Snowy Ride In

Today was my first truly snowy commute. There was probably an inch and a half of fresh snow this morning and double that on the way home.

By and large it wasn't a problem. On the way in it was virtually all fresh snow: Lots of work but very little affect on stability. On the way home I took some side streets which were completely unplowed by driven a little bit. This was a rough ride. You'd hit certain patches of disturbed snow and your bike would shake back and forth. At first it was extremely disconcerting and I thought impossible to deal with. However, I eventually realized that I wasn't falling down and if I kept my speed up I kept better balance.

Keeping my speed up meaning to go faster than 6mph...

Overall it wasn't bad. Last night I purchased ski goggles. These are a huge help. At this point I cover every inch of skin and keep everything pretty warm. I could use some warmer gloves though.

The current winter equipment:
* Studded tires: $90 (pair)
* Fleece mittens: $10
* Cotton glove liners: $10
* Weather shell: $100
* Ski goggles: $45
* Insulated Shoes: $40
* Balaclava (smart wool, I recommend it): $30
* Beanie (half wool, I couldn't find all wool): $20
* Warm long johns: $40 (I'm not sure, they were a gift)
* Regular shirts and jackets, I'm not gonna cost this cause it's not for biking.
Total: $385

Winter cycling gear is not cheap. Although most of the cost is in a few small items. You only need studded tires on a few days, but you can't put them on each time without wearing the tire out before the tread is worn. Anyway, purchasing a second wheelset or putting the studs on a junker bike, solves this. You'll wear through wheelsets anyway, so don't worry about the cost in the long run.
The weather shell is worth it and is useful during every season but summer.

You can live without the ski goggles. I wanted something to keep my glasses from icing over and to keep that part of my face warm on negative temperature days. They keep my face warm but I must admit that I still get some fog on my glasses. It's better though. These things really ought to be cheaper though. Hopefully I can get several years out of them.

You need insulated shoes if you intend to ride when it's below 20 degrees.