If you’re bored of sledging and itching to get out on your bike then don’t let a bit of snow put you off! I’ve had a quick hunt around the internet and found a number of innovative (if not crazy!) solutions to bike your way through the winter wonderland.
Let’s start with the craziest solution, the Cycle Snow Plough:
Given that most four wheeled modes of transport struggle in the snow I was fascinated to read about the bike snow plough. The plough is towed behind your bike and from the photos actually seems to do a pretty good job of clearing the snow (at least for everyone behind you), also looks like a great way to build those leg muscles. My only feeling about this is how on earth do you stay upright, I would suggest a slight modification of snow cycle stabilisers or certainly a set of studded tyres! If you fancy finding out more check out this link,
Ktrak: If you fancy the idea of snowmobiling but want to keep fit at the same time, then why not convert your bike using the Ktrak system. Essentially the system swaps your front wheel for a ski and converts your back wheel into a caterpillar like track, this driven by your normal cranks and chain. I have to say this one looks really cool and I’d certainly fancy having a go, looks like it could get pretty hairy on any big descents though!
Studded tyres: This is the option I’d choose if I felt I could justify the outlay and we were going to have a few months of snow. There are a number of manufacturers that supply studded tyres, one example being the Schwalbe Snow Stud Tyre that retails for around £20.
The advice given is that these tyres do increase rolling resistance but I’d rather have that than be skidding around. With the UK’s temperate climate it is also suggested that it would be wise to have a spare set of wheels so you can swap sets as conditions change given the studs performance off snowy surfaces.
Scwalbe Snow Stud Tyre
