Doing without a car?

Hi all,

My car has just failed its' MoT and is beyond economic repair.

So I'm using the SV for the time being. Who here rides year-round? Unless I can find a decent car for a bargain price, I'll be joining you. I'm not new to biking but haven't ridden through a winter since my first year or riding in 1999!

I recall it being a miserable experience, and the thought of doing 40+ miles a day on cold and possibly icy roads doesn't fill me with confidence

Any tips? Thermals?

Save for 2 months before real winter hits?

[JamesMio]

Originally Posted by thefallenangel

Save for 2 months before real winter hits?

Aye, THIS ^

I ride in the cold, not too fussed about that but it's nice knowing I don't HAVE to when it's really cold/wet/icy etc.

There's a big difference between stealing a ride on a sunny winters morning, and having to commute in the freezing cold.

Gumtree / eBay for a £2-500 scrapper to see you through till Feb/March would be my vote!

I am on the lookout for a motor in that price bracket. My last car was a £200 fiesta I ran for 18 months, and the one before that a Pug 106 I got for free

[Nutsinatin]

Take it easy, there are no prizes for going fast and sliding off on ice! Good bulbs (Osram Night Breakers /Philips X-Treme) help with the short days and make sure that you can see where you are going. Keep your core warm with lots of layers, will help keep your toes and fingers warmer. Waterproof and windproof clothing is pretty much a must, even just a rain mac over your bike gear will make a big difference in stopping wind chill and keeping you dry in the rain. Make sure you've got more than 2mm on your tyres or take it very easy in the wet and a pinlock is a great investment for being able to see, if not anti fog spray is cheap and better nothing. If the weather is really bad e.g. snowy/icy either leave late or don't do it, a day off work in bad weather is better than a few weeks off in hospital with a wrecked bike!

[shiftin_gear98]

I ride year round and agree with everything Nutsinatin has said.


My two essentials Pinlocks - I only discovered these last year. Oh my god - everyone should get some.
Best £30.00 I ever spent. No more cracked open visor on a cold rainy morning. Bliss.


In the deepest parts of winter I'd be lost without my heated grips, getting to work and nearly crying whilst trying to get the feeling back into your hands sucks.
It's quite nice riding when the snows falling! Not so much once it's settled!


Oh, and save the riding like a tit for the summer.

[Heorot]

Until I retired this year, I rode all the year round. Only days when I didn't was if it was tipping it down, snowing or too icy. Once roads were gritted, I would ride even in the ice. As said above, splash out on heated grips at least, but make sure that they are connected via the ignition and not directly to the battery because you WILL forget to turn them off and then your battery will drain and you're stranded.

[timwilky]

forget heated grips, they do nothing for the backs of your fingers/hands. Now heated gloves are wonderful and you can even get heated vests, pants, socks, boot insoles etc. Toast!

[Heorot]

Tim, I would have suggested that too, but they are expensive at around £120 and you still need to connect them somehow to the bikes electrical supply. I get the impression that money is tight for Carpet Monster. Oxford Hot Grips can be bought for around £43 on Ebay. You still need to get them wired into the ignition though.

[_Stretchie_]

I have heated grips on the BlackBird but as mentioned above they just 'take the edge off' really my fingers still get really cold, I'm looking into bar muffs for the 125 cos I'll be commuting on that.

What is your commute like?

Mine is 11.5 miles and 11 miles of it is 50 or NSL so 'wind chill city'.