Figuring out how to keep your body warm in cold and wet conditions is always tricky, but keep in mind that your bike undergoes changes in those temperatures, too. Here are some pointers on what you can do to get your machine ready to face Old Man Winter.
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1. Go wide and soft
There are few materials whose properties are more drastically affected by a huge downward swing in temperature than your tires — specifically, the rubber that so tenuously grips the road or trail. Whereas in more reasonable conditions your tread might willfully conform to the ground and keep you upright, it will harden up in ultra-cold temperatures and leave you wanting for traction right when you need it the most.
Many tire companies publish the specific Shore durometers of the rubber compounds used in the tread. Higher numbers indicate a harder compound and usually, companies go with a medium option so as to balance grip, durability, and rolling resistance. If you plan on regularly heading out this winter, consider switching to tires with a softer compound than what you'd normally run for a little extra traction.
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Specialized tire guru Wolf VormWalde also advocates going with a tire built with a synthetic, not natural, rubber compound.
"Below 7°C, the temperature has noticeable negative effects on rubber compounds that are designed around natural rubber," he said. "The compound becomes harder, less flexible and adjusts less to the ground. A softer natural rubber, carbon-filled compound is preferable to a harder natural rubber compound. The natural rubber compound still hardens more than a comparable synthetic silica compound with a higher glass transition temperature would."
2. Lighten up — your hub lube, that is
3. Ease into it
4. Tweak the squish
5. Tune up the power
6. Fix it — or freeze it
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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