Since the weather has been snowy and icy here in Utah, I decided to improve traction. I have known that studded tires are available for bikes and I also knew that I had no money for them, so I figured I would wait and get some later when I purchase my commuter bike (3 or 4 years down the road). Well, I decided to see what I could find on the internet about winter riding. I found a few really good sites that talk about different winter conditions and how to handle them. While taking in such great information I stumbled upon "do it yourself studded tires" instructions. At first I was kind of wary, after confirming the genius idea with other sites I decided to stud the extra set of tires I had in the shed. I have been very pleased and quite surprised with how they turned out. Since they clear the roads quickly I decided to only but 136 studs on each tire ( I could put at least another 136 on each) but that would make it really heavy. I also thought they were sticking out way too far but it still handles okay on pavement.
The other neat addition are these breaks that light up when I apply the rear breaks. The design has not yet been perfected so they seem to not work periodically and I doubt many will recognize them as break lights, but it is a little extra light for visibility and the idea is just fun in itself.
If your interested, check out
Ice Biking and the
Dirt Rag Blog which is the 5th part out of five about cold weather riding (the links to parts 1-4 are at the bottom of the post). If you ride, have fun and be safe.
P.S. For me the funnest part about riding in the snow and ice is learning how to handle the bike in adverse conditions. I do fall every once and a while and I often step out of the pedal because I don't want to fall. But I have realized that if I am confident and pedal through the slips and slides I usually come out victorious, which is my goal.
That's really cool. I get a huge sense of satisfaction when I do something myself rather than pay a lot of money for someone else to do it. Way to go, buddy! Ride safely!
ReplyDeleteI'll say it again...you're crazy. How anybody could like doing anything out in the cold, ice, and snow is beyond me. But I do understand Jill's sentiments about accomplishment and satisfaction. That much I get!
ReplyDeleteYour tires look cool though. When Jaren first told me about it I couldn't fathom what it would look like and how the tire wouldn't deflate. Good job getting it to work! See you in a half hour!