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+--- Thread: Winter Walking and Cycling (/showthread.php?tid=654)
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - jamincan - 11-22-2018
Fat bikes were originally designed specifically to allow you to ride in the snow; people ride fat bikes all winter at the Hydrocut.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - robdrimmie - 11-22-2018
Ziggy's and King St Cycle both have winter cycling advertisements and sales, and they both tend to have models in stock that are a year or two old that's heavily discounted. King St. especially has a really good sale every February or so (I bought my current bike there a few years back for close to 50% off because it was a two year old model, but brand new).
They both bias in favour of fat bikes for winter riding (uncharitably I think it's because they want to sell you a second bike, but also they are increasingly popular). Ziggy's leans towards well off marathon cyclists, King St leans a little bit towards weekend warrior hipster hydro cut cyclists. Black Arrow is fantastic for comfortable middle of the road commuters, and is the shop I'm most comfortable in (I feel like a bit of a poseur in the other two shops but also that's baggage I carry in myself, I've only ever had great service at all three). I'm sure Black Arrow has great winter options but I haven't paid as much attention to their sales cycles.
Almost any hybrid is going to support 38c tires, as would most cycle-cross/gravel bikes. In fact I think most come with them because they are a pretty good trade off between friction and traction.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - danbrotherston - 11-22-2018
(11-22-2018, 03:22 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: I'm thinking of a bike where I could conceivably put on a wider tire (maybe 38c) which has a good center contact patch for high pressure days when the roads and trails are dry, but with some good sidewall treads and maybe spikes for lower pressure days of higher snowfall or flash ice. Come summer, swap on some non-winter rubber.
The fat bike is one of those situations where I can't truly imagine needing it, aside from beating/missing the plowing on MUTs, but I enjoy the thought of taking it into snowy trails.
No, you're right on that, I run 38c Schwalbe Winters which have metal spikes and made for commuting, pretty decent, and I think this is probably ideal for most people.
The fat bikes are more of a fun toy that some may enjoy, but can also be beneficial for commuting in some select circumstances.
I will add one tip, that I've learned from my first winter bike that is half dissolved in the garage right now--if you plan on riding in the salty winter roads, either keep up very carefully with maintenance, oiling, greasing, or choose something with low cost parts that you don't mind replacing, virtually every bolt on this thing is seized on right now.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - Canard - 11-25-2018
Oh cool!
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - KevinL - 11-25-2018
What the heck?
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - Canard - 11-25-2018
Someone pointed out it's likely just for the secondary aspects of the trails (the Promenade itself would be cleared)...
But my point still stands, it's a ridiculous double-standard to hold me accountable to clear my sidewalk and not have the city/region do the same. Horrible optics and leaves me with a very bitter feeling toward the whole thing.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - Rainrider22 - 11-25-2018
(11-25-2018, 10:57 AM)Canard Wrote: Oh cool!
Can you please order a sign for me too please ?
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - Canard - 11-25-2018
I think this would be a great "movement statement" kinda thing if we made up a couple hundred (thousand) coroplast lawn signs and everybody put them out.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - Pheidippides - 11-25-2018
I think part of that was that there was some miscommunication that should be fixed by the next snow fall:
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - danbrotherston - 11-25-2018
(11-25-2018, 10:05 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: I think part of that was that there was some miscommunication that should be fixed by the next snow fall:
That could be, but really, who's putting up these signs, do they really know so little about the operations of the city to not know that the single most major trail in the city isn't getting winter maintenance.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - kitborn - 11-26-2018
I don't ride my bike in the winter.
One picture seems to show that the main trail would not be maintained in the winter. When in another picture, that seems to be taken from an angle that shows a mud path and paved path. The angle of the shot is everything.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - neonjoe - 11-26-2018
I can see some of it being the balance of limiting salt use/vs volume of trail traffic. Especially in parks settings where there aren't drainage catch basins.
For instance my city street never gets plowed down to the pavement except during major storms. It typically is left in a packed snow state during the winter.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - Canard - 11-26-2018
But the argument I am making is, why does the city/region get to adopt one stance while forcing others to another? That’s the issue.
I don’t get to put a sign in front of my house that says this. In fact, I must now live my life in constant worry that someone will come by the instant it snows with Dan’s app and flag me as a jerk for not sitting there with my nose at the window watching for a particle of snow to land on the sidewalk so I can instantly run out and remove it, lest I face getting a fine.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - goggolor - 11-26-2018
(11-26-2018, 09:55 AM)Canard Wrote: But the argument I am making is, why does the city/region get to adopt one stance while forcing others to another? That’s the issue.
I don’t get to put a sign in front of my house that says this. In fact, I must now live my life in constant worry that someone will come by the instant it snows with Dan’s app and flag me as a jerk for not sitting there with my nose at the window watching for a particle of snow to land on the sidewalk so I can instantly run out and remove it, lest I face getting a fine.
The bylaw enforcement starts 24 hours after the END of a "snow event". Bylaw won't accept complaints made if snow has fallen anywhere in the city in the last 24 hours. So you really don't have to worry like that.
RE: Winter Walking and Cycling - danbrotherston - 11-26-2018
(11-26-2018, 09:55 AM)Canard Wrote: But the argument I am making is, why does the city/region get to adopt one stance while forcing others to another? That’s the issue.
I don’t get to put a sign in front of my house that says this. In fact, I must now live my life in constant worry that someone will come by the instant it snows with Dan’s app and flag me as a jerk for not sitting there with my nose at the window watching for a particle of snow to land on the sidewalk so I can instantly run out and remove it, lest I face getting a fine.
I hope my app app would not be used to name and shame, but instead to highlight for city council that this is a problem, and that their "solution" is not any kind of "solution"...my apologies if it has caused you worry.
@neonjoe The catch basins drain into the waterways which flow through the park. The salt ends up in the same place regardless. If we really wanted to reduce salt entering our waterways we'd find a different solution for minor and "unessential" roads, which consume far far more salt than pathways. Even my quiet side street received frequent coats of salt through the winter. For example, we could provide alternate means of transportation lessening the need for all roads to be cleared.