How to Ride Bikes All Winter Long
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- It takes thick skin to ride a bike all winter long in New England. But it also takes the right clothes, quite a bit of knowhow when it comes to keeping your kit and bike clean, it takes the right set of fenders, and a vacuum water bottle... among other things.
Tune in to see how Ted grits through three, four, five, six hour days on the bike riding through a harsh winter in his 2024 pursuit of getting back his World Tour fitness (or at least some fraction of it!).
@velocioapparel Winter Cap, Signature Collar, merino long sleeve base layer, Signature Soft Shell Jacket, Zero+ Glove, Utility thermal tights, wool socks, Zero+ Bootie.
@SunGod Airas sunglasses with photochromic lens.
@CannondaleBicycles71 Synapse Carbon 1 RLE.
@SRAM eTap AXS 2x, 50-37 front, 10-36 rear.
@zippspeed Firecrest 303.
@untappedmaple Ginger Mapleaid and Grape Mapleaid, served hot. (Don't hate it til you try it!)
@ReneHerseCycles 700x31 Orondo Grade in Endurance Casing and fenders. 
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Good for you. As for me, at 70 years of age, I will stick to ZWIFT in the winter and the occasional day out on the bike when the Sun shines and the roads are clear of ice
I use a pump garden/chemical sprayer from HD to spray the bike down. Fill the rez with warm water and some Zep orange soap. Great video. The fenders are the single most important item all winter season!
Great content and inspiration, Ted. One comment about bike washing, and this comes from car detailing: when washing off all that grit and grime (some of which is fine enough to not be visible, but your paint finish can feel it) it is best to a) use two buckets- one with cleaning solution/water, and the second with pure water. The pure water bucket is for rinsing your sponge/mit, because otherwise you are just transferring all the grit back to your sponge and bike; and b) rinse your mit off frequently to get all the nastiness out. Otherwise what you are doing is essentially sandpapering the finish on your frame. No one wants that. Working top to bottom on the bike also helps since the lower you go the dirtier the bike gets. Wash each nasty part on its own (that sounds porno) to keep the gunk isolated before moving on to the next part after a good rinse of your mitt. Time and temps definitely play into all this, but FWIW, it can keep your bike happier. Cheers.
Immediately went to Velocio and ordered their Deep Winter Bundle that had basically all the essentials you have on in this video. Thank you for the recommendation. I’m still gonna ride my trainer 5 days outta 7 (I’m a frail PA young man LOL) but I can finally start doing my hill repeats on days off! Rock on Ted and Fam
Good on you. 20 years ago I would ride 12 months a year in Western NY because trainers in the day, even the Computrainer, were Medieval torture devices. Now with today's smart trainers, Zwift or Fulgaz I'll ride inside until it gets above 35F/40F and DRY, thank you very much.
😂😂😂😂😂 medieval torture devices .
Enjoyed this video a lot. Really likes your setup. Toughest part is washing the bike in the cold. Ugh! There's gotta be a better way. But until someone comes up with one there’s no choice but to do it as shown, pretty much. In Japan, I know that have automatic bicycle washing services like car washes in the States. Thanks for putting this video together. You gave us a lot of useful info.
As always ...perfection .Thanks TK and remember , happy wife happy life 😉
So many great tips in one video! I might be buying some Rene Herse fenders and Velocio apparel right now...
Editor's Note: We posted this comment before the Saris H3 and MP1 plug - also great winter equipment to have!
Hi Ted this is the most real video you've made. Very inspiring to get me outside and also buy that Ryobi!!!!
Hey thanks for this Ted
I’ve up in Hardwick mourning this bc nordic ski season thinking of turning my hard tail into a studded plus tire snow covered dirt road machine
Bonus tip: place a fan in front of your bike after you bring it in from the wash. Dries everything off MUCH quicker. Can also place your shoes in the airflow too, get them ready for the next ride.
Ha, I didn’t show that I use a compressor to blast air off my bike after a ride in the basement! Great call on the fan.
I like the fan suggestion! I am lucky in that my hallway has a vent that blows warm air straight up - I place my bike and shoes directly over that and they are dry before I go to bed - usually
When temps go below 45, my riding is done for the winter, unless I get a warm day. I use the stationary bike, at the gym, during this time. It's kinda boring but it does the trick.
Attitude is def important puzzle of getting out for a ride ;)
I recall those days - risky - dangerous - cold - sub-par distance - black ice - fully constricted in layers and layers of gear - face frozen - toes frozen - hands frozen - I bought a Wahoo KICKR v5 + FULGAZ and ride almost ALL of the epic mountain climbs in Spain France Italy and around the world with real-world visuals not neon-coloured stupidopias landscapes - just completed career-year January with stats 781.9KM and 18,670M climbing - indoors - sure it is not as good as riding outdoors in the spring-autumn seasonals but when I rode outdoors my numbers dropped significantly for obvious reasons - sure it built character to endure those conditions but this month was also full of character-building - hitting career peaks does that for you - while cycling gear does allow you to ride all year - I have done that in Canada btw - the indoor riding I do simply makes me a far better cyclist putting up summer month stats in January - the past (4) seasons have all been career high's in KM and M - hard to argue against - the benefits of riding outdoors in the winter are in comparison limited
Thank you, awesome content it's been years since I've ridden I can't wait to get fitted out again.
Nice to see you in Vermont. They don’t have the drunk bumps on the shoulders like they’re doing in Virginia. Or at least I hope they don’t. I lost a real nice light on those. Another way to stay warm as to go hard and generation body heat.
Great video. I have a set of VeloOrange fenders that offer pretty good full coverage and i also added leather mud flaps from Walnut Studiolo, they are indispensible, my feet havent gotten wet since
Two more things
1. Keep a journal of exactly what you wore, the temperature, and what effort level your ride was at. This is the most helpful thing I’ve found.
2. If your frame allows it, carry a half frame bag. Shed your layers as the day warms so you don’t have to suffer both cold and hot. Side entry bottle cages work best for this.
This outfit. From 10 degrees to 40 degrees, I just change the gloves.
Hope you washed her bike and put fenders on too. Maple season is here. Nice concise video. Fenders are king. Take care, Al
he did! he's a pretty fab husband :)
Don’t think I’ve ever seen fender mounts on the inside of a fork before, that’s cool.
As someone with poor circulation in hands and feet, I've been using those chemical toe warmers for years, but I put them on top of my sock between sock and shoe (on top of toes). I've never tried them on the shoe itself, but if you don't tape up the holes inside your shoe then there's usually enough air circulation to keep those chemical toe warmers chugging along. I also just got Ekoi's electric heated gloves this year and those are a GAME CHANGER because I've never been able to keep my fingers warm.
I have found the older I get, the less I like to slightly "under dress" allowing myself to warm up and sweat less. Now, I prefer to over dress (by a single merino layer... say 150g) and then have a really good wind block material at my outer layer. Regardless of being wet with sweat, my core stays nice and warm... especially with merino. As for all other appendages, my dad was in the military, and he would always say head, hands, kidneys, and feet. The chemical warmers you mentioned are a good idea. Hopefully I'll have room in my Pearl booties. Thanks!
At last something useful for 61 year old not far from Peak District in UK. hilly but magnificent.
Good video, honestly almost doesn't really matter where you live you can almost always ride your bike in the winter. I live in one of the coldest city in Canada and ride almost every day all you got to do is dress for the weather and get studs for the ice and make sure you clean afterwards if i don't have much time i at least wipe down the drivetrain and frame quickly. Oh and get a ski helmet and goggles biggest upgrade I made for those colder days.
I find 45Nrth studded tires on my Pinion/Gates belt drive Priority 600 to be an awesome combination. The bike has fenders, dyno hub and is very easy to clean. If too cold for the hose, I wipe down the dirty bits with a wet cloth, then bring it over ndoors to dry. Sometimes, I'll use WD40. Military surplus mittens keep my hands warm and wool socks work well for the feet
yeah, THAT sounds like a primo setup.
Very nice fenders. Very nice.
But I think better to build a dedicated non derailleur winter bike, instead of trying to daily wash and maintain a summer bike.
Better to get a pair of Shimano or other winter boots. Water gets inside of booties anyway. And you don't have to buy cases of shoe warmers.
H/T to Pogie Lites from Bike Iowa. lightweight convertible pogies that you can slide on or off during a ride as needed; and they fit both flat and drop bars. I've found that I can wear my same summerweight long finger gloves even when its in the mid 20s (F)
gamechanger. i got $20 dropbar pogies and commute 4x/day with liner gloves in Michigan.
Ted, do you ever do any skimo to cross train? Thanks for the great winter tips!
Our local skimo is a tough scene. Most places don’t allow uphill after 9am and the snow has been abysmal the past couple years. Soo… I’d like to but haven’t.
Bella ted
Thanks Ted for this video. I ride all winter, either road or fat bike depending on conditions. Cleaning, drying and lubing your bike after a ride is very important to protect your investment, and have your machine ready for the next ride! I use a Invation. portable sprayer, similiar to yours. I first use a bucket of water with cleaner/wax soap in the water followed by pure water on the second bucket. This workes well. Afterward I just wipe down the bike with dry microfiber cloths and then lube the chain. Done. Ride on winter cyclists!
This is great. I just bought the Black and Decker version of this washer and it's junk. Might need to just go Ryobi.
Hey are you going to do the farmers daughter in Chatham NY in may this year?
I don't like riding with gloves on - too restrictive so the bar mitts will come on and stay on until near Spring for me. I have an older steel commuter bike that I will ride in Winter months since I do bike commute to work. Not a light and fast bike as you can imagine but the studded tires keep me upright and the fenders keep me clean (for the most part.) This Winter season hasn't been too bad so the road bike has seen some miles recently even though it's only February. Can't do the stationary bike and indoor exercise is too boring. I need the fresh air and change of scenery when I'm exercising or else my AHDH kicks in lol.
TK, thanks for sharing your tips. What kind of rear LED light system you're using? Seems to provide more visibility than most and fits under the saddle nicely.
ruclips.net/video/0QmvOTbuviA/видео.htmlsi=U0UJ1Je4va4Gyiz2&t=768
I'm in SE Sweden, and I imagine our winter conditions aren't too dissimilar. Much of my riding is done at colder temperatures than those illustrated in your video. We've had about 9 weeks of snow cover so far this winter, and studded tyres are a must. Other than that, my set up is fairly similar.
When it does get properly cold the mudguards (fenders) aren't important though as there is no spray from the road. Heated socks and good gloves are a must too. I've done over 1000km every month this winter outside, and down to minus 18c (0 fahrenheit).
Do you employ studs and continue outside when it's sub zero?
Got the same ryobi, love it! The lag is just the air pocket working out of line.
Hi Ted, as a fellow year-round Vermont cyclist, I'm still left wondering about your layering system. Looks like you typically just wear a baselayer + softshell jacket. What I'm wondering about, is how you deal with climbs & descents, lets say App Gap which you have been riding a lot lately. Climbing up and descending are two very different thermal situations. Hot on the way up, and frigid on the way down. Do you just unzip on the climb and tough it out on the descent or are you stripping layers or gloves for the climb and then re-applying at the top? I know for me, if I sweat too much on a climb and then hit a long icy descent, I can catch a chill thats hard to shake for the rest of the ride, especially if its a long stretch of valley riding. Cheers and see you out there!
Wondering if one could adapt that Ryobi EZ Clean to a Yakima Road Shower and have even portability...
🤔
Great video😊 what the brand of the fenders?
Check the show notes. (They’re Rene Herse.)
Very informative video 😊 and metal full wrap fenders are sooooo much better than plastic ones. And mudflaps should be enforced by law 😂 #wrapthemandflapthem
All the clothes I agree but I simply can't get warm enough with just a baselayer and typical softshell bike jersey...
boots eliminates the messing with booties and much warmer.
This. Booties don't fit right because of sizing issues and they tear easily.
What are your thoughts on SS or fixed for a commuting bike? No pricey derailleurs and mech stuff to wreck from snow and salt. I use a Marin 29 frame no suspension with 50mm semi knobbies and a 38/16 fixed gear. It is flat where I live. And this year tried flat pedals so I can wear normal boots that are warm and dry not cycling shoes.
This. I have a SS and use winter boots and snow pants. This looks way to much it's not worthy to buy every little thing for me . I like it simple.
The best system is the one that works for you. It's waaaaay too hilly where we live in Vermont to even fathom a single speed. But if you can swing it, yeah by all means they make a lot of sense.
Thank you for the reply. Obviously, riding for training in the hills is different from riding 15 or 20 minutes across town. I am surprised at how many do not use fenders in the winter. You see that with many of the UK riders. I hope you have a good year and stay healthy.@@TedKing1
May I ask what your 4hr ride consists of, which platform do you use? Thanks Ted
It was on Zwift and I mostly just watched movies and did intervals on occasion.
I use zwift in winter. It's not only a pain in the a** to put all that clothes on it's also time consuming to maintain the bike after such a ride. And in the week after 4 pm it's also dangerous because it's dark. On the weekend this is another thing but to be honest I also wont do my intervalls outside in the winter. So usually LIT rides outside on the weekend when it's not raining or snowing.
commuting in the AM dark is safer cuz my lights are easier to see. I don't have a ton of traffic though.
@@hoogabooga9736 Best part about riding in Winter months is the snow helps to light up the roads when your light goes out. I always have a backup light handy though.
Great video !What size of frame is that?
58cm.
What the name of the gloves you ware, can’t quite make out the name. You should leave links to the stuff you ware.
Just put all the details into the show notes. Thanks.
Canaduh. I ride in minus 40c.
I bikepacked in Canada along the James Bay for a week, sleeping in a tent and with a little stove as our only heat source, also down to -40 most days. Does that earn me Canaduh points?
Oh nooope
"This isn't a sponsored post" 😂😂😂 ....and then goes into a full sponsored gear session 😂😂
I don’t have a single sponsor that asks me to make videos. I made this and all my videos for entertainment and education. It’s the stuff I use and believe in.
Thought for sure you were going to powerwash Laura…would probably get the video blocked due to safety hazard, but…
Hahaha
Don’t think you want to use a pressure washer on your bike
You should check out the post race parking lot of a world tour race. I bet there’s 30 pressure washers going full tilt!