Winterized

DrkAngel

1 GW
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Messages
5,300
Location
Upstate-Western-Southern Tier NY. USA
Just pulled out my 2008 EZip Trailz 3517 miles, and this is its 3rd Winter.
Put my homemade studded tire on the front.
Picked up a used Klondike XT, with still good carbide studs and put it on the back.

Greased the bottom bracket, axles, and motor gear reduction with wheel bearing grease.

Used a "high speed turbine oil" on the freewheels - motor, and 7spd.
I heated them up with a hair drier, till the oil seeped in nicely.

I tried a new "oil" on the chains, a synthetic, specifically designed to repel moisture.
Very thick at 60* room temperature.
After cleaning chain with WD40, I wiped, then "dried" with "low" hair drier setting.
With nice warm chain on bike, I drizzled the thick oil along the chain, while turning the pedal.
Then held a small paintbrush against chain as I continued to turn the pedal, till chain was nicely coated.
I will wipe it down with a rag, after I ride it in, a bit.


Still using the cheapo plastic fenders, better than nothing, I have a spare pair of "full" fenders but they are a hard polycarbonate (plastic), that might shatter from an impact, when cold.

One tip - typically I set my seat for good pedal assist, (tip of toe when stopped.)
During winter conditions, I can drop my seat, so that I can "ski" my feet, for extreme safety.
 
I am also, experimenting with a different type brake pad.
Only on the front, to begin with.
This should make comparison easier .

The oem pads are a very hard composite(?) type, but work "well", as long as you keep them adjusted properly.
My "trial" pads are of a more "rubberized" multi-composition, the leading edge being harder, with a sharp leading edge. to cut through-spread snow, ice, mud etc., the trailing half seems slightly softer and wider, possibly providing the majority of the friction-stopping power.

Just installed, so no "real" results yet. If they prove advantageous I will promptly post pictures and link.

Oh ... what the hey.
Preliminary results look good.
(Ground (Bare-unpainted) Aluminum alloy wheels)
Product reviews look very good!
They are so cheap, and take so long to deliver. (Week or 2)
I don't believe you can go too far wrong.

$4.99 per set w/shipping! - click on picture
 

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I've been running a bit n the ice and snow. Klondike XT tire doesn't seem to work as well as my homemade studded tire, maybe it will be better on ice only?
Conditions, so far, are an ice snow mix.

Brake pads seem more effective, than oem, but when wet, they require a few revolutions, before "grip" is good, (not uncommon ... but disappointing).
 
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The brake pads are still working nicely, except when wet.
Very little wear, considering the abuse I put them through.
Another bonus is that I no longer need a horn!
Nice and quiet, at first ... they now squawk at the slightest squeeze!
Bear down and it sounds like a train locking its steel wheels.
Everyone turns their heads in shock and alarm!
 
Cleaned, lubed and waxed!
Did a power wash at the local car wash.
Lubed axles, BB, derailleur, chain etc.
Paste waxed my entire frame - helps mud, slush. salt etc, slide off.
Waxed all my cables.
"Armor-All"ed my tires, protects from salt and cold and helps them shed snow, slush, salt etc.

Ready for 3rd Winter trial of my homemade studded tire!

Final step ... making an extension "mud flap" for the front fender.
Trying to keep the crank, pedals and my feet, reasonably slush free.
I plan on a flexible Armor-All ed tube segment adhesived to the polycarbonate fender.
I might experiment with "forming" the flap, with heat or by "plying" two layers, bonding together in the desired "formed" shape.

Will post results ... when prototyped successfully.
 
It's always impressive to see winter ebikers in upstate. How many miles do you have on that Currie? bike so far?
 
grindz145 said:
It's always impressive to see winter ebikers in upstate. How many miles do you have on that Currie? bike so far?
4000 miles total.

Retired to Winter duty at about 3000 miles, 3 years ago.
Suffered with "mountain" tires for parts of 1 Winter.
Went studded 2 Winters ago.
Only able to run it for 3 brief snows last Winter, ran my Summer bike in February ... in my T-shirt!
Maybe 1000 Winter miles total.

PS - "Summer" 2008 eZip Trailz is nearing 5500 miles.
Comfort Cruiser 2009 eZip Trailz (Stepthrough) is at +3000 miles
Backup eZip Mountain Trailz was re-manufactured and stored @ ~3500 miles
Wow! - 16,000 eZippin' miles.

Just got a new 2013 eZip Trailz LS - stored for next Summer
Stored - New 2008 IZip Mountain Trailz, never run - Aluminum frame, front disc brake etc. Saving till upgrades perfected.
 
Winter storm Draco arriving in Western Upstate NY today.
We are expecting 1+ foot of snow for the weekend and sub freezing temperatures for the next week.
That is more snow than what we had for the entire last Winter!

Winter eZip is all pumped up and ready to go! Me too!
Homemade studded front tire has plenty of bite from the sheetmetal screws.
Outer rows of screws installed Nov 2010. Inner row "refreshed" ~Feb 2011.
Plenty of screw left, but, thoroughly coated with rust, should be shaken off after 1st ride.

Should be great fun.
Nice fluffy snow, just below freezing for the highs and teens and 20's during nights.

Downside ...
High Winds! - Low Visibility! +40mph winds, +60mph gusts, last night.
~30 mph winds, blowing snow, for the entire weekend, gusting higher! Not ideal for bikin'.

Bright side ...
Mon & Tues ... partly sunny, near 30F with "gentle winds".
Great ... unless the lowly "Stompers" have messed up my trail.
 
Amen man. I'm going to setup the izip with my studded tires for a little winter riding fun as well.

I don't really buy the winter storm crap. I rode my motorcycle to work today. We'll see... :mrgreen:
 
Well, first off, we got a paltry 3-4" of snow. Roads were clear by noon.
2' drifts tho ... horrible nasty wind.

Which brings me to something, that I totally forgot about!
When you are moving along at 15mph, into a +30mph gusts, at near 50mph, snowflakes hurt like hell when they hit your bare eyeball!
I just didn't remember to put on my goggles ...
 
Polycarbonate is used for safety glasses and bullet-resistant windows; if it became brittle when cold, I think we'd know that.
 
Winter Storm Euclid "dropped in", 3-4 in, per hour. Got about 12" last evening.
Took a 2 mile trek to the post office, in the dark, - horrible.

Roads were terrible.
About 8" of snow, with a little salt churned in near the bottom, too cold to pack.
Just enough "substance" that my studs could never touch the asphalt.

So I headed for the sidewalks - reasonably good, early footprints were a bit rough.
Best-easiest pedal assist was through the lawns - fresh +10" "sugar snow"* with frozen ground below.

Not so fun was my feet plowing through the snow or, later, scraping snow off my socks and out of my shoes.
Brought back memories of my mother tying bread wrapper bags over my shoes and pant legs - 60's ... 1960's!

* Sugar snow is an old timer reference to a granular snow, too cold to pack, it actually flows down hill when shoveled, similar to sand or sugar.
High winds will pick it up, producing nasty drifts, similar to sand dunes. Hopefully we get enough sun to melt a crust, to keep it in place.
 
Getting ready ... again!
My bike is my main concern, everything gets lubed up.
Grease for all bearings and multi-viscosity motor oil for most everything else.
I heat up the freewheels, shifter, idler pulleys etc and let the oil suck in.
Filling everything with petroleum products helps keep out the snow-slush-water.
Except for the chain lube, I avoid synthetic lubricants ... the synthetic greases I've tried seem to be clumpy, with a lack of "stick".

Gonna warm up my bike and paste wax everything, will probably even use hair dryer to "flow" the wax everywhere.
Protects and makes cleaning much easier!

Major difference this year will be my battery.
I am building a 33.3V 31.2Ah 18650 Li-ion pack to replace the 37V 20.8Ah I have used for the past 2 Winters.
The slight voltage decrease will be more than offset by the large Ah increase!
Especially in the cold, the Lithiums suffer severe voltage sag.
Hopefully the larger AH pack will provide a higher usable voltage output, the 150% Ah is a bonus.

Of course, I will be running studded tires.
My homemade will be center rows restudded and tire coated with "tire treatment" ... protect & preserves the "rubber" and helps it stay clean.

Am still shopping for better fenders and will spray them with cooking spray to decrease ice buildup. ... ?
 
Nice DA. I decided to go 100% car-less this year.
Here's how my winter transportation usually goes, (1) search frantically in a fall for a junker that I don't have to pay too much for, (2) buy some junker that has an inspection until about February (3) junker gives me trouble and I end up just riding my motorcycle/bicycles anyway

So this year I'm getting smart and not putting the car on the road. The plan is to carpool and use the Currie izip modded with winter tires etc as the backup. I have some Nokian Studded tires that should help with grip. Since it's not worth a whole ton of money, I don't mind slogging it through the salt. It should be a formidable adventure considering I life 20 miles from work in a rural setting with LOTS of snow... :mrgreen:
 
While I do have a car, I put 500 miles on it last year, I tend to use it for hauling cargo ... or my septuagenarian mother to the Docs.
(Depreciation, insurance, gas etc = ~$4/mile)
On the other hand, I put nearly 5000 miles on my eBikes.
( Depreciation, battery, electricity etc = ~$0.02/mile )

Snow etc. is no problem for me, but I have started my car when the cold drops into the teens F.
The bitter biting cold isn't worth it.
After 50+ Winters, every old "poor choice" gets remembered by the stabbing cold.

Plans for this year include "drip stations" for by bike at home and work.
After a quick brush off I will take my eBike into a nice warm environ.

Remember to let your bike cool down before it's wheels touch the snow.
Snow will melt and freeze making rim brakes ... unpredictable.
 
DrkAngel said:
Remember to let your bike cool down before it's wheels touch the snow.
Snow will melt and freeze making rim brakes ... unpredictable.

No :mrgreen: Aluminium is one of the few metals that get more strength in cold. Aircrafts are made of it and they flying in -50C with no problems.
But if you mean that water gets in double-walled rims and than expands while freeze this could be prevented by lubricating the nipples with thick vaseline.
 
Jolly Jumper said:
DrkAngel said:
Remember to let your bike cool down before it's wheels touch the snow.
Snow will melt and freeze making rim brakes ... unpredictable.

No :mrgreen: Aluminium is one of the few metals that get more strength in cold. Aircrafts are made of it and they flying in -50C with no problems.
But if you mean that water gets in double-walled rims and than expands while freeze this could be prevented by lubricating the nipples with thick vaseline.
1. Warm wheels will melt snow
2. Melted snow re-freezes into ice on wheels
3. Rim brakes do not work well on ice coated rims!
 
DrkAngel said:
Jolly Jumper said:
DrkAngel said:
Remember to let your bike cool down before it's wheels touch the snow.
Snow will melt and freeze making rim brakes ... unpredictable.

No :mrgreen: Aluminium is one of the few metals that get more strength in cold. Aircrafts are made of it and they flying in -50C with no problems.
But if you mean that water gets in double-walled rims and than expands while freeze this could be prevented by lubricating the nipples with thick vaseline.
1. Warm wheels will melt snow
2. Melted snow re-freezes into ice on wheels
3. Rim brakes do not work well on ice coated rims!

Dang it.
I mistaken this one sorry.
brakes - breaks my english is not perfect :oops:

Disk brakes are better for snow it seems.
I will use this winter some spiritus/ethanol or better Propylene glycol (please don´t use Ethylene glycol) for breake deicing. :D
 
I like my homemade studded tires.
See - Studded Tires?
At full pressure (65psi) they handle everything from glare ice to wet bricks.
However, for packed snow, low pressure (30-40psi) seems to work better, rides on top of snow rather than cutting in.
This makes for something of a dilemma ... should I vary pressure before starting out or keep higher pressure and lower as advisable.
Carry a CO2 inflater or my 1lb 12V air pump from my 12V Light pack?
(I found nice 12V led headlight, running lights and flasher that work nicely!)
 
Not quite yet ...
But a good time to start thinking about it!
Making sure my Snow Beast is in shape.
Took it to the car wash in the Spring and did a thorough wash and wax.
Time to lube, check cables, brakes, spokes and confirm all electrics have good solid contact.
I use Al/Cu conductive grease on all contacts to protect and ensure solid, non-arcing, connections. Available in small tubes from electric parts stores for ~$1. Especially with salted roads ... it coats and protects all electrical connections.
I paste wax the frame to protect and help slush fall off. I hair blower the frame -wax to get it flowing into every crevice.
I also wrap the Dean's T Plug I used as a quick motor connect, with Duck tape, yes , the Duck Tape brand of duct tape.

Studded tires
Klondine XT w/carbide studs looks good for the rear, will evaluate front homemade ... inner rows of studs are OK but might replace hoping for 1 new set lasting the whole Winter.
I do have a spare front wheel tire with mountain tread for quick swap when roads clear. Helps preserve studded for when needed.

Battery
Re-re-re-recycled 33.3V 31.2Ah is reduced to about 50% capacity ~15Ah when charged to 4.05V.
Ok for any trip I plan to take ...

Will retest 33.3V 43.2Ah LiPo pack but likely will not use ... too bulky-top heavy on bike.
I will be building 2 - 33.3V packs that fit in the eZip RMB packs. (3 eBikes now 33.3V-37V capable, 2 - 24V-37V )
1. 9s12p 2600mAh NOS Sanyo cells = 33.3V 31.2Ah
2. 9s8p 2160mAh LiPo cells = 33.3V 17.28Ah
&
9s2p 2000mAh RC LiPo = 33.3V 4Ah
= 33.3V 21.28Ah battery.
RC added for good surge capability and because I already had them and because they will fit ...
 
Cold Ears!

Solved 2 problems!
Cold ears and The annoying sound of wind in my ears!
At 20 mph +, wind is distracting enough to drown out the sound of birds and rustling leaves.

A knit cap helps with wind noise but doesn't keep the cold off of, or out of, my ears.
Partial solution was a felt lined knit cap I found at local "Dollar Store".

Better!
s-l1600.jpg

Fleece earmuff

Several variations available:
Basic Fleece allows good sound and warmth without the annoying wind sound.
Fuzzy gives extra warmth and comfort.
Some have a vinyl exterior for best wind protection and warmth, but sacrifices hearing.

Recommend use in conjunction with hat for cold weather, but I will likely use the lightweight version for better hearing, less wind noise, year round.
 
Cold and wet and snow today!
Gotta find and assign projects to get ready for Winter.
It appears I am somewhat ADHD ... and, unless I assign projects I tend to flit between several and never finish any.

Get ready for Winter projects
Snow Beast
Clean lube and wax - Sunday = Sunny
Add new spare motor to 12ga 22T wheel and transfer from Comfort Cruiser to Snow Beast
Better fenders or mud flap extensions - Sunday after wash-wax
Build 33.3V batteries NOS 18650 Sanyo cells and LiPo-RC LiPo hybrid pack - charging all cell packs, will discharge test during virus scans on work days
Replace inner rows of studs on homemade studded tires
Check-replace brake pads

Clean lube and store Street tired bikes
Find large fenders for Comfort Cruiser? Clear road Winter bike

Projects for Winter - keep busy and occupied - get done ... finally ... ?
Test and rate 600+ recycled LiPo cells
2 Schwinn Trikes 1 into mobility scooter 1 as e-assist Trike - have all parts except motor mount - Aluminum frame
Crank drive - have all parts except motor mount
Respoke 3 wheels, 2 with 13ga SS
Refurbish:
2008 eZip Mountain Trailz - rear wheel & controller;
2008 eZip Trailz - front wheel & fork, controller, rear spokes etc.
2010 eZip Trailz - Front wheel and fork, tires, cables brakes, clean and lube rear spokes

rebuild power tool packs - NiCd to Li-Co
4 - 12V to 11.1V 5200mAh 3s2p 18650
4 - 14.4V to 14.8V 4320mAh 4s2p LiPo
6 - 18V to 18.5V 4320mAh 5s2p LiPo
3 - 24V to 22.2V 4320mAh 6s2p LiPo
1 - 24V to 22.2V 4000mAh 6s1p RC LiPo

rebuild power tool packs - HD Lithium to high capacity Li-Co
4 - Ryobi "bad" lithium packs with new Sony 5s2p 2600mAh cells
Recommended for lower drain tools, Lights, fans, radio, jigsaw, vacuum etc
 
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