Improved Traction Options for Winter Biking: Commuter, Hybrid & Cyclocross Bikes

Winter is fast approaching and those of us who don't want to pack away the bike for the winter have a few options to choose from to help improve traction on ice and snow.  Studded tires are the obvious choice for most and chains are still yet another option.  Studded tires are available for all types of cyclists, from the daily commuter, all season mountain biker or the winter fatbike rider.  Chains are used primarily by mountain bikers and fatbike riders.  In this post I will go over some of the products available for commuter, hybrid and cyclocross bikes to help make your ride a little safer and provide better traction this winter.

When biking this winter, whether it's for commuting, exercise or fun, icy conditions are a major concern and riding with studded tires can give you the traction you need to prevent a crash.  Icy ruts, black ice, packed snow and changing temperatures that cause freezing and thawing are just some of the hazzardous conditions you may run into on a daily basis.  Choose the correct tire for the type of surfaces that you will encounter to get the maximum benefit from tread and studs.  Will you be riding mostly on plowed roads and paths or dirt roads and paths that may not always be plowed?

The Kenda Klondike Skinny comes in two sizes, 700c x 35mm and 700c x 40mm.  It has open, directional knobs and 100 carbide studs to provide stability and traction on ice and snow.  With wear, the studs retract extending tire life.  The skinny width of this tire will give you good clearance of the fork and frame for packed snow conditions.

The 45NRTH Polara is a 700c x 35mm tire with 110 replaceable stainless steel studs and tightly spaced center knobs with deep inter-knob trenches.  These tires roll well on pavement and give you the traction you need in the snow and on ice.

The 45NRTH Xerxes is a 700c x 30mm commuter folding tire with 140 lightweight aluminum carbide studs.  It's ultra-narrow profile will easily cut right through deep snow and slush while its tight center tread allows it to be a fast rolling tire.  This is an excellent tire for the daily commuter that rides on plowed roads or paths.

The Innova Studded is a 700c x 45mm tire with 114 replaceable steel studs.  It is the widest of the tires mentioned in this post and would be a good winter cyclocross or trekking-commuter tire.  Replace worn or missing studs with the Innova Replacement Tire Stud Tool Kit.

 The Kenda Klondike K1014 Studded Snow Tire comes in two sizes, a 700c x 35mm and a 700c x 40mm.  This tire has 100 polymer-body carbide tip studs and is a great choice for the trekking-commuter or cyclocross bike owner in light snow conditions. 

Don't let another Minnesota winter keep you from getting out there on your bike.  For you commuters, winter isn't going to stop you from making the daily commute and many of you have already switched to your winter tire of choice.  For the rest of you, implement one of the above choices to add plenty of traction and increased safety for snow and ice on your rides this winter.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 11/22/12

Thanksgiving morning ride through the woods

Taken 11/22/12

Location:  Cannon Valley Trail

2.5 miles east of Welch Station

Welch, MN

GPS Map Location

Full Cycle Bike Shop-Changing Lives One Bike at a Time

Credit:  Fullcyclebikeshop.org

Matt Tennant is the founder and director of Full Cycle which is a nonprofit business of the Pillsbury United Communities in south Minneapolis.  The bike shop employs and trains a couple dozen at-risk homeless youth under the age of 23 each year through its six month paid internship program.

Matt discover years ago while working at a homeless shelter that by bringing in bikes to work on, the youth there would open up to him, drop their guard and show an interest in working on bikes.  In 2002 Matt developed the concept for Full Cycle to implement what he had learned and to teach these young people bike repair, business skills and to provide them with a sense of pride and accomplishment to better their lives.  This, in turn gave them a break from the stresses of life on the streets, provided employment, taught business skills, supplied access to resources and changed lives.

Full Cycle is a full service bike shop open to the public and sells new and used bikes, parts and accessories.  They have mountain bikes, road bikes, BMX, hybrids and kids bikes in their large ever changing inventory.  So if you are looking for something specific, give them a call or stop by the shop and they will set you up.  Experienced bike mechanics and paid interns provide a wide array of bike repair services from parts replacement and adjustments to tune-ups and overhauls.  Revenue from bike sales and services funds the programs that Full Cycle provides for homeless youth.

Full Cycle accepts bike donations that will help furnish training opportunities and transportation for its interns and all donations are tax deductible.  They will also recycle damaged bikes for a $10 fee.  These can be dropped off at their shop during business hours.  If you would like to donate in another way, please consider making a tax deductible donation online through the Pillsbury United Communities (PUC).

Full Cycle also has a Free Bike Program that allows homeless youth the opportunity to build their own custom bike in the shop from donated parts.  If you would like to set up an appointment or know someone that would, contact Matt Tennant or Crystal Brinkman at 612-824-7581.

Full Cycle shop details

Location:
3515 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN  55407
Phone:  612-824-7581
Google Maps

Shop hours:
Tuesday, 12 pm - 6 pm
Thursday, 12 pm - 6 pm
Friday, 12 pm - 6 pm
Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm (May-October)

On the web:
Fullcyclebikeshop.org
Follow on Twitter:  @FullCycleBike
Like on Facebook

Matt Tennant, Crystal Brinkman, Rita Van Allen and the Pillsbury United Communities provide a valuable service for homeless youth in the Twin Cities through Full Cycle.  Support this great program in any way you can through donations and your patronage.  If you would like to apply for an internship or know of someone who could benefit from it, download the application, fill it out and submit by e-mail, mail to Matt or Crystal (3515 Chicago Avenue South  Minneapolis, MN  55407) or stop by in person at the shop.

Improved Traction Options for Winter Biking: Fatbikes

Winter is fast approaching and those of us who don't want to pack away the bike for the winter have a few options to choose from to help improve traction on ice and snow.  Studded tires are the obvious choice for most and chains are still yet another option.  Studded tires are available for all types of cyclists, from the daily commuter, all season mountain biker or the winter fatbike rider.  Chains are used primarily by mountain bikers and fatbike riders.  In this post I will go over some of the products available for fatbikes to help make your ride a little safer and provide better traction this winter.

Fatbike tires allow for low pressure inflation which in turn gives the rider better traction and floatation through snow and icy conditions.  There are quite a few tire choices out there and I will touch on a few regular and studded options that will provide improved traction for winter riding. 

The 45NRTH Husker Du is a 26x4.0 tire that provides excellent traction on snow and ice with its additional molded sipes in the tread.  Low pressure and the fat profile will give the grab and floatation necessary for snowy and icy conditions.

 The Surly Endomorph is a 26x3.7 tire with a high volume casing that allows you to run it with very low pressure to provide a larger footprint.  This will give you better traction and floatation through deeper snow and soft terrain.  Increase the tire pressure for hard, rough or packed snow surfaces.

For the ultimate floatation in snowy conditions, there is the Surly Big Fat Larry.  This tire measures a whopping 26x4.7 and needs to be mounted on the 100mm Surly Clown Shoe.  High volume equals very low pressure for maximum floatation in deep snow giving you a very large footprint as you move along.  Play around with tire pressure to see what is best for the varying conditions experienced in winter.

45NRTH has come out with the first ever studded fatbike tire, the Dillinger.  This 26x4.0 tire has 240 lightweight aluminum carbide studs that bite into ice providing excellent traction in slick conditions.  Climb icy hills and roll through snowpacked singletrack with ease and control.  With studs scattered throughout the tread surface, feel confident when cornering and braking at varying speeds.

Penn Cycle now has the Dillinger in stock at its Eagan and Minnetonka locations.

Credit: Gripstuds.com

Grip Studs are another option for increased traction on ice and snow.  These are screw-in bicycle tire studs with a solid tungsten carbide shaft that have a wide-auger design.  Installation is easy using a power install tool on a cordless drill.  Their shallow auger depth will work with most off road bicycle tires and can be removed after winter is over and they are no longer needed.  However, they are not cheap, but then studded tires ready to go aren't either.  They will set you back $99.95 for a pack of 100 and $149.93 for a pack of 150 and the manufacturer recommends 100-150 per tire.

Image Credit:  Slipnottraction.com

Chains are an alternative to the studded tire.  SlipNot Traction Systems of  Bayfield, Colorado makes chain sets for both mountain bikes and fatbikes.  For fatbike tires they are available in several sizes, 3.7"-3.8" on 65mm rims, 3.7"-3.8" on 85mm rims, and 4.7" on 100mm rims.  Installation is easy and only takes about five minutes for both tires.  They come with a mesh bag to place them in to easily clean by rinsing and hanging to dry.  These will work with both disc and caliper brakes, as well as fenders that have at least a 1/4" clearance around the tire.

Don't let another Minnesota winter keep you from getting out there on your bike.  Implement one of the above choices to add plenty of traction and increased safety for snow and ice on your rides this winter.  

In a future post I will list options for commuter bikes.

Improved Traction Options for Winter Biking: Mountain Bikes

Winter is fast approaching and those of us who don't want to pack away the bike for the winter have a few options to choose from to help improve traction on ice and snow.  Studded tires are the obvious choice for most and chains are still yet another option.  Studded tires are available for all types of cyclists, from the daily commuter, all season mountain biker or the winter fatbike rider.  Chains are used primarily by mountain bikers and fatbike riders.  In this post I will go over some of the products available for mountain bikes to help make your ride a little safer and provide better traction this winter.

For mountain bikers that like to ride all winter long there are two ways to go, studs and chains.  Studs have been around for quite a while for 26" tires but until recently they were not available for the larger 29" tires.  Now 29'ers have a studded tire, the Nokian Suomi Gazza Extreme 294.  This 29x2.1 tire features 294 carbide steel pins for excellent traction on ice and snow.  

It is normal to lose 5 to 10 studs during riding due to friction.  There is a tire stud tool and replacement pack of studs available to keep your Suomi Gazza Extremes performing at their best.

One other more expensive choice for 29" wheels is the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro.  This tubeless ready folding tire boasts 402 tungsten carbide tip aluminum studs.

For the mountain biker with 26" wheels there is a lot of options for studded tires.

45NRTH has the Arcwelder which is a 26x2.1 tire with 268 replaceable steel studs.




 
Continental has the Spike Claw, a 26x2.1 tire with 240 hardened steel studs.

Kenda has the Klondike K1013, a 26x2.1 tire with 252 polymer-body carbide tip studs for use in light snow.

Nokian Suomi has the Hakka WXC 300, a 26x2.2 folding tire with 300 sharp steel studs with carbide pins and 61 ShA carbon silica tread compound for an excellent grip on ice and snow.

Manufacturers of studded tires recommend that the tires have a break in period to ensure they are optimized for ice and snow.  This is done by riding about 30 miles on road or paved trail surfaces to help set the studs.  This break in period will prepare them for off road use and prevent excessive loss of studs.

Image Credit:  Slipnottraction.com

Chains are an alternative to the studded tire.  SlipNot Traction Systems of  Bayfield, Colorado makes chain sets for both mountain bikes and fatbikes.  For mountain bikes they are available for both 26" and 29" wheels in a variety of different tire widths.  Installation is easy and only takes about five minutes for both tires.  They come with a mesh bag to place them in to easily clean by rinsing and hanging to dry.  These will work with both disc and caliper brakes, as well as fenders that have at least a 1/4" clearance around the tire.

Don't let another Minnesota winter keep you from getting out there on your bike.  Implement one of the above choices to add plenty of traction and increased safety for snow and ice on your rides this winter.  

In future posts I will list options for commuters and fatbike riders.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 11/17/12

Riding the river's edge

Taken 11/17/12

Location:  River Valley Trail-77/Cedar Segment

Minnesota River Bottoms

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Bloomington, MN

GPS Map Location

Minnesota Bike Blog to Check Out-Ride Fatbikes

Minnesota is known as the "Bike Friendly State" and there are quite a few good blogs about biking in this great state to keep you informed.  They cover everything from road cycling, mountain biking, fat tire bikes, bike advocacy, traffic and bicycle infrastructure, cyclist's personal experiences and even the weather as it relates to biking.  I will post a series highlighting some of the blogs that I follow regularly that you may want to check out or subscribe to.

Credit:  RideFatbikes.com

RideFatbikes.com is a fatbike community website by fatbike riders for fatbike riders.  The site was started by Brad Boyd in March of 2011 not long after he purchased a fatbike.  Brad has been biking for fun and transportation going back to when he was a kid in the '80's.  He got into mountain biking in the early '90's and rode through his college years, but took a hiatus from the sport after that.  It wasn't until 2008 when Brad got back in to biking after he "discovered the simplicity of fixed gear bikes".

Brad told me "When I purchased my fatbike in 2011, I realized I could enjoy riding my bike in all kinds of weather, all kinds of terrain, and my fatbike became an adventure vehicle.  The fatbike was so much fun and I had so many questions about it when I rode it that I created a website to spread the word and become more of a cycling advocate."  He also stated his mission, "Ride Fatbikes is a community focused on expanding the visibility of fatbikes and sharing information and resources with others who share the same interest."

Ridefatbikes.com has become a great source of information for riders from all over with its fatbike news, reviews and resources.  This site is loaded with everything fatbike related.  There is a Fatbike Events page that lists upcoming races and rides, a Rent Fatbikes page which puts you in touch with shops throughout the country that rent fatbikes , and a Gear & Reviews page for reading or posting about various fatbike gear.

The Fatbike Library page is a wealth of information to link you with fatbike manufacturers, parts & gear, fatbike-friendly bike shops, websites, blogs, and much more.  Visit the home page to keep up to date on all the fatbike news, advocacy, products and rider's adventures.

Brad's Minnesota-based company, Ride Enterprises, LLC manages the Fatbike Frozen Forty which is a 40 mile mid-distance fatbike endurance race held in Minnesota.  2012 was the successful inaugural running of the "Triple F" and the 2013 race will be a part of the Great Lakes Fatbike Race Series.  The second annual Fatbike Frozen Forty will be held on February 16, 2013 at Elm Creek Park in Maple Grove, MN.

Ride Enterprises also manages or operates several advocacy websites including the Fatbike Galley.  It is the premier gallery for fatbike photos by and for fatbike riders.  It's forum format allows riders to submit their adventure photos, race photos or their fatbike "show and tell".

If you are an experienced rider, new to fatbikes or would like to see what they're are all about, Ride Fatbikes is the website for you.  Keep up to date on all of the latest posts by subscribing via RSS Feed or visit RideFatbikes.com to navigate the site.  Follow on Twitter @RideFatbikes or like on Facebook.  If you have any comments, suggestions or feedback about the site, visit the Contact Us page and let them know.

I found the easiest way to keep up on all of the latest content for the blogs I read is to use a RSS reader client such as Google Reader or Flipboard.  These allow you to put together all of the blogs you read into one convenient place.  There are a lot of RSS readers that work with desktop computers and smartphones so pick the one that best suits your needs.  Soon I will bring to you another Minnesota bike blog worth reading.

Minnesota Bike Blog to Check Out-MORC Weather Blog

Minnesota is known as the "Bike Friendly State" and there are quite a few good blogs about biking in this great state to keep you informed.  They cover everything from road cycling, mountain biking, fat tire bikes, bike advocacy, traffic and bicycle infrastructure, cyclist's personal experiences and even the weather as it relates to biking.  I will post a series highlighting some of the blogs that I follow regularly that you may want to check out or subscribe to.

The Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC) brought a new informative feature to their website back in April which cyclists of all types will find useful,  The MORC Weather Blog.  It is written by avid mountain biker and meteorologist Kristin Clark.  This blog has allowed her to combine two things she loves, weather and cycling.  When Kristin isn't mountain biking or keeping us up to date on the MORC Weather Blog, she is an on-air meteorologist for WeatherNation TV  which is a 24/7 national weather channel based here in Minneapolis.  WeatherNation TV can be found on cable channel 11.2 in the Twin Cities.

Kristen is no stranger to cycling.  She raced on the collegiate level as a member of the Penn State University Cycling Club, has mountain biked across Costa Rica, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and settled here in Minnesota which she thinks has "killer mountain biking".

Kristin mixes her knowledge of cycling with weather to give cyclists the information they need for planning accordingly for their next ride.  She breaks down the science behind the weather in an easy to understand format with pictures, graphs and charts.  Mountain bikers will find her blog especially useful since the sport relies a lot on the weather for favorable singletrack conditions.

One feature of the MORC Weather Blog called Cyclecast will give readers a quick five day weather outlook so they can plan the best days to head out on the bike and how the weather will impact trail conditions.  Combine this with MORC's Trail Conditions forum for up to date trail conditions and closures from MORC members who have been out on the trails.

Keep up on all of the latest weather conditions by subscribing to the MORC Weather Blog via RSS Feed, or visit Morcmtb.org/weather.  Follow Kristin Clark on Twitter @KclarkWNTV, and follow MORC's Trail Conditions @trailconditions.

I found the easiest way to keep up on all of the latest content for the blogs I read is to use a RSS reader client such as Google Reader or Flipboard.  These allow you to put together all of the blogs you read into one convenient place.  There are a lot of RSS readers that work with desktop computers and smartphones so pick the one that best suits your needs.  Soon I will bring to you another Minnesota bike blog worth reading.

MRRT Update: Pine Bend Bluffs Segment Nearing Completion

Most of the southern half of the Pine Bend Bluffs segment of the Mississippi River Regional Trail has been paved and is nearing completion.  Placing top soil and grading work continue along the sides of the trail in preparation for seeding.  A lot of progress has been made since my last report and the photos below will detail completed work and what is still to be done.  The photos will chronicle the trail from 117th St. E northward to 111th St. E. at intervals to show the full length of this 1.1 mile segment.

Below is the section of trail to still be paved.  This is part of the 300' section I mentioned in the last post that was unclear on the placement and paving of it.

It does appear that it may get paved soon by the markers that are in place.  Fence, edge of trail, guard rail and back of curb markers are place along this section indicating trail placement.

Just past this point is one of two scenic overlooks that provide great views of the river, Baldwin Lake and the Mississippi River Valley.

The next series of photos show the trail as it meanders along the edge of the bluffs and deep wooded ravines.

At this point is the second scenic overlook with a viewing platform off the trail.  This overlook provides the best view of the valley, you can see for miles here.

The trail continues on past the scenic overlook winding through the woods and meeting up with the finished northern half of the Pine Bend Bluffs segment of trail.

I ventured my way back to 117th St. E. and plotted the trail with my phone's GPS to show the course it actually takes.  Below is a screenshot showing the direction and elevation of the trail.

On my way back I encountered these guys.  I'm sure there will be a lot of sightings for those that use the trail with all of the wildlife habitat nearby.  The Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area is one of the most undisturbed areas in the Twin Cities.