Weekly Wednesday Rides April Through September

• Wednesday nights
• 6:00 pm, Ballard Road Park and Ride, just north of Hwy. 41
  
• faster than 14 mph, slower than 22 mph
• approximate distances -- generally fewer miles in the spring and fall (12-16), more in the summer (25-30ish) when we have more light

Studded tires for bicycles are now legal in Wisconsin. We give a big Thank you to the Wisconsin legislature and Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin for making this happen.

Studded tires aren’t really necessary for riding in snow, but on ice or hard packed snow, nothing beats them. There is something just sassy about riding up a grade of sheer ice on a bicycle, getting better traction than a car.

I’ve been riding to work for several years (illegally, apparently). This year I’ve been riding for more enjoyment, there being not enough snow for skiing. I’ve always enjoyed Christmas rides. It was snowing during the Friday evening before Christmas this year. Those times are beautiful. The tires just made a hushing whoosh through the snow. The Christmas lights were on. Beautiful.

Check out some local bike shops for studded tires. When I got mine, they were hard to find. Besides other sites, I used mainly Peter White’s site for my education. The site discusses more than just tire attributes. Regarding tires, a friend recommended Nokian Mount and Ground, with studs on the edge of the tire. I ended up getting the Hakkapeliitta. It has studs just in the center. This means I take slowly, I don’t want to lean too much and get off the studs. My son-in-law recently chose a tire that combines both. Icebike is also excellent.

Besides the standard winter clothing, I recommend two specific pieces of equipment. First is a mirror. True, we can always turn our heads and look. We do it in summer, right?. I tried that with a winter coat, neck gator, in a rut on dicey snow wanting to turn left, without turning left in front of a car. I decided then and there to get the mirror. I haven’t turned back since.

The second piece is a balaclava. A neck gator is okay, but a balaclava really covers everything. I got a Shampa Pharaoh. Being designed for motorcycles, it has a wind proof front panel. Nice.