5 ms·

When its MacGyvered, it's temporary. Remember last year? Snow hit parts of the south-eastern US and state emergencies were being declared... for a few inches. T

When its MacGyvered, it's temporary. Remember last year? Snow hit parts of the south-eastern US and state emergencies were being declared... for a few inches. That's when this is probably practical. Compare this to what London, Ontario has been facing. It's basically had a years worth of snow before winter has even started. Places around it had over 2 meters of snow fall within a period of a week. I know here in the GTA I regularly see over 3ft of snow in the bike lane in winter. I think if the plows had shifted over 2 meters off the road surface, even the most determined biker will say fuck it when the bike lane has snow higher than them. Also -5c can make 'all season' rubber become hard, brittle and reduce grip. So regardless, if you're biking in true winter conditions, you're better off to get winter tries made of actual winter rubber that will stay soft (usually) down to -35c.

joe_the_user 16y ago
Yes, but my need to ride my bike in an emergency is just about nothing. And my bike is my main mode of transportation. Also, taking that stuff off looks like it would be just as much work as putting it on. I've never ridden in snow except as a lark in Portland, OR (I was safe from cars then cause Portlander wouldn't drive in the snow). If I did live where it snowed, I think snow-tires or don't ride makes sense. Perhaps you could carry this stuff on a road trip but that's the only use I could possibly imagine. Definitely desperation time.
- zecho 16y ago
  Yeah. I ride all year round in Minnesota. Either having a beater bike that's winter-ready or winterizing your regular bike is a must. I have multiple bikes for multiple reasons: Long hauls, short daily commutes, exercise, and winter/off-road riding. I also make sure to keep enough gear around for different conditions that may come up. Normally I don't ride with fenders, but if it's raining, I'll grab the winter bike, which has them and replace the snow tires. 10-15 minutes of work in the spring and I'm ready to go through the summer. That said, I like the temporary hack here, provided it stays temporary (and is only done on bikes with disc brakes). Seattle doesn't get a ton of snow, so there's not much reason to keep studded tires around.
- electromagnetic 16y ago
  > Also, taking that stuff off looks like it would be just as much work as putting it on. If you have a good pair of snips it'll take you literally a second or two to get them off. However if you're using a crappy dollar store pair of scissors, it'll take you 5 minutes. Given that you should be storing enough non-perishable food for 2 weeks in case of an emergency, there really shouldn't be a reason to go out if you get freak weather beyond your local norm.

joe_the_user 16y ago

Yes, but my need to ride my bike in an emergency is just about nothing. And my bike is my main mode of transportation. Also, taking that stuff off looks like it would be just as much work as putting it on. I've never ridden in snow except as a lark in Portland, OR (I was safe from cars then cause Portlander wouldn't drive in the snow). If I did live where it snowed, I think snow-tires or don't ride makes sense. Perhaps you could carry this stuff on a road trip but that's the only use I could possibly imagine. Definitely desperation time.

zecho 16y ago
Yeah. I ride all year round in Minnesota. Either having a beater bike that's winter-ready or winterizing your regular bike is a must. I have multiple bikes for multiple reasons: Long hauls, short daily commutes, exercise, and winter/off-road riding. I also make sure to keep enough gear around for different conditions that may come up. Normally I don't ride with fenders, but if it's raining, I'll grab the winter bike, which has them and replace the snow tires. 10-15 minutes of work in the spring and I'm ready to go through the summer. That said, I like the temporary hack here, provided it stays temporary (and is only done on bikes with disc brakes). Seattle doesn't get a ton of snow, so there's not much reason to keep studded tires around.
electromagnetic 16y ago
> Also, taking that stuff off looks like it would be just as much work as putting it on. If you have a good pair of snips it'll take you literally a second or two to get them off. However if you're using a crappy dollar store pair of scissors, it'll take you 5 minutes. Given that you should be storing enough non-perishable food for 2 weeks in case of an emergency, there really shouldn't be a reason to go out if you get freak weather beyond your local norm.