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Old 03-01-2011, 10:22 PM   #6 (permalink)
basjoos
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Upstate SC
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Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX
Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US)

AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.14 mpg (US)

Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
90 day: 65.83 mpg (US)
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I used to ride my bike to school year around when I lived in Berlin, Germany. The take home lessons were:

Dress warmly.

Fenders are a must, especially when riding in slush (melting snow)

Take the curves slowly while keeping your bike as vertical as posible by leaning your body to the inside of the curve (also good when riding on icy roads)

Braking distances are longer and you can drag your feet in the snow as additional braking when the wheel braking isn't sufficient

The electrical generator sometimes wouldn't get enough friction to spin on a snow/slush covered tire.

When riding in 6" of crusty snow on a well used bike path, things can get interesting. You have to follow the pre-existing tire tracks like rails since you can't break out of them. When coming to an intersection or other direction change, look for a set of tracks leading in the direction you want to go and steer into it. If you can't find a continuous track, you have to stop, lift your bike out of the track you are in, shift or carry it over to the track leading where you want to go and set it in that track and start riding. Balance can be tricky since the track, rather than your hands controlling the handles, is determining where you are headed and you have to anticipate the curves with your weight shift.
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