this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
16 points (100.0% liked)

utility cycling

752 readers
1 users here now

🚴🚲 Welcome to the Utility Cycling Community! 🚲🚴

Are you a passionate cyclist who believes that bicycles can transform the way we move around our cities and towns? Are you interested in exploring the world of utility biking, where bicycles are a tool for practicality, sustainability, and adventure? If so, you've come to the right place!

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

hi all - i am wondering what your daily riders look like - for example above i have my ebike (a secondhand Eco-Evo by Easy Motion), which is my summer daily driver since i can charge it with solar energy and don't get as hot cycling (i'm fat and i live in a desert, which is a miserable combo sometimes).

right now i'm working on putting together a winter "acoustic" bike by putting together a bunch of parts stripped from old bikes i've salvaged or been given, but i'd love to see any ideas for what folks ride.

top 4 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 years ago

depends on how cold it gets for you (and what winter conditions you have to deal with like deep snow or ice storms), but another source for inspiration is countries that deal with this on a regular basis (although Nordic countries have a distinct advantage of decent cycling infrastructure in the first place):

  • Not Just Bikes | Why Canadians Can’t Bike in the Winter (but Finnish People Can) – Youtube / Piped
[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Pogies/bar mitts are the way to go for winter riding.

On the bike I plan to use during the winter, I've got full fenders and a DIY fender extender on the front to keep crap from spraying my chain and bottom bracket.

It's a steel frame bike, so I've already internal coated it with rust protection; once my city drops salt on the ground, it'll get a wipe after every ride.

Other than that, Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 tires, with plans to get a spare front wheel mounted with a Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus studded tire for when things get dicey.

[–] hamtron5000@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

i've been looking at Surly's on Craigslist for the steel frame factor. and Shifter on youtube also has a studded front tire - i don't usually need one here in western Colorado where i live; i mostly deal with the cold and a bit more precipitation than any other time of the year.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 years ago

studded are nice, but even when I ran them on both wheels last year, I might have only really needed them twice, maybe. LOL

I'm happy with the GT 365 tires. They are "all season", so they do offer good traction on all surfaces and I can run them all year without worry.

There's a guy on YouTube named ryan van duzer who lives in Colorado and bikes everywhere (doesn't own a car). His videos will have some tips for winter commuting in your state :)