Winter's here then. It's cold, crisp and now we have snow. Snow's a bit like Marmite as far as I can tell - don't put it on your toast, that would be terrible - you either love it or hate it. And I think there's a very fine line between that love and hate depending on your aspirations. We had a thick covering last year (February time if I recall correctly) and I didn't mind it at all; with the lack of road grit and the steep hill 500yds from my house, driving to work wasn't really an option and so I could legitimately 'work from home'. I loved it.
This morning, I hate it. Snow and road cycling don't really mix all that well; think chalk and cheese or Ike and Tina and you'll see where I'm coming from. I have all the warm weather gear to keep me comfortable down to -5C, but when the roads are covered in compacted snow and slowly thawing/freezing patches of water things become decidedly hazardous. I've had the back wheel step out when turning into junctions, but managed to keep things upright. With ice on the roads, there's a high chance of the front wheel doing the same and if that happens... well I'm going down and no amount of bike handling skill is changing the outcome. Spillsville. Population: me.
treacherous -adjective: characterized by faithlessness or readiness to betray trust; traitorous.
What I've just covered briefly there is a road condition which one might describe as 'hazardous' or 'dangerous' and that would be fair enough. From that, I would argue 'treacherous' is not a suitable adjective for the current weather conditions. But if the BBC insists on attributing human qualities to natural phenomena, who I am I to pass comment?
I was sidetracked for a minute there.
Back to winter cycling... so as long as the roads aren't icy, then I will ride. Last winter I had to spend ~£100 repairing my Giant Cadex. Despite my fastidious winter maintenance regime, I couldn't stop all the salt from killing my front and rear Campagnolo derailleurs.
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| Giant Cadex 980c |
I built the Cadex specifically for winter use and fitted it with mudguards for dirty road conditions that ruin clothes, make the drivetrain filthy and eventually kill derailleurs if there's enough salt present. Rear derailleurs cost ~£40 and front derailleurs cost ~£20 so after I'd replaced one of each I had to come up with a more cost effective option for this winter!
A lot of my winter cycling is on the flat, just maintaining endurance and strength for when spring comes back around. I could get away without needing derailleurs. Now I couldn't simply take them off the Cadex, because the teeth profiles on the chainring actually cause the chain to derail; the front derailleur also keeps the chain where it should be. I didn't want to change over the front chainring to a single speed one either - the Cadex is a bloody good road bike which I want to use in inclement weather throughout the warmer months.
So I went to see Gary Proud at Kendell Cycles to discuss single speed bike options and what he could get his hands on. I had looked at the Bianchi and Specialized offerings already. The Bianchi is expensive and the Specialized - as well as being what everyone seems to ride - is not geared tall enough... so what else? Gary recommended the Giant Bowery '72. An aluminium relaxed geometry frame with track dropouts and bars, which is geared quite high with a 48/17 combination giving ~75 gear inches. Ideal! So I went for it, placed the order and collected about a month later.
I kept the rat-trap pedals and have used it throughout summer for going to the shops. The frame is nice and stiff, the gearing is just about right and the riding position is comfortable. And it looks the business, which to be honest is very important for this part-time hipster running two-wheeled errands.
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| Tug nuts! |
I finished preparing it for proper winter use yesterday by fitting new clipless pedals, a rear mudguard and making additions to the saddle bag contents. On top of the usual tyre levers, spare tube, multitool and chain breaker there are now two wheel spanners (the axles aren't quick release) and a smaller spanner for releasing the rear wheel tug nuts. Stop laughing at the back! Tug nuts fasten over the rear axle and keep the wheel set in the correct position to achieve suitable chain tension.
So I took the bike for the maiden voyage on Thursday. It's exactly as I expected - it's nice to just pedal and not worry about gear ratios. If the road starts to point towards the sky or the wind's in your face, then you simply MTFU, pedal harder and make the quads burn! And that's what I want from winter cycling; to build leg strength and endurance. I'm looking forward to it.
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| Giant Bowery '72 |
Thanks for reading - I hope it wasn't too cycling heavy!
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