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I'm a big baby about commuting in the winter. Never done it before, but I'd like to give it a shot this year. So I'm in Calgary where we have snowy rear end winters and I don't plan to bike to work all through winter but I figure with the right gear I can save a few bus tickets. So I've picked these tires up. Studded, same measurements as my OEM tires. Should be okay. The thing is though, the saying in Calgary is that if you don't like the weather, wait an hour! We have pretty extreme melts and chinook winds that make a couple wintry days feel like early fall. How do studded tires generally fare on dry(ish) ground? I'm thinking 2-3 days after a melt, should I be switching back to OEM tires when stuff clears up?
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Oct 30, 2023 05:00
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 02:25 |
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sweat poteto posted:I used to run the 4-row schwalbe version on a 5-mile commute through winter, they were ok on dry days too. Noticeably slower than normal road tires in same size but nowhere near bad enough to bother switching back between snow days. Slow and lumbering is the general feeling I've got so far, so that tracks. I got them on, and took my bike down to Decathlon to cash in on my free tune up. There was basically nothing wrong with my bike at all, but the tune up was free and I wanted some level of reassurance that I'm good to go for the winter. Dude seems to think so! The ride there and back was mostly dry with patches of slush, snow, and ice here and there. Mostly I could get around it but one unavoidable bit had me jerking around a little, worried I was gonna fall off. BUT - Decathlon dude had pumped the tires a bit to account for the drier weather, so I figure once it's icier out there and I let a bit of air out + I'm going over more consistent snow/ice instead of random bits here and there that should feel a bit better. Will report back if I die.
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Oct 31, 2023 20:53
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First full ride to work with the studs and yikes. It's dry right now, all the ice is avoidable so the studs really aren't doing anything except make a noise and I guess introducing more drag? The ride seemed harder than usual, at any rate, and I definitely lamented switching over so soon about halfway through that ride.
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Nov 2, 2023 16:27
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Ride back is a li'l uphill. Fully regretting the studs right now, but it started snowing pretty heavily after I got home so I guess the studs are getting their first real test in the morn!
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Nov 3, 2023 03:01
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Cold enough to use handlebar covers this morn, which lead to the discovery that my bell doesn't work when it's enclosed in them, so I felt like an rear end in a top hat weaving in and out of dog walkers 
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Dec 1, 2023 17:17
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Groda posted:Why would a dog owner be able to hear your bell over their earbuds? To be fair to the dog walkers in this area, the ones in the morning are usually pretty cheery and headphoneless. They're always happy to see me too and give me a friendly "good morning"! That's largely why I feel so bad about it - they expect (and receive!) so much better from me  The evening dog walkers suck rear end though
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Dec 1, 2023 22:49
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Fitzy Fitz posted:How do I protect my poor mucus membranes from the cold? I have some wool buffs and a couple of cycling face masks, but none of them are good. The buffs fall off my nose, and the masks are cumbersome; one has earloops that get tangled in my helmet, and the other is bulky. I also have a balaclava but that flattens my hair. We're having a ridiculously warm winter so I haven't put it through its paces in anything below -10C so far, but I just got these and they've been fine. No ear loops.
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Dec 7, 2023 22:20
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I am compelled to bitch about this morning's dog walkers. Dog walker #1 is video calling, presumably with headphones in. I am frantically ringing the bell to no response; the dog REALLY likes me and wants to play. Very adorable but I gotta get to work. Dog walker #2, through to #whateverthefuck have formed a phalanx of dogs across the bike path. Cute adorable play dog wants to make friends with them all. I cannot move because now all the dogs are having a cute wonderful adorable party in front of me. And then the magic of cute dogs is dispelled by one of the dog walkers telling me "Hey man maybe it's not a great idea to ride your bike here." It is a bike path.
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Dec 21, 2023 19:01
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Almost time to take the studded tires off. I've been off the bike now for about 2 months because the weather here was shockingly inconsistent, it just made the ice treacherous. Any recommendations here for helmet cams? The spring brings out the chuds and idiot dog owners that I'd love to catch on tape if they cause an accident. GoPros are a little too expensive as far as I can see.
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Mar 14, 2024 19:46
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trilobite terror posted:There’s years worth of GoPros to pick from. You don’t need a Gen 12 or Gen 13 or whatever they’re on. Something from 6-7 years ago will do fine for action cam duty. Good point! It was good enough for Peter Jackson's masterpiece in 2012, after all 
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Mar 14, 2024 19:55
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First ride of the season, with helmet cam, and I already caught a dumb dog walker  It's not a very good cam. Was only 50bux, but I got it mainly to capture any dog-based accidents which I think it does competently enough. https://i.imgur.com/Z3yCuZL.mp4 Also feel free to roast me if there was something I should have done better here (there is sound - I ring the bell a few times)
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Apr 10, 2024 17:23
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:What camera is it? I've been thinking about getting one to make a montage of all the dumb poo poo I see commuting. This thing: https://www.amazon.ca/Apexcam-Underwater-170%C2%B0Wide-Angle-Rechargeable-Accessories/dp/B07HP18CWC It's "4k" in that it can do 4k@30fps which is completely unwatchable. Switch it to 1080@60fps for something that is at least bearable.
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Apr 10, 2024 17:49
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kimbo305 posted:Is it a true 30fps? That seems totally fine? I don't think so. It was extremely bad when I tried it out (just walking around inside). It was also excessively large, I just don't think it's useful at 4k at all.
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Apr 10, 2024 18:33
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alnilam posted:
It's an officially designated off-leash park (on a bike path, in coyote town lol) so they're allowed to do this, but most people would have sense or something. The law obviously is that your dog has to be in control at all times, but everyone obviously has perfectly well behaved dogs and it's your fault if you provoke them. Grateful for the feedback - going between them wasn't super smart but I will say it's not very clear on camera but there was quite a bit of room. The grass is wet and muddy so it wasn't my preference to do that. I'm also having some trouble with my back brake and did not give myself more time to slow down, so I should address that. Going around was clearly the safer thing to do here and that's my take away. Thanks!
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Apr 10, 2024 20:14
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I don't make the rules, I just try to not fall off my bike. I got bitten in that park. To be fair I was on an e-scooter and so I deserved anything and everything that happened to me, but again - the dog wasn't recallable therefore should not have been off leash.
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Apr 10, 2024 20:18
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How do you get good at uphill
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Apr 12, 2024 00:41
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TheFluff posted:Since you're asking in the commuting thread: just get an ebike, OP. Doesn't seem so drastic in comparison.  It's a very long, steadily increasing stretch. I don't why but it just loving kills.
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Apr 12, 2024 17:13
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How did I not notice earlier that my brake cable is frayed/snapped With any luck that won't be impossible for this idiot to replace.
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Apr 15, 2024 17:47
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loving  I did not even think that I might need to cut it. I actually have....very few tools. Time to stock up I guess.It's not routed inside thankfully.
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Apr 15, 2024 18:40
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Before I end up with the wrong thing - https://www.decathlon.ca/en/p/8555307/mtb-city-bike-universal-brake-cable-stainless-steel Claims to be a "universal" cable. In bikeworld does that mean....any cable any bike? I have the Riverside 120 from Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.ca/en/p/8405304/riverside-120-hybrid-bike They also have a kit containing the housing, or the housing is separately sold. If you're replacing a cable, I assume it's a good idea to replace the housing, too? https://www.decathlon.ca/en/p/3289171/universal-brake-cable-and-housing-kit
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Apr 15, 2024 21:41
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 02:25 |
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SimonSays posted:Any LBS or general sports store will have both kinds. Not sure about Decathlon's nomenclature but it sounds like a French way to describe it Makes sense, Decathlon are French as gently caress. I tend to look there first since that's where I got the bike from, so I just assume they have the bits for it. I might just head over there and see what they say.
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Apr 15, 2024 21:55
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