[troytech.2012]

I encourage everyone to try riding through winter. This is my first season riding year round and I'm quite happy with the experience. I expected some tough, cold rides on my 30 minute commute to work, but that is not the case.
If you live in an environment with snowy winters, as I do, it seems dangerous and uncomfortable, but I'm finding with the proper preparation it is a pleasant ride.

My only rule is that I don't ride if there is snow on the roads. Despite having winter tires that I'm finding give me great traction on wet and slushy roads, I am not gonna chance it in snow. The little snow I have encounter has not given me any issues. I had to order my winter tires form England because for some reason they are not available in North America. They were actually pretty reasonably price, even with shipping. I can share my contact in England if anyone is interested.

I try to avoid rain, even light rain, not because I don't want to get wet, but because with the sand on the roads to prevent black ice the water that comes up form the tires of other vehicles is very dirty and makes it very difficult to see through the visor. Someone needs to invent a good, affordable helmet with a wiper blade!

Proper equipment is the key. A heated visor on your helmet. Warm two-layered pants and jacket. Warm boots that fit well with your gear shifter. Warm gauntleted gloves. A thick balaclava (or double up on a thin one). Heated grips with good wind-breaks to cover your hands, I use Bark Busters. With this equipment I've so far driven in -7ºC weather and not felt at all cold. I expect I'll be fine down to -15ºC, maybe even -20ºC. This is yet to be determined.

I tuck the inner layer of the pants into my boots then wrap hockey shin pad tape around the boot and pant leg to keep it from pulling out and causing a draft. My jacket is a little loose around the middle so I clip a belt around my middle to prevent a draft up my back.

Because it gets dark very early in winter (5:30pm in my area), I installed interior LED lights in all my cases with plugs to disconnect if I want to remove the cases, as well as a couple back-up LED stripes on a switch for backing into my garage in the dark.

I haven't tried this yet, but I bought a 12v heating pad for a car seat that I plan to use to line one of my three hard cases and hook up to a switch so when I pickup take-out it will stay warm on the ride home.

If you want to try riding through winter and have any questions for me, feel free. Also, if you have any advice for me, I welcome it. I like to learn from others, as well as to share my experience.

It was -1ºC this day.

 

[troytech.2012]

Are those all year , wet and dry tires ?

They are winter only. I picked up a second set of complete wheels for spring/summer.

 

[troytech.2012]

Are those all year , wet and dry tires ?

Since your for Texas you may not be aware...
These tires are actually made for better traction on ice, as well as cold wet roads which are more slippery then warm wet roads. Summer tires have a hard rubber (relatively) to last longer in the heat since heat softens rubber.
Winter tires are made of a softer rubber for better cold temperature traction. They also have thin lines cut into the tread because on ice, or other slippery surfaces, the edges are where you get traction in a slide. The more edges, the better grip. You can see the lines in the photo. You can also see my wife's winter tires for her Caravan,

In snow it's different. Because snow is soft, it's a lot like mud. You want deep wide groves to grab the snow. The is why I originally went with Shinko 705, but I quickly found out the tread lugs are much too wide and caused me to slide on cold wet roads. The hard rubber likely didn't help, either.

Do you have tires like this in Texas? If I'm not mistaken you do get snow occasionally, but very little and very rare. Not sure about your most Northern cities, though, and not sure if you ever get ice.