StudEbiker
100 kW
Any of you e-bike veterans have a tips to pass along to those of us looking to expand our riding season into the winter??
Built first fire this morning.
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Zoot Katz
100 kW
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Anonymous
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StudEbiker
100 kW
I am in southern Oregon. I appreciate that there is no season. I guess what I wanted was tips from you guys that do it through the winter on how to make it easier for us softies that haven't done it before. What kind of gear do you use? Any tips you can pass along to those of us that don't traditionally ride in the winter that would like to make through the winter (or at least pretty deep into it) on our bikes?
Lessss
1 MW
Hands.. are going to get COLD, don't wear gloves. Wear mittens. Front tire is going to slip out from under you. Drive slower and be prepaired to use your feet to recover.
Might want to get a pair of these.
If your batteries are SLA you will lose 1/3 charge right off the top and range will severly degrade.
Salt can eat into your wires and wire connections. Salt and copper don't play well together. Salt can sieze up your brakes as well.
Might want to get a pair of these.
If your batteries are SLA you will lose 1/3 charge right off the top and range will severly degrade.
Salt can eat into your wires and wire connections. Salt and copper don't play well together. Salt can sieze up your brakes as well.
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Anonymous
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Well, I live in Seattle so I think I can help. So, here's what I do. I wear full finger bike gloves made from a syntheic stretchy type material. They are not thick. I guess I'd call them "medium" weight. I wear a very bright (yellow) helmet so cars will see me better (hopefully) in the dark, cloudy, rainy weather. I'm thinking about getting one of those silly looking bike lights that fit directly onto my helmet because I think it will make me more visible. Of course you'll also need a blinking front head light and a red tail light of some type. I have a waterproof snowboard/outdoorsy jacket with a removable liner and air vents under the arm pits. As you know, some days can be rather chilly and some days are a bit balmy in the NW winter. I go a little slower around corners but I'm probably being a bit over cautious in that regard. It will be a bit uncomfortably chilly for you for a while but I'm sure you will adjust. Also, I take a plastic grocery bag around with me so I can cover my saddle so it doesn't get wet when I leave it locked up outside. Riding around with a cold wet seat is probably the worst thing that could happen during NW winters. Seriously, it sucks. I've never had any problems with water and my batts or other elctrical parts. The nylon bag I used seems to be adequate for the job as they always seemed to stay dry (or at least dry enough). My controller was mounted exposed to the environment but I made sure that it was positioned so water would not trickle into it. Never had an issue with throttle wires or any connectors. I think this year I will try some of those clear sports galsses in hope that I can keep the rain out of my eyes when I ride fast.
I would offer a word of caution as well. Be EXTRA, EXTRA carfeful when the time changes. That time of year (when our clocks roll back an hour) has the highest number of car/bikle/pedestrian accidents. It seems that the sudden change in lighting conditions throws everyone for a loop for month or so. Watch out....really.
As a side note, I read an article about two years ago that stated that people who take vitimin C and work or exercise outdoors in cold weather have a higher resistance to getting the flu. Go figure.
Happy riding!
I would offer a word of caution as well. Be EXTRA, EXTRA carfeful when the time changes. That time of year (when our clocks roll back an hour) has the highest number of car/bikle/pedestrian accidents. It seems that the sudden change in lighting conditions throws everyone for a loop for month or so. Watch out....really.
As a side note, I read an article about two years ago that stated that people who take vitimin C and work or exercise outdoors in cold weather have a higher resistance to getting the flu. Go figure.
Happy riding!
Zoot Katz
100 kW
Southern Oregon is boderline Cascadia. East or West of the mountains makes a huge difference. So do micro-climates in certain valleys.nutsandvolts said:
Vancouver was throwing around salt like there was no tomorrow when it dumped record snow loads last winter.
Then they ran out of salt.
Vancouver doesn't do "real" Canadian winters well.
There were about five weeks I walked and pedalled while le Béte stayed inside.
Maybe EBIII will be a 20" FWD snow bike.
Coastal Cascadia's winters are typically wet, wet wet, and balmy compared to Winterpeg.
spinningmagnets
100 TW
I have worked in construction, and if you don't work in the winter, you don't get paid in the winter. Thick gloves are bulky, I have some. In boot camp one of the issued items were thin leather gloves with a wool/cotton blend woven cloth inner liner.
Most guys didn't keep track of them. Then I was stationed in Chicago during the winter of '77, -40F with winchill coming off the great lakes. I went to the used military clothing store and bought some cheap gloves like the ones I lost from boot camp. They worked suprisingly well. Wool stays warm even if its wet, wet cotton breathes and doesnt itch, but it sucks heat away. Thinsulate works as well as wool without the itchyness.
Well worth paying extra for, and thin snug gloves still have a good tactile feel, hard to scratch your itchy parts with eskimo mittens. To keep the thinsulate gloves from getting wet, I covered them with the thickest Nitrile surgical gloves I could find. To remove them, lift the wrist and blow into them, they slide off.
So happy with thinsulate, I bought a $20 black knit cap (burglar style) looks like the $4 cap but its thin and will fit easily under a ballcap or hard hat. I now have two of these knit caps. I wore baggy pants so sweat pants easily fit under them
I worked outside in snow once and my steel-toe boots were miserable. I bought thick camping socks (wool/cotton blend) foot was very warm, but toes were so cold it hurt. Got off early after a few days, and went straight to big workmans supply warehouse (Dickies, Carhartts, etc)
I was going to buy boots with no steel toe (risk getting fired), and found some with a kevlar toe that met OSHA standard. They were advertised that they were light, and could pass metal detector without having to remove them (it was a govt job) but I got them for the "cold-toe". Had to go to a lighter sock, because now my feet were sweating.
Most guys didn't keep track of them. Then I was stationed in Chicago during the winter of '77, -40F with winchill coming off the great lakes. I went to the used military clothing store and bought some cheap gloves like the ones I lost from boot camp. They worked suprisingly well. Wool stays warm even if its wet, wet cotton breathes and doesnt itch, but it sucks heat away. Thinsulate works as well as wool without the itchyness.
Well worth paying extra for, and thin snug gloves still have a good tactile feel, hard to scratch your itchy parts with eskimo mittens. To keep the thinsulate gloves from getting wet, I covered them with the thickest Nitrile surgical gloves I could find. To remove them, lift the wrist and blow into them, they slide off.
So happy with thinsulate, I bought a $20 black knit cap (burglar style) looks like the $4 cap but its thin and will fit easily under a ballcap or hard hat. I now have two of these knit caps. I wore baggy pants so sweat pants easily fit under them
I worked outside in snow once and my steel-toe boots were miserable. I bought thick camping socks (wool/cotton blend) foot was very warm, but toes were so cold it hurt. Got off early after a few days, and went straight to big workmans supply warehouse (Dickies, Carhartts, etc)
I was going to buy boots with no steel toe (risk getting fired), and found some with a kevlar toe that met OSHA standard. They were advertised that they were light, and could pass metal detector without having to remove them (it was a govt job) but I got them for the "cold-toe". Had to go to a lighter sock, because now my feet were sweating.
StudEbiker
100 kW
Thanks everyone...those are some good tips. We don't get much snow here and when it does it turns to slush pretty quick. No salt, but they do throw gravel. Zoot, sounds like you are familiar with the area. I am in Ashland which is east of the Cascades and in the Rogue River Valley. I have to admit, when it snows, I probably won't ride. 
McLovin, nice to hear some local advice and that you haven't had any concerns with wetness in your equipment. I carry a shower cap to wrap the controller and a large bag to put over the throttle, hopefully that will be enough.
McLovin, nice to hear some local advice and that you haven't had any concerns with wetness in your equipment. I carry a shower cap to wrap the controller and a large bag to put over the throttle, hopefully that will be enough.dnmun
1 PW
you can seal the ends of the controller with silicone rubber, keep the wire loom end down so any water can get out. ashland is banana belt, you guys are so lame about cold, even worse than these sissies here in portland. try riding on studs all winter like they do in canada. hehe.
but i'm a sissy too now, electric blanket on, but gonna wait for my first fire until after halloween. a tradition.
but i'm a sissy too now, electric blanket on, but gonna wait for my first fire until after halloween. a tradition.
Y'all make me feel lucky to live in Phoenix, AZ, where no fire is needed unless you're having a barbecue. 
Then again, thermometers and tubes explode if left in direct sunlight in the summer here.
Then again, thermometers and tubes explode if left in direct sunlight in the summer here.
dogman dan
1 PW
Winter is easy for me too, in southern New Mexico, but at a higher elevation at least it does freeze here. But 25 years on the ski slope did teach me a lot about staying warm. How many of you Canadians have actually built and slept in igloos?
Anyway, one of the old ski bum wisdoms is that if hands and feet are cold, the torso is underdressed. Another is that you can really lose a lot of heat out the head. So a thicker coat, or more layers under it may work better than changing gloves unless the gloves are total crap. A really oversize helmet that can fit a nice ski hat under it, and goggles or at least Mr Magoo style safety glasses help a lot by leaving less of the face catching wind. A full shileld motorcycle helmet will tend to fog the face shield, but ski goggles keep the face warm almost as good. Wind pants that have full length leg zippers make it easy to cover the legs without having to go and remove 2 layers of long johns once you arrive at work. Same stuff that works on a snowmobile or ski slope is gonna work on the bike.
If you aren't pedaling, even faux pedaling keeps you much warmer. I'd MUCH rather ride the ebike when it's 20F than the gas scooter. On the scooter you freeze a lot more without the pedaling to warm you up. A slower ride with lots of pedaling is warmer than a fast ride without, so get at least a 48 tooth front chainring and get there warm at 25 mph, rather than froze at 35.
Once the roads are ice, you guys are nuts. I know you do it, but maybe you don't have 15 miles to go? Here we're a bunch of pussies, a half inch of snow on roads and we cancel work and stay home with a big fire and some hot chocolate with schnapps. Or drive 300 miles to go skiing in Taos if you have a good ski car that can run the roadblocks on snow closed roads.
Anyway, one of the old ski bum wisdoms is that if hands and feet are cold, the torso is underdressed. Another is that you can really lose a lot of heat out the head. So a thicker coat, or more layers under it may work better than changing gloves unless the gloves are total crap. A really oversize helmet that can fit a nice ski hat under it, and goggles or at least Mr Magoo style safety glasses help a lot by leaving less of the face catching wind. A full shileld motorcycle helmet will tend to fog the face shield, but ski goggles keep the face warm almost as good. Wind pants that have full length leg zippers make it easy to cover the legs without having to go and remove 2 layers of long johns once you arrive at work. Same stuff that works on a snowmobile or ski slope is gonna work on the bike.
If you aren't pedaling, even faux pedaling keeps you much warmer. I'd MUCH rather ride the ebike when it's 20F than the gas scooter. On the scooter you freeze a lot more without the pedaling to warm you up. A slower ride with lots of pedaling is warmer than a fast ride without, so get at least a 48 tooth front chainring and get there warm at 25 mph, rather than froze at 35.
Once the roads are ice, you guys are nuts. I know you do it, but maybe you don't have 15 miles to go? Here we're a bunch of pussies, a half inch of snow on roads and we cancel work and stay home with a big fire and some hot chocolate with schnapps. Or drive 300 miles to go skiing in Taos if you have a good ski car that can run the roadblocks on snow closed roads.
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dogman dan
1 PW
That's true, 20F dry is toasty, while 33F wet will kill ya with hypothermia. In the wet, it's all about staying dry as you can.
