• marx2k@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    7 months ago

    Consider doing any of this in -20F even without the wind chill. Now consider the battery on that bike in those temps.

    I’ve had it be so cold outside that the door lock latch on my entryway door for my garage was growing ice crystals. This isn’t a door that’s on the outside. This is the door on the entry from the garage to the house.

    Now imagine trying to bike anywhere with that and what is essentially a salt/beet sugar slurry in the roads with no one giving you right of way it even being able to see in front of them because they’re either drunk, on the phone, only cleared a 3" hole in their windshield or “you just came out of nowhere” ;)

    But hey, the summers here are kickass

    • m0darn@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Hey thanks for more context I appreciate it.

      -20F (-30C) is quite cold. How often is it that cold during commuting hours? It’s hard to read too much into anecdotes re house latches freezing because there are so many peculiarities of individual houses. Range will definitely be reduced though.

      I could see the ice melt slurry being messy and gumming up the bike’s mechanics for sure. Not something I have experience with.

      Yeah separate infrastructure makes biking a lot safer and so more attractive.

      • marx2k@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        7 months ago

        It’s actually not as bad on average as I conveyed

        https://weatherspark.com/countries/US/WI

        I think a lot of it is wind chills, especially where I am since Madison, WI sits between two lakes.

        It might be better on a regular fat tire bike and not EV here, though in the last few years EV has become insanely popular around here.