Winter project bike

[Hsean]

Since it's winter and I can only work on normal overhauls in the house I can't do many bigger projects like my hubless bike i've gathered parts for, thats right, mine will be very unique!.

Today I was faced with an issue, My bike I have for winter riding is giving me problems because the snow goes on rear cog and it always skips. and I actualy like this mountain bike alotand dont wanna wreak it.

So i'm gonna have to build something else. So For now this thread will stay the name I put it, but once winters nearing an end it will change to hubless bike one because this same frames gonna be used on the hubless when i'm done.

So regarding the bike i'm building, I've got this bike and a pair of studded tires. as well as a 3 speed rim.

Has anybody ridden something like this in snow before? if so should I do more then three speeds or is 3 fine?

The Sacrifice.

 

[BrunneCustoms]

My issues with winter riding are only that I hate being cold. My girlfriend however wanted me to tell you that traction for starting was an issue. Braking was an issue using hand brakes because like in the rain they get wet and take longer to stop. Also steering was an issue because of traction. Her gears were okay. She has a 21 speed mountain bike. I have a three speed internal that works just fine in the snow. I've only ridden it twice though so I really am not much help.
I hope in all that ramble you find some sort of help. :lol:

 

[Hsean]

The bike I used before this was a 21 speed mountain bike, I was gonna make it a 3 speed but the drop outs wouldn't let that happen. I worked on the new bike today and it's rideable but has no brakes lol. I scored a really neat pair of forks the other day that will fit it good. they need new seals though. studden tires though make riding in the winter very easy, but if you want even better, Longtail with studded tires.

actualy that made me think, my retired longtail project is in a slumber at the bike co op I help at, I wonder if I should awake it for this winter riding task. that way I could save this frame. The longtail is a much longer bike, offten used for carrying stuff. because the size of it they tend to go good in the winter and have more power to the rear wheel and are easy to ride, I think ill put the 3 speed rim on that bike

 

[Graylock]

Longer in the tail would be a litle more stable but a Hammer Head Trike would be.......more better and more fun. I used mine for one winter but the derailleur took a beating and had to be replaced by spring.. I have seen one guy had doubled up on the rear brakes and had said one set cleared the way for the second set. I can't remember if he ran the two off one lever but I think he did, You could run single levers, left and right, you don't use the front brake much in the snow. Personaly I'd run a coaster brake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZn4OHUJgtc this was an old clip

GL

 

[K-dregg]

What type of winter riding do you want to do? what type of surfaces are we talking about? is it deep snow and trail riding or comuting on hardpack?
i actully think that any bike is rideable during winter if its not to icy.. Its more about being really relaxed on the bike and maybe spin a higher cadence so gears would be a good idea..

 

[Hsean]

Thats a neat trike, trike would be a good idea but here theres not much room for that in the winter time.
Because riding conditiond are pretty bad, lots of snow everywhere. sometimes deep. snowbanks. pedestions and no sidewalk or much of a place on road, so its a two wheeled bike. I commute, I think trhe longtail is choice, because of the power it can pump out of the torq to rear wheel it offten blasts threw snowbanks and deep snow, I put a cow catcher type thing on one once, it worked interesting lol

 

[user 135]

Longtail bikes make it easier to recover from a slide as it happens slower because of the longer wheelbase. What I have found though is rear wheel traction is less as the weight is spread more evenly on a longtail.

 

[Hsean]

Hence why on a longtail I can do burnouts lol

However! today I once again changed the plan lol I remembered a Raleigh 3 speed frame/fork I had behind my shed. i'll be useing that, with CCM fenders, I got a black 26" mountain bike rim laced into a sturmey archer 3 speed hub, just need to make a front one and assemble, it's a orange and white bike lol with possibly brown fenders!