Filed under: Bike discussions, Bike parts, Commuting, News, Tips for new riders
It is easy to talk ourselves out of doing things we know are good for us. Eating our veggies, doing the dishes after dinner, going to the dentist, and riding our bikes year round.
Maybe you have toyed with the idea of keeping your trusty steed out of the storage closet for the winter. Well quit toying with the idea and keep your bike from sharing its winter with lawn chairs and mice. Now is the time to make the commitment to ride your bike as often as you can this winter. We know what you are thinking: are we crazy? No, we live in Utah; we know cold. We also know icy streets, white out conditions, wind chill and rain. Not to brag, but we know Jack Frost and all his trickery. We want to pass on a few words of advice from our years on the winter roads so you can stay fit and happy on your bike without regret nagging at you all winter.
When it comes to base layers, less is more, and the type of fabric is key. Always remember this: cotton kills. Cotton may be great for all your summer riding, but it won’t cut it in the winter time. Wool and synthetic base layers will wick away moisture and keep you warm, but don’t go crazy with them. With your legs pumping away, your core will stay warm no problem if you have a good jacket. Its the arms and legs you need to focus on the most.
Cannondale Jacket
You need more than a good jacket for commuting. This doesn’t mean you need to run out and buy the burliest down coat on the market.
A jacket that is breathable, weather proof and will shield the wind is ideal, since the elements are going to be your biggest competitors this winter. The Cannondale L.E. Max Jacket is a good option for those who want to stay visible, warm and stylish.
A great pair of gloves will keeping you riding, since cold hands are what keep people off their bikes the most. Avoid any frost nip, bite, or meal by investing a couple dollars in gloves like the Giro Proof Cold-Weather Cycling Gloves, which are rated 30-0 degrees. The Giro gloves are a good option, but if neoprene is more your style, the Neo Work ‘n’ Sport gloves will keep the elements at bay and your fingers functioning.
Giro winter gloves
If you are like us and carry a few extra pounds around, you may not think you need tights. But let us entice you with something that will keep you far warmer than any pair of jeans, cordorroy-poly-cotton-spandex-shimmy-shake-pants. Tights man, it’s where it’s at. Sure, they fit a little snug, but what are you trying to hide? A pair of warm tights will keep your joints happy, your muscles warm, and will save your work pants from getting stuck in your chainring…again. Our tights page has so many styles, you could get lost. So we’ve picked out a few that we support for winter riding.
Bellwether Windfront
If you want the option of wearing shorts or knickers under your tights, the Bellwether Thermaldress tights are the best option. They don’t have a chamois and have reflective piping so you stay safe while commuting when the day light hours are shorter.
When the weather isn’t at its most extreme, or you want something a little lighter with a chamois, Bellwether Thermaldress Bike Tight With Pad deliver it all: warmth, chamois and comfort.
Some people are shy about parading around town in a pair of skin-tight tights, we understand. Bellwether understood the need for a more flattering fit too when they designed the Windfront Bike Tights. A looser fit, but tight around the knees to keep the joint warm, the Windfront is flattering and winter worthy.
Headsweats Sweat Tech II
Helmets are breezy; this isn’t the best thing when it is 15 degrees outside and you are bombing down hills. Cold ears and foreheads are the makings of a cold weather migraine. Keep your ears from turning into icicles with a Neoprene ear warmer or a winter scull cap. If you want a balaclava to keep your face covered up, we support that too.
Your bike might need some extra gear to keep it working in the winter so invest in a good pair of fenders, keep your bike clean, and lube your chain at least once a week.
If you decide you really want to sissy out on winter, get a trainer.
Giro Proof Cold-weather Cycling Gloves 30/0-deg
“Another Flat? I just patched this tube a day ago!” is a common phrase uttered by those who ride on urban streets with cheap tires. Sometimes it isn’t you, it’s the tire. Riding in urban environments is hard on tires. Roads cluttered with broken glass, cracks and sharp asphalt pieces can be less than hospitable to thin, cheap road bike tires.
Session 700 solid color
When a company like Fyxation comes out with a tire like Sessions 700 , we dedicate a blog post to it.
Born out of the necessity for a tire that addresses the road conditions of city cycling, the Session 700 is a tough 700c tire. Made with a poly-aramid fiber bead (not metal), a 120 TPI, and carbon-black material on the dual compound, and white walled tires. The Session 700 virtually bomb proof. The poly-fiber bead is designed to keep you from getting pinch flats while the carbon black on the solid black, dual compound and white walled tires keeps your tread riding for longer without the worry of flatting out while on the town. For people who are into skidding, the carbon black is a good option since you won’t have to worry about skidding your tire out from under yourself due to the traction pattern and long lasting power it possesses.
We wanted to make sure the Session 700 tires were worth every dime, so we had one of our guys, Eric, put them on his custom GT Pulse and take them bombing down the hills and around the streets of Salt Lake City.
White Wall Sessions on Eric's GT
With over 80 miles on his white-walled Session 700 tires, Eric reported he was “able to lean into turns a lot more and hit them faster. The ride was a lot smoother and less shaky than with other tires. Skidding is a lot easier with these tires too.”
The full-colored Session 700 tires are made of a softer rubber but still have superb traction and the same tread pattern as its dual-colored and white-walled counter parts. The colored Session 700s are made in black, white, green, pink and orange. To get the full education on Fyxation’s tires, check out Tires 101.
If matching your grips and bar ends to your tires is your thing, Fyxation has you covered. Their BMX and Track grips come in eye popping colors that are sure to be seen in traffic and match the tread of the tires.
Fyxation Grips
Be sure to pick up a pair of Fyxation tires, grips, bar-ends or a saddle on Bikewagon’s Fyxation page.
If you want to see more photos of Eric’s sweet ride, visit our flickr page.
Although Eurobike is a trade show, and trade shows for some industries, like comic books, can seem a little weird, let us reassure you that this trade show is where it’s at when it comes to bikes.
Held annually in Friedrichshafen, Germany Eurobike offers the latest and greatest in everything cycling oriented. With over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing their good, one can find big names like Campagnolo, Shimano, Electra, Cannondale and Giant there as well as small specialty brands like Knog, Selle An-Atomica and Basil busting out new mind blowing products and bikes.
We compiled a short list of a few of our favorite things we saw at Eurobike. With so many great and innovative new bikes and accessories, it was hard to pick just a few with so many differing opinions. But we have found a few things we like that we hope you will like too.
Selle An-Atomica saddles
Whats not to love?
Classic and Classy, what is there not to love about these saddles? They come in a wide variety of colors and fits for all genders and sizes. They are also hand made.
Puzzle Piece rims by Ryde
We will take two please...
New to the market and only available in Europe, these rims are sick. That is the only word we can use to describe them.
Knog locks and lights
Knog Ringmaster cable lock with Locker lock
Knog Strong man lock
The knog beetle
We are a fan of the innovative style and functionality that Knog brings to the bike world. They have outdone themselves again with their new locks and lights, available in a wide variety of colors. These beauties aren’t available yet, but Bikewagon will have them in our inventory as soon as we can.
Electra
The Electra Amsterdam
The Ticino 18D
We know how to give credit when credit is due. Electra deserves credit for making a stylish bike that we want to show off.
Vanmoof
Vanmoof No.5
The Dutch know how to create a commuter bike that not only looks cool but is functional, too. With a frame-integrated lock, a solar charging LED light system and a coaster break, this bike screams ultimate commuter vehicle for people who like single speeds. We dig, and you should too.
Beware of free fish sandwiches.
We just got back from Taipei Cycle 2010 in Taiwan. It just surpassed Interbike in Las Vegas to become the second largest bike trade show in the world. Yeah, you may be surprised to know that Taiwan is the leading manufacturer for most of the world’s best bike companies.
A local favorite
The Taiwan trade show is very different from those in America. The hosts of the show were kind enough to give all foreign visitors a complementary lunch for one of the days of the show. I wish I could have taken some pictures of the free sandwiches. We could either choose between some kind of corn and mayo salad sandwich or a fish sandwich. After not being able to identify the components of the corn salad we decided on the fish sandwich. I was brave enough to take one bite of the sandwich and that was about it. I stopped as soon as I opened the sandwich to see the pockets of oil between the skin and meat of the fish. I then spent the rest of the time watching Dale, our buyer, choke down this “fish” sandwich. He spent about a minute chewing on each bite deciding if it was worth eating. Needless to say, we did not go back for seconds.
Duro Fixie Pops
It was nice to see the positive attitude by those in the industry after a tough year in the economy. Some companies took this time to show off some of their new products. Two of my favorites were the new Fixie Pops by Duro Tires and the Metropolis crank by FSA. The Fixie Pops are designed for fixed gear riders who like to skid and look good while doing it. They come in a number of cool colors with sweet graphics. The Metropolis Crank is designed to be the ultimate crankset for avid big city commuters. It gives the rider the ability to shift quickly and smoothly under heavy loads by using two internal planetary-gears. This eliminates the front derailleur and allows the rider to bike while wearing nice dress slacks without worrying about getting them stuck in the chain or dirty with grease.
One hiker, one lane, two cars
After the show we were able to hike 12 miles up Taroko Gorge National Park (a road listed as number 7 in the world’s top ten most dangerous roads). The Gorge was beautiful and, as you can see from some of the pictures, huge boulders are capable of falling at any time and killing drivers on the road. We saw monkeys and were able to find a nice little swimming hole along the way. It was a great trip and we look forward to going back to Taiwan in the future.
Do you like Taiwanese food? What is the scariest road you’ve ever been on (in a car or on a bike)?
Check this out: Now you can use a generator hub for more than just a headlight. PedalPower+ makes a hub with a DC output, so you can actually charge your phone, iPod, GPS or whatever small electronic device you might take on a long ride (sorry, the curling iron is just too much). They even make a universal cable that converts AC dynamo hubs into DC. How sweet is that?
Well, Bikewagon is actually the first company in the ol’ US of A to offer these products for sale, so check out the PedalPower+ brand page on our main site and see what they have to offer!
