Lets see your winter bike.

[syclesavage]

Ok thanks I will hit up wild cat as a matter a fact he was the one who told me bout seeing if rms37 would be my better info guy to ask.

 

[us56456712]

Ok thanks I will hit up wild cat as a matter a fact he was the one who told me bout seeing if rms37 would be my better info guy to ask.

Perhaps I am wrong, I thought it was wildcat?

 

[syclesavage]

Oh it is he gave Mae a little info but rms37 is the guy who knows a lot bout CWC bikes

 

[us56456712]

It has been melting like mad. I have been able to use my 1990s junky Huffy rigid mountain bike with out studs. There are places where it is glare ice on the bike path, but it is 95% clear and dry. One place had a 4 inch deep puddle with skim ice on top that I had fun busting through. I rode along Lake Superior where a fall storm breached the sea wall and washed rocks up on the road. The road is still closed but I rode on it for the entire closed part, about a mile. Only about 100 yards in one spot were not melted off and dry and this part was slick ice from waves that are starting to wash on this part of the road. The Lake is ice free along the shoreline and you can just see the ice pack on the horizon. When the wind changes direction it will be locked up with ice again. If we get some sun this last 100 yards will melt in a few days.

 

[us56456712]

I thought the snow was finally getting around to leaving. We had snow today. Biking today will be at the gym on the stationary. 40F yesterday and sunny so we had a nice ride along the Lake Superior shoreline, but not today, nor likely for 7 more days according to the weather report. The bike path was just finally all melted off to, nuts.



Last April 15 when we were counting Sharp-Tailed Grouse for the Seney National Wildlife Refuge at daybreak in -20F. I remember us falling through the snow into the swamp and crawling over the top of the snow to get to the counting blind. Our pants were frozen and it was very cold. I had a candle to keep warm. We were going to ride bikes the two miles to the blind but ended out walking as there was too much snow falling. I guess we are ahead of last year as far as snow melt is concerned.

The day before the snow storm on our grouse counting expidition.

They next day.

 

[Pookie42]

I've been using my JC Higgins to get around this winter. There's a lot of slush in the streets and the fenders come in handy. I bring it in to the warehouse & set it under a big industrial heater to melt the snow that gets packed in there. Don't really use any other gear but second because I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere in the snow...



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[us56456712]

I can't believe it's still snowing, (since yesterday) hard enough for poor visibility. A cold front is moving in later today and will bring single digit temperatures with it. We haven't had that in about 10 days, yeah. Good excuse to put off straightening out the mess I made this winter in my workshop. I typically run out, do 10 minutes of bike work, run in to warm my hands and leave the mess because it's too cold to clean it up. I can either clean up or work on a project, bike project wins every time. I hate shoveling snow this time of year, usually I just drive over it with the 4 wheel drive truck but our new VW has about 1 angstrom of ground clearance so scraping down to pavement is in order if we want to take sit out of the garage. We did stationary bike rides today at the gym. On our last street ride my wife kept up with me on her multi speed city bike with me on my single speed. She has made good progress getting her bike legs back.

 

[XC204]

My New Winter Bike 3 spd Nexus coaster. Handsome Bikes Shop Bike built up from frame http://handsomecycles.com/. I broke my other MTB frame it had around or ove 50000mi
So I guess I got my moneys worth. Saved seat-post, seat and bar/stem. 26 in bikes in our area are either way high end or low end. 29ers are taking over. Almost got the Electra Moto
but then would have had to buy new studded tire set.

 

[us56456712]

My New Winter Bike 3 spd Nexus coaster. Handsome Bikes Shop Bike built up from frame http://handsomecycles.com/. I broke my other MTB frame it had around or ove 50000mi
So I guess I got my moneys worth. Saved seat-post, seat and bar/stem. 26 in bikes in our area are either way high end or low end. 29ers are taking over. Almost got the Electra Moto
but then would have had to buy new studded tire set.

Wow, you could single track in a pinch with that as well.

 

[us56456712]

12 F, windy and cold on the face here now and single digits tonight again. It stopped snowing at about 10:30 AM. Watch out in the E as this is where this weather usually goes. I just went for a 3 mile walk on the road as the sidewalks and bike path have too much fresh snow for riding or walking. Tomorrow is going to be in the high 30s so perhaps it will be OK then for a ride; I hope.

 

[us56456712]

We are still having single digits F temperatures at night with 2 - 4 feet of snow in the woods. The long range forecast is for colder than average temperatures for the "foreseeable future". The good news is that the city bike path is clear in Marquette but Sault Ste. Marie is a different story. I went to the Sault for a week and brought a bike. Ha, there was 8 to 12 inches of slush and puddles on the road that were frozen solid for most most of the week. Too rough to even walk down to the mailbox, let alone ride on. Two Coast Guard ice breakers were going continuously back and forth in Lake Superior from Whitefish point and through the Ste. Mary's River. I forgot my camera when I went to the Point but it was truly amazing, ice to the horizon with the ice breakers escorting ships and 8 foot snow drifts. People are still snowmobiling and ice fishing on Lake Superior and the Ste. Mary's River. Yesterday there was a massive boat jam in the Ste. Mary's River at Neebish Island, including the 1000 foot Stewart J. Cort. I did have my camera and took a picture of the Ice Breaker Mackinaw while in port at the Sault Locks for fueling before it went to try and clear out the boat jam. The other smaller breaker was in port to, but I forgot to snap a shot.


The Cort is too long to make turns in the Ste Mary's River so it has bow thrusters (engine in the front with port and starboard props to make it turn). There were 20 mile/hour winds and the boat is like a sail and with the ice it gets blown on shoals and stuck when trying to shove the ice pack sideways in a turn with the bow thrusters.

This is nothing, mere slush, compared to the solid ice we are having now.

The Cort during the annual Memorial Day 5 mile Mackinac Bridge Walk. The cable suspended part is only the 16th longest in the world but the approach bridges make it 5 miles across. I walked this once but the rain, wind and bouncing of the bridge dissuaded me from another attempt.

 

[us56456712]

Forecast, snow tomorrow, then snow/rain mix Thursday, then snow Friday, then upper 50s for the weekend, yeah - finally. I rode 6 miles on one of my 3 speeds yesterday. Still a lot of salt but I rode anyway. First ride of the year on a non winter bike. It's still winter here and the snow bike trails have been rock hard. Another 6 weeks and the salt should be washed away and the city street sweepers will have removed the sand/flint/broken car glass tire poppers from the roads. Yesterday I rode at the gym for 50 minutes and then rode 6 miles on the street bike. with the indoor cycling this winter I have been able to keep my winter fat gain down to 4 pounds, thats a first. Hill climbing is all about

 

[us56456712]

Wah, snibble. One foot of snow, 40 miles winds and schools are closed across the whole U.P. of Michigan. This time of year it is hard riding unless you have two winter bikes, one with studs and one without. Too much wet heavy snow to ride today. My bikes here are protected by my trailer and from my 3 foot eve overhang but the fresh snow is over my boot tops. This picture shows how it is snowing sideways. We were planning to take three dogs with us snowshoeing this morning but the news said it is dangerous in the woods because the wet heavy snow and winds will make trees and limbs fall so cancel that idea.

 

[mornview]

I can't believe you're still getting snow . I think it's been at least a month now in Wisconsin since we've seen any.

I'll try to snap up a few pictures of my winter bike later this week so I can show what it looks like after a winter of commuting, as I'll be disassembling it for storage (or possibly sale - see next paragraph). I can't really say there will be much to show - this was the tamest winter I can recall, honestly. If it wasn't for this city dumping TONS of salt on the road, my bike would probably look virtually spotless.

I'm excited, though, about possibly finding the winter bike frame I've been searching for. I got my hands on an old 80's aluminum Raleigh Technium diamond-frame MTB. I've got parts slowly trickling in this week, and hopefully by the end of the week I'll know whether or not I can retire my Heavy-Duti in favor of this build (but first there are all manner of potential hurdles - chain line, tire clearance, room for fenders, etc.).

 

[us56456712]

I can't believe you're still getting snow . I think it's been at least a month now in Wisconsin since we've seen any.

I'll try to snap up a few pictures of my winter bike later this week so I can show what it looks like after a winter of commuting, as I'll be disassembling it for storage (or possibly sale - see next paragraph). I can't really say there will be much to show - this was the tamest winter I can recall, honestly. If it wasn't for this city dumping TONS of salt on the road, my bike would probably look virtually spotless.

I'm excited, though, about possibly finding the winter bike frame I've been searching for. I got my hands on an old 80's aluminum Raleigh Technium diamond-frame MTB. I've got parts slowly trickling in this week, and hopefully by the end of the week I'll know whether or not I can retire my Heavy-Duti in favor of this build (but first there are all manner of potential hurdles - chain line, tire clearance, room for fenders, etc.).

I bought a Raleigh Technium new but recently gave it to to one of the next door neighbor kids. I have a lot of newer front suspended or lighter old rigid mountain bikes. I think mine was from about 1988. Mine had aluminum front triangles and steel rear triangles and it was glued together with jet aircraft glue and was guaranteed forever against glue failure. About a month ago a friend who owns a welding business tried to weld a broken aluminum lug on one of these. It looked like the glue was smoking inside the lug so I don't know how it turned out as I left before he was done. Aluminum doesn't bend it fails what they call catastrophically: el snapo. I was told these were cheaper bikes built by Huffy for Rageih but I don't know about that? It seems like I paid a lot for it at the time but perhaps there were a lot of more expensive bikes at the time. It had a weird riding angle and I always felt like I was going to fly over the handlebars. Does yours have lugs on the frame?

 

[mornview]

I'll try to post up some pics of my mine soon, but it sounds like your frame is very similar to mine. Admittedly, this frame will probably not end up being my be-all end-all winter bike frame (I'm waiting for a nicer 80's MTB frame like a Panasonic or Peugot to turn up in my size), but it looks like it's going to meet all of my criteria for the time being, so we'll see. Assuming we are talking about the same frame, however, I actually was pretty happy with the craftsmanship of it; however now you've got me worried .

 

[us56456712]

It hasn't snowed for about 10 days and that didn't stick much, gone the next day. It is going to be a mix of rain and snow tomorrow. It's been cold almost all spring with highs in the 30's. I went for a woods hike yesterday and the only snow was at the base of north facing cliffs. It felt like November with the stiff wind. I mothballed the winter bike fleet, wheeled them into the back yard and doused them with BP Blaster. Right now they are sitting in the cold rain. I quit burning wood to but the house is not as warm and toasty. City leaf pick up is today. There is still ice, covered and protected by Lake washed sand, on the rim of Lake Superior. I would like to ride my fat bike on it but it is about 30 yards off shore as the melt from the land has back filled the shore ice with water. I think it might be dangerous to go out there and ride on the mounds and ridges as there is water is deep where the ice is.

 

[us56456712]

I'll try to post up some pics of my mine soon, but it sounds like your frame is very similar to mine. Admittedly, this frame will probably not end up being my be-all end-all winter bike frame (I'm waiting for a nicer 80's MTB frame like a Panasonic or Peugot to turn up in my size), but it looks like it's going to meet all of my criteria for the time being, so we'll see. Assuming we are talking about the same frame, however, I actually was pretty happy with the craftsmanship of it; however now you've got me worried .

I never had a problem with my Raleigh frame, I just didn't like the riding angle. It shifted better than my 3 new bikes, they don't seem to be able to make them shift for long periods of time without requiring constant adjustment. I don't recall ever having to take the Raleigh in, probably got adjusted at the first free tune up and that was it. I have an old rigid Peugeot mountain bike but it has CrMo tubing with lugs. Made in Japan. People want these frames to turn them into touring bikes . I really like this bike but it has different wheels on it as the originals were toast when I got it. I ride it after the snow is mainly gone and some rain has washed away the salt. Our club does 25 mile road rides mixed with some limited trail riding during this period, which ended 2 weeks ago and this bike is perfect for this. They are just doing single track now. This is a very comfortable bike. I will probably strip it down for parts in 2016 and sell the frame. It could be something you might be interested in, provided you don't find another one first. I believe the seat post tube is 18.5 inches from the center of the BB to the top of the seatpost tube. It fits me perfectly and I am 5'9", but have only a 31 or 32 inch stand over height.

 

[mornview]

I never had a problem with my Raleigh frame, I just didn't like the riding angle. It shifted better than my 3 new bikes, they don't seem to be able to make them shift for long periods of time without requiring constant adjustment. I don't recall ever having to take the Raleigh in, probably got adjusted at the first free tune up and that was it. I have an old rigid Peugeot mountain bike but it has CrMo tubing with lugs. Made in Japan. People want these frames to turn them into touring bikes . I really like this bike but it has different wheels on it as the originals were toast when I got it. I ride it after the snow is mainly gone and some rain has washed away the salt. Our club does 25 mile road rides mixed with some limited trail riding during this period, which ended 2 weeks ago and this bike is perfect for this. They are just doing single track now. This is a very comfortable bike. I will probably strip it down for parts in 2016 and sell the frame. It could be something you might be interested in, provided you don't find another one first. I believe the seat post tube is 18.5 inches from the center of the BB to the top of the seatpost tube. It fits me perfectly and I am 5'9", but have only a 31 or 32 inch stand over height.

Thanks for thinking of me with that bike; I love old Peugots (though I have yet to own one). I'm 5'8 with a similar standover, but for some reason I really like my frames with a 20" seat tube. I'm crossing my fingers that I won't need the Peugot, though; I've got a promising project in the works.

The situation with that Raleigh was interesting; I swear the prior owner had 26 x 2.0's on there when I went to look at it, but I can't even fit 26 x 1.75's on it. That's not going to do me any good, which is a shame, because I started liking the thought of having such a light winter bike .

But I went to the local police bike auction last week and scored a Jazz Latitude (Jazz bikes were manufactured by Trek) for $20. 20" seat tube, horizontal dropouts and a BOAT LOAD of clearance (I could at least fit 26 x 2.3, maybe even 26 x 2.5 in there). The seat tube is cro-mo, but I'm guessing the rest of the frame is hi-tensile. Which is kind of a shame, since most of the other 80's MTB frames I've had my eyes on have been full cro-mo, and it wouldn't hurt to have a lighter bike in the winter. Also, this thing had a one piece crank on it, so in the interest of shaving off a few pounds I'm switching it to a 3 piece bottom bracket.

Hopefully in the next month or so I'll have the conversion completed. If this bike works out for me I could really slim the herd of bikes down a lot, because this would be a really versatile platform to build off of.

 

[Chad T]

Circa 1982. After this pic I put a banana seat on and pulled the handlebars way back to transfer more weight to the back tire. Worked great in deep snow. Not so much on plowed roads or ice.