Four weeks. Twenty papers. That's two dollars. Plus tip. (Winter Riding Guide)

Winter is here, and with it comes squishy white stuff that freezes and severely limits the friction coefficient of the asphalt. Most of you, like me, enjoy a healthy combination of slick 20-25mm tires and lack of bike handling skills. Commuting is hard enough when its cold, when the snow hits it can seem impossible. There are a few "alternative" products, however, that can make riding in the snow possible, if not enjoyable.

On a related note, I drove to Denver last Saturday to visit the in-laws. I thought about bringing my road bike, since there are literally hundreds of miles of paved multi-use trails where they live, but the forecast was for heavy snow, so I didn't. Although the snow had mostly melted when we got there, the next day there was a fresh coat of eight inches, then another eight the next day. I did get to ride a ski-bike type contraption similar to the one Johnny-the-demon-spawn-newspaper-boy from Better Off Dead rode though, so it wasn't a total loss. Except for the ski-bike, which apparently wasn't made to handle the impact of a small jump carrying 300 pounds (200=me, 100=my wife) So anyway, in honor of Johnny and his heroic pursuit of his rightful compensation, I present the Winter Riding Guide, with ratings based on a $2.00 scale.


The Ski Bike

There are many incarnations of this concept, each more ridiculous than the last. Some, like the above model, are obviously only suited for downhill use and instilling a healthy fear of God in the rider, while others, like this one:

seem to allow for luxuries like "braking" and "pedaling." While modifying an existing bike seems to be failry cheap and straightforward, the practical applications are limited to sledding hills and providing amusement for passing cars.
Score $.45

The Studded Tire

Nothing is more annoying that having to change tires to suit conditions. Especially when those condition include "riding anywhere that isn't covered with snow." Now I've never actually used these tires, but it seems like they would probably work well in the snow. They probably also weigh about 5 pounds each, aren't made for road bikes and will leave deep gouges in my faux-hardwood floor.
Score $1.10

The Surly Pugsley


The Pugsley has either been reverse-engineered from Megatron, (like most of our technology,) or is just what happens when the people at Surly decided to put motorcycle tires on a mountain bike frame. Again I haven't actually ridden one, but I can imagine myself floating through waist-deep powder on a bluebird day, carving turns on my ugly, purple $1800 bike. The tires look like they weigh about 10 pounds each, however I'm pretty sure you can get studded ones.
Score $1.55 (might have been higher if not for the astronomical price tag.)

So there you go. Next big snowstorm we get, just nail a 2x4 to a ski, bolt it on to your front fork, put your 2.5" studded tire on the rear, then throw the whole thing in the trash and ride your Pugsley to work.

Or take the bus.

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