldn't do that with the Axiom pants, as I would be a puddle of sweat. I highly recommend these.
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Crap. Just got an email hat we're losing our shower at the end of the year. I'll have to walk to the BOW if I want one now, which will add a bunch of time to my morning. Ugh.
the rest of this post is likely not overly helpful, but since I love talking about bikes and biked related issues, products and services here goes.....from what I gather, most of the winter road warriors here use a skinny tire bike.
I have a fatty; however, I ride on weekends for pleasure. I keep thinking about buying studded tires; however, on a 40k trip to and thru fish creek[ - 20k of the trip in on the pathway which is usually plowed and mostly cement, so I worry that the studs would wear quickly and given teh cost of studded tires (~$175 each), I continue to hold out.....
I don't see myself getting an e-bike until I am 65 or 70.
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Originally Posted by cral12
Anyone use a fat bike as a winter commuter? If so, studded tires or not? Dare I ask, as well, if anyone has gone as far a Fat eBike? (have a colleague who was trying to figure why this guy on a fat bike kept passing him on the same hill on his commute and finally realized the dude had an eBike)
(I might be just trying to rationalize the purchase of one ; )
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the rest of this post is likely not overly helpful, but since I love talking about bikes and biked related issues, products and services here goes.....from what I gather, most of the winter road warriors here use a skinny tire bike.
I have a fatty; however, I ride on weekends for pleasure. I keep thinking about buying studded tires; however, on a 40k trip to and thru fish creek[ - 20k of the trip in on the pathway which is usually plowed and mostly cement, so I worry that the studs would wear quickly and given teh cost of studded tires (~$175 each), I continue to hold out.....
I don't see myself getting an e-bike until I am 65 or 70.
Thanks for thoughts!
re: eBike: only a slight consideration on my part. I have a bit of a lengthy commute and would really only consider this option if biking became my primary commuting method. Like you, always thought eBike would come much, much later in life.
Is Zwift the go to app for most people on the trainer? I've been trying it out and I'm not sure if I like it enough to pay for it.
The free Kinetic Fit app is a bit plain, and so far I haven't really liked the programmed workouts.
Any thoughts on the best way to go?
Depends on what you are looking for. I've used both Zwift and Trainerroad and sufferfest. Trainerroad is good for detailed workouts. Get your FTP and then the trainer bases it's resistance on that. (smart trainer). What I liked with Zwift, was that you could just hop on for 30 mins and ride however hard you want. There some incentives like KOM and sprint sections that you can challenge yourself with. Zwift just upped their pricing significantly though, which I feel will lose them customers. The latest one, that looks really interesting is FulGaz. I'm going to try that out. They have a free 14 day trial.
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Is Zwift the go to app for most people on the trainer? I've been trying it out and I'm not sure if I like it enough to pay for it.
The free Kinetic Fit app is a bit plain, and so far I haven't really liked the programmed workouts.
Any thoughts on the best way to go?
I'm all in on Zwift. I enjoy the workouts, the events they host and just hoping in for a ride. I also like the social aspects of it. Being able to ride with friends who have it is a good motivator.
The price increase is annoying. $10 to $15/month is a decent increase. I still enjoy it enough that I won't get rid of it.
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Depends on what you are looking for. I've used both Zwift and Trainerroad and sufferfest. Trainerroad is good for detailed workouts. Get your FTP and then the trainer bases it's resistance on that. (smart trainer). What I liked with Zwift, was that you could just hop on for 30 mins and ride however hard you want. There some incentives like KOM and sprint sections that you can challenge yourself with. Zwift just upped their pricing significantly though, which I feel will lose them customers. The latest one, that looks really interesting is FulGaz. I'm going to try that out. They have a free 14 day trial.
I just did the FTP test on TrainerRoad, and so far it's my favorite app. I think I'll stick with it for a bit and see how it goes.
What numbers do you guys hit for FTP and average cadence? Id be interested to know how far behind I am compared to the seasoned vets on here.
My FTP was around 150, but I think I could up that a bit next time. I was a little too conservative throughout the test
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Question: are cyclists allowed on Memorial Drive? I encountered a cyclist right overtop Deerfoot on Memorial this afternoon and have never seen a cyclist on Memorial before. He was struggling with all the slush on the edges of the lane. Didn't seem like the greatest place to cycle, but perhaps it's more common than I thought?
Cyclists are allowed on Memorial. I'm pretty sure Deerfoot is actually the only road in Calgary they're legally not allowed on. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
That being said, I would never ride on Memorial. The shoulders are nonexistent and there are too many vehicles, going too fast.
Has anyone tried Albedo100 reflective spray? While researching for bike gear online, I came across this and figured this would be great for my commutes as it's getting darker as I leave work. I think I recall someone mentioning Volvo Lifepaint before and this might be similar.
It's not cheap, it's about $23-$25 at Lowes and Canadian Tire for 130g, and it comes in 2 versions: permanent for metal, and temporary for textiles. I got the temporary version, so that means I would need to reapply it every once in a while as it washes off.
The end result (large photo):
NSFW!
I probably shouldn't have done this in the kitchen as it does make a mess as you can see here:
NSFW!
But when it dries, it leaves a chalky residue so you can apply the excess back onto your bike gear.
Will see if this spray is worth it for the next few commutes. I might just stick to the traditional reflective vest / bands as that works just as good.