http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Tag: winter - Recent Topics en Wed, 13 May 2026 01:50:52 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11657#post-133177 Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:58:58 +0000 KarenJS 133177@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've been cycling for years but am a relative newbie to winter cycling. I usually give up cycling to work when the clocks change as the normal problems with roads and weather are that much worse, and scarier, when it's dark and cold. However, I've invested in a good light and continued up till now (most days anyway), but my next challenge is cycling when it's icy/snowy. </p> <p>I was wondering if anyone had any tips/advice for commuting in this weather? Anything from what clothes to take/use to how to avoid skidding! If there's already a thread I haven't found, please let me know. My commute is all in the city, mix of roads and cycle paths. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8695#post-88117 Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:46:24 +0000 cc 88117@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I see the council has a <a href="http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/1291/roads_and_pavements-adverse_weather_plans/361/winter_road_and_pavement_maintenance/1">map and searchable list</a> of its priority gritting routes.</p> <p>I've successfully used it to find a safer alternative to my normal route to work, where I came a cropper a year or two back on sheet ice one morning.</p> <p>Whether the priority gritting routes do all get gritted in time is another matter but I'll give our lovely council the benefit of the doubt on that one. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9073#post-93608 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:09:02 +0000 Dave 93608@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>As a break from my current major work-in-progress, I penned a bit of a ramble about why you really want the Marathon Winter (but here's the rationale).</p> <p>Just in case anyone's dithering, interested, or even plain bored:</p> <p><a href="http://mccraw.co.uk/which-studded-tyre/" rel="nofollow">http://mccraw.co.uk/which-studded-tyre/</a></p> <p>Whee! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=9064#post-93366 Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:19:19 +0000 ARobComp 93366@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I enjoyed reading this this morning.</p> <p>From the XKCD: What If? series : <a href="http://what-if.xkcd.com/">http://what-if.xkcd.com/</a></p> <p>Question:<br /> I bike to class sometimes. It's annoying biking in the wintertime, because it's so cold. How fast would I have to bike for my skin to warm up the way a spacecraft heats up during reentry?<br /> —David Nai</p> <p>Answer:<br /> Reentering spacecraft heat up because they’re compressing the air in front of them (not, as is commonly believed, because of air friction).</p> <p>According to this calculator, to increase the temperature of the air layer in front of your body by twenty degrees Celsius (enough to go from freezing to room temperature), you would need to be biking at 200 m/s.</p> <p>The fastest human-powered vehicles at sea levels are recumbent bicycles enclosed in streamlined aerodynamic shells. These vehicles have an upper speed limit near 40 m/s. This is the speed at which the human can just barely produce enough thrust to balance the drag force from the air.</p> <p>Since drag increases with the square of the speed, this limit would be pretty hard to push any further. Biking at 200 m/s would require at least 25 times the power output needed to go 40 m/s.</p> <p>At those speeds, you don’t really have to worry about the heating from the air—a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that if your body were doing that much work, your core temperature would reach fatal levels in a matter of seconds. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4204#post-43683 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:25:57 +0000 kaputnik 43683@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I guess we've all been thinking recently about the nights drawing in, weather getting colder and winter being on the way and was wondering what preparations others are making to get ready. We have a thread about spiky tyres, but thought I would open this up a bit wider.</p> <p>So far in about the last 3 weeks, I have;</p> <p>* Got a dynamo hub front wheel (but have yet to get a light for it!)<br /> * Got some winter cycling boots (last year's MW80)<br /> * dug out my merino skullcap, but it appears to have shrunk somewhat and I might need to get a new one if it keeps retreating back up my head, exposing my ears<br /> * put the tinted glasses lenses away and dug out the yellows and clears<br /> * put the retro-reflective band back around my helmet<br /> * I'm going to do the old Respro-taping up the frame trick.<br /> * I'm also considering putting my old rack on the bike and going back to a pannier for the winter - as much as I like my courier bag, it does encourage back sweat. The rack is also a further place to mount a clearly visible tail light.<br /> * Might also pop into Tiso for another icebreaker top and some short merino socks. I used normal wooly walking socks last winter, but they aren't much good for the ankle-fastening boots.</p> <p>Anyone else making any other preparations for the impending "brutal Siberian"* conditions that are on the way?</p> <p>*EEN journalistic meteorology licence </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1564#post-15033 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:49:46 +0000 Wendy 15033@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>With the colder weather slowly encroaching upon us, don't forget that your bike needs a bit of extra TLC to keep it running slickly and smoothly through the winter.</p> <p>Basic winter maintenence classes are starting on Mondays, from 6-8pm at the Bike Station to teach you the skills you need to keep your bike in tip-top condition. The class fee is £10, and this includes a can of de-greaser and either a set or mudguards or lights.</p> <p>If you are interested in attending a class then please contact Esther Halcrow at <a href="mailto:esther@thebikestation.org.uk">esther@thebikestation.org.uk</a> or 0131 6628970 for more details and to register for a class. </p> <p>Walk-ins are not accepted - you must pre-register with Esther if you wish to attend a class.</p> <p>Wendy@theBikeStation </p>