14 ms·

The MacGyver Approach to Winter Biking (Zip Ties)

146 points by MikeCapone 16y ago

jrockway 16y ago
Interesting. Seems reasonable.
TimMontague 16y ago
This requires a bike that doesn't have hand brakes, otherwise the zip ties would get caught on the brake pads.
- digitallogic 16y ago
  Also, it is gonna be even more of a pain to change a flat.
  - jemfinch 16y ago
    One benefit of snow is that it protects from a lot of the things that would ordinarily cause a flat.
  - tomjen3 16y ago
    You just need to have a cutting tool on you at all times, but you should do that anyway since a knife is very useful.
    - jessriedel 16y ago
      But then you have to put on a whole new set of zip ties too.
- mhd 16y ago
  The pictures are a bit blurry and I'm not up to date on my hipster brake technology, but he seems to have hand brakes. With enough clearance, this shouldn't be a big problem.
  - maximilianburke 16y ago
    I think the other poster he meant disc brakes vs. centre pull/cantilever cable-actuated brakes.
    - TimMontague 16y ago
      Ah yes, disc brakes would explain it.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
- barkingcat 16y ago
  Yah the bike in the image has disk brakes. you can see the disk at the centre of the wheel. Disk brakes have "handlebar" brake levers, but the braking force is directed by small pads that grind against a disk - just like car brakes. They can be mechanical or hydraulic based.
- imd 16y ago
  By hand brakes, you mean rim brakes. Disc brakes are operated by hand, and they work. The only brake I can think of that's not a hand brake is a coaster brake.
slug 16y ago
How about getting a pair of decent tires? When riding my bike during the winter my usual problem is the fact the bike lanes become the dump site for the snow and mud mixture or the new parking lane.
T_S_ 16y ago
Great hack! Not mentioned: They have to be yellow (as pictured) to get the desired effect. Cable ties are also used to ward off magpies in Australia during the nesting season.
- RK 16y ago
  I had to look up this magpie thing, because it sounded really bizarre. http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-&-riding/10754/ http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-&-riding/10754/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES_n4DgJDHs&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES_n4DgJDHs&NR=1
  - T_S_ 16y ago
    I've been personally swooped there. Not fun. It only lasts a few weeks a year. Pretty much only in September.
enjo 16y ago
Ahh dang it.. this was going to be my answer for hacking the system if I ever needed to apply to YC:)
schultzor 16y ago
This is clever, but I'd be curious to see how long the cable ties will last before dulling/breaking off. If you plan on riding with any regularity in the winter on snow/ice, the $100 for a set of studded tires is well worth it. They'll last multiple winters and don't present issues with changing tires or using rim brakes.
- GrooveStomp 16y ago
  By the sounds of it, Seattle is very similar to Vancouver. We average about two weeks of snow a year - roughly one week in November/December, then another week in January/February. Each time there's only about 3 or so inches of snow. Usually it's not a problem on main roads, but this year we got a little more snow than usual. The zip-ties would come in extremely handy for the several days of on-road-snow we actually have to worry about. For us Pacific Norwesters, $100 studded tires is overkill.
chaosmachine 16y ago
Good winter tires can make the difference between life and death (ie: sliding under a car). My recommendation: Don't trust your life to a couple dozen plastic zip ties. If you're dealing with ice on a regular basis, pick up some Schwalbe Ice Spikers. 304 tungsten steel studs per wheel. They're expensive (about $100 each), but I've never had a fall or lost a stud in 4 years of daily winter biking... and I live in Ottawa, a city that regularly experiences -20c weather (cold enough to make plastic very brittle).
- icegreentea 16y ago
  Somewhat off topic, but does the term MacGyver mean the same thing to everyone here? In my mind, they're always temporary/in a pinch solutions, and the parent's post could go unspoken (though I'm glad he spoke it). Macgyver solutions work to get you to the point where real solutions are now possible. In other words, a subset of hacks (you can have long-term, or superior to 'standard' hacks). I mean, even MacGyver didn't invent his own Swiss Army knife everytime he needed it... though he probably did once.
  - tomjen3 16y ago
    To me it just means that you violate one or more laws of physics :) But now that I think about it, that would seem to be implied, because if something is lasting, it would work with and not against reality.
  - zacharycohn 16y ago
    I've always used the term to mean "a temporary, short term hack that will serve the purpose until we have the time/resources to create/implement something that can be long term."
    - mwsfc 16y ago
      Agreed. This is exactly how I've always understood it.
- mhd 16y ago
  Strangely enough, on the same blog where the story was originally from, there's an entry about Schwalbe Marathon Winters[1] a few days later. Aptly titled "A more professional solution"… [1]: http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/A_More_Professional_Solution/ http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/A...
blasdel 16y ago
I've done it before on bikes with coaster/drum brakes and on the rear wheel of a fixed gear, they do actually give you a bit more traction in snow. You can put the heads on the tread side for studdedness but then they break right the hell off the second you hit clean pavement. You can also put the heads on the rim side for a plain paddlewheel effect. They still like to break off easy, especially with cheaper zipties. Overall it's not worth it at all, since they don't last and don't help on ice where it would actually matter. Even true carbide-studded tires from Nokia or Schwalbe aren't really worth it unless you live somewhere with ice on the ground from freeze-thaw cycles for months out of the year. If it's just slush, relatively narrow normal tires will cut through to the pavement just fine. If it's snow, larger volume tires at lower pressures helps more than anything, and knobs are relatively pointless (much less studs) — you just want to float on top of it like sand.
hop 16y ago
Some much better DIY bike chains: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/diy_bicycle_tire_chains.html http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/diy_bicycle_tire_ch... These could probably be improved further by ditching the zip ties for something reusable like velcro.
- watchdogtimer 16y ago
  Not recommended. The cross-chain links will gradually wear from grinding on the pavement to the point where they'll break. When that happens, the loose chain can get snagged in the frame (or--even worse--the fork) and lock up the wheel. I went over the handlebars when this happened to me on the front wheel several years ago. Carbide-tipped studded tires made by Schwalbe, Kenda, or Nokian are definitely the way to go. We've operated a bike delivery business for the past 18 years in the upper Midwest US and have tried almost everything. Nothing else works as well nor as reliably. The tires will last a few years so the cost per year is not huge.
- stavrianos 16y ago
  I did this once- it's a lot trickier to get that set up when you haven't got disk brakes, lemme tell ya. The chains wore out a lot faster than I expected, to the point that it wasn't a practical solution.
hopeless 16y ago
Seems like a good hack for shoes too (admittedly, just the toes section). This might come in handy as we in Ireland are about to experience some severe snow/ice storms over the next week and are perpetually unprepared for the snow which briefly hits each year. I'll be trying out the shoe-variant at the weekend!
- eru 16y ago
  Socks over your shoes also work well.
  - jac_no_k 16y ago
    Research and recognition for this: http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2010 http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2010 PHYSICS PRIZE: Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest of the University of Otago, New Zealand, for demonstrating that, on icy footpaths in wintertime, people slip and fall less often if they wear socks on the outside of their shoes.
gst 16y ago
Just switched to studded tires on my bike today (Schwalbe Marathon Winter). They make a HUGE difference. With my old tires I nearly hadn't any grip at all today. With the studded tires I can break on black ice and it feels like breaking on dry concrete. Yes - they've been somewhat expensive. With shipping I've payed about 110 Euros. But I'll prefer investing some money in good tires, compared to crashing and landing under a car.
msisk6 16y ago
This works with motorcycles, too. I was told about this method several years ago by an old Harley biker. He said zip ties should be in your bag incase you get stuck off-road or surprised by some snow. They won't last long, but they'll get you out of a jam. I've never used 'em, but I keep a package of extra-long zip ties in my bike's saddlebags just in case.
bobx11 16y ago
Good luck changing a flat.
- jrockway 16y ago
  His support van is right behind him. Swap the wheel and change the tire in the shop. If you're commuting, just buy studded tires. Amazon has them and two-day shipping is free :)
burgerbrain 16y ago
I'm fairly certain they had to pack up an entire streets worth of snow to take those pictures. Seattle hasn't gotten shit for snow this year, unless I somehow slept through it.
JoeAltmaier 16y ago
You call that snow? It gets that way in April here.

146 points by MikeCapone 16y ago

jrockway 16y ago

Interesting. Seems reasonable.

TimMontague 16y ago

This requires a bike that doesn't have hand brakes, otherwise the zip ties would get caught on the brake pads.

digitallogic 16y ago
Also, it is gonna be even more of a pain to change a flat.
- jemfinch 16y ago
  One benefit of snow is that it protects from a lot of the things that would ordinarily cause a flat.
- tomjen3 16y ago
  You just need to have a cutting tool on you at all times, but you should do that anyway since a knife is very useful.
  - jessriedel 16y ago
    But then you have to put on a whole new set of zip ties too.
mhd 16y ago
The pictures are a bit blurry and I'm not up to date on my hipster brake technology, but he seems to have hand brakes. With enough clearance, this shouldn't be a big problem.
- maximilianburke 16y ago
  I think the other poster he meant disc brakes vs. centre pull/cantilever cable-actuated brakes.
  - TimMontague 16y ago
    Ah yes, disc brakes would explain it.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
barkingcat 16y ago
Yah the bike in the image has disk brakes. you can see the disk at the centre of the wheel. Disk brakes have "handlebar" brake levers, but the braking force is directed by small pads that grind against a disk - just like car brakes. They can be mechanical or hydraulic based.
imd 16y ago
By hand brakes, you mean rim brakes. Disc brakes are operated by hand, and they work. The only brake I can think of that's not a hand brake is a coaster brake.

slug 16y ago

How about getting a pair of decent tires? When riding my bike during the winter my usual problem is the fact the bike lanes become the dump site for the snow and mud mixture or the new parking lane.

T_S_ 16y ago

Great hack! Not mentioned: They have to be yellow (as pictured) to get the desired effect. Cable ties are also used to ward off magpies in Australia during the nesting season.

RK 16y ago
I had to look up this magpie thing, because it sounded really bizarre. http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-&-riding/10754/ http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-&-riding/10754/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES_n4DgJDHs&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES_n4DgJDHs&NR=1
- T_S_ 16y ago
  I've been personally swooped there. Not fun. It only lasts a few weeks a year. Pretty much only in September.

enjo 16y ago

Ahh dang it.. this was going to be my answer for hacking the system if I ever needed to apply to YC:)

schultzor 16y ago

This is clever, but I'd be curious to see how long the cable ties will last before dulling/breaking off. If you plan on riding with any regularity in the winter on snow/ice, the $100 for a set of studded tires is well worth it. They'll last multiple winters and don't present issues with changing tires or using rim brakes.

GrooveStomp 16y ago
By the sounds of it, Seattle is very similar to Vancouver. We average about two weeks of snow a year - roughly one week in November/December, then another week in January/February. Each time there's only about 3 or so inches of snow. Usually it's not a problem on main roads, but this year we got a little more snow than usual. The zip-ties would come in extremely handy for the several days of on-road-snow we actually have to worry about. For us Pacific Norwesters, $100 studded tires is overkill.

chaosmachine 16y ago

Good winter tires can make the difference between life and death (ie: sliding under a car). My recommendation: Don't trust your life to a couple dozen plastic zip ties. If you're dealing with ice on a regular basis, pick up some Schwalbe Ice Spikers. 304 tungsten steel studs per wheel. They're expensive (about $100 each), but I've never had a fall or lost a stud in 4 years of daily winter biking... and I live in Ottawa, a city that regularly experiences -20c weather (cold enough to make plastic very brittle).

icegreentea 16y ago
Somewhat off topic, but does the term MacGyver mean the same thing to everyone here? In my mind, they're always temporary/in a pinch solutions, and the parent's post could go unspoken (though I'm glad he spoke it). Macgyver solutions work to get you to the point where real solutions are now possible. In other words, a subset of hacks (you can have long-term, or superior to 'standard' hacks). I mean, even MacGyver didn't invent his own Swiss Army knife everytime he needed it... though he probably did once.
- tomjen3 16y ago
  To me it just means that you violate one or more laws of physics :) But now that I think about it, that would seem to be implied, because if something is lasting, it would work with and not against reality.
- zacharycohn 16y ago
  I've always used the term to mean "a temporary, short term hack that will serve the purpose until we have the time/resources to create/implement something that can be long term."
  - mwsfc 16y ago
    Agreed. This is exactly how I've always understood it.
mhd 16y ago
Strangely enough, on the same blog where the story was originally from, there's an entry about Schwalbe Marathon Winters[1] a few days later. Aptly titled "A more professional solution"… [1]: http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/A_More_Professional_Solution/ http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/A...

blasdel 16y ago

I've done it before on bikes with coaster/drum brakes and on the rear wheel of a fixed gear, they do actually give you a bit more traction in snow. You can put the heads on the tread side for studdedness but then they break right the hell off the second you hit clean pavement. You can also put the heads on the rim side for a plain paddlewheel effect. They still like to break off easy, especially with cheaper zipties. Overall it's not worth it at all, since they don't last and don't help on ice where it would actually matter. Even true carbide-studded tires from Nokia or Schwalbe aren't really worth it unless you live somewhere with ice on the ground from freeze-thaw cycles for months out of the year. If it's just slush, relatively narrow normal tires will cut through to the pavement just fine. If it's snow, larger volume tires at lower pressures helps more than anything, and knobs are relatively pointless (much less studs) — you just want to float on top of it like sand.

hop 16y ago

Some much better DIY bike chains: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/diy_bicycle_tire_chains.html http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/diy_bicycle_tire_ch... These could probably be improved further by ditching the zip ties for something reusable like velcro.

watchdogtimer 16y ago
Not recommended. The cross-chain links will gradually wear from grinding on the pavement to the point where they'll break. When that happens, the loose chain can get snagged in the frame (or--even worse--the fork) and lock up the wheel. I went over the handlebars when this happened to me on the front wheel several years ago. Carbide-tipped studded tires made by Schwalbe, Kenda, or Nokian are definitely the way to go. We've operated a bike delivery business for the past 18 years in the upper Midwest US and have tried almost everything. Nothing else works as well nor as reliably. The tires will last a few years so the cost per year is not huge.
stavrianos 16y ago
I did this once- it's a lot trickier to get that set up when you haven't got disk brakes, lemme tell ya. The chains wore out a lot faster than I expected, to the point that it wasn't a practical solution.

hopeless 16y ago

Seems like a good hack for shoes too (admittedly, just the toes section). This might come in handy as we in Ireland are about to experience some severe snow/ice storms over the next week and are perpetually unprepared for the snow which briefly hits each year. I'll be trying out the shoe-variant at the weekend!

eru 16y ago
Socks over your shoes also work well.
- jac_no_k 16y ago
  Research and recognition for this: http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2010 http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2010 PHYSICS PRIZE: Lianne Parkin, Sheila Williams, and Patricia Priest of the University of Otago, New Zealand, for demonstrating that, on icy footpaths in wintertime, people slip and fall less often if they wear socks on the outside of their shoes.

gst 16y ago

Just switched to studded tires on my bike today (Schwalbe Marathon Winter). They make a HUGE difference. With my old tires I nearly hadn't any grip at all today. With the studded tires I can break on black ice and it feels like breaking on dry concrete. Yes - they've been somewhat expensive. With shipping I've payed about 110 Euros. But I'll prefer investing some money in good tires, compared to crashing and landing under a car.

msisk6 16y ago

This works with motorcycles, too. I was told about this method several years ago by an old Harley biker. He said zip ties should be in your bag incase you get stuck off-road or surprised by some snow. They won't last long, but they'll get you out of a jam. I've never used 'em, but I keep a package of extra-long zip ties in my bike's saddlebags just in case.

bobx11 16y ago

Good luck changing a flat.

jrockway 16y ago
His support van is right behind him. Swap the wheel and change the tire in the shop. If you're commuting, just buy studded tires. Amazon has them and two-day shipping is free :)

burgerbrain 16y ago

I'm fairly certain they had to pack up an entire streets worth of snow to take those pictures. Seattle hasn't gotten shit for snow this year, unless I somehow slept through it.

JoeAltmaier 16y ago

You call that snow? It gets that way in April here.