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A really good trials-type freewheel makes a big difference I find. Shimano f/w's are poo these days. White Industries are very nice, though they're hellish loud. The Halo Clickster's a good compromise.
I run a Saracen Hack as my commuter/winter bike, paid £240 for it and it's ugly as sin so unlikely to get nicked when I park it next to some of the nicer bikes at work. Anti-theft wheel skewers are a nice touch too
I intend to stick some decent rubber on it- probably Continental Gatorskin. Then lights, some means of carrying stuff & I’ll be all set.
For days when it’s REALLY wild/snowy/icy I’ll stick to my old commuter-it’s got studded tyres in anticipation of Snowmageddon. We’ve already had frost a few times & it isn’t going to get warm again till March! Last years commuting was “interesting” even with knobbly MTB tyres, this year I don’t intend to get caught out again.
I’ve only done 10miles on it, but even in that time I was attacking hills to get enough speed to power over the top. I think it could be brutal into a stiff headwind though.
I was bemused by the SILENCE of the bike as I rode along. I’m so used to the clicking of the derailleur etc, but if the pedals are turning the bike is silent- I’ve just added a bell to my shopping list.
I used them for years on my road bike for commuting when I was doing a longer commute. They aren't completely puncture proof with all the glass on London's roads, but they are very good. They are a lot easier to get on and off the rims than an Armadillo, and the Armadillo isn't completely puncture proof either. When I did get a puncture on the Armadillo, it was an absolute pain to get the tyre on and off the rim.
I use Panracer Paselas, purely because they have the amber strip on the side and I think it looks the nuts.
My old SS had Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. I had the puncture now and then, but those things were like panzer tread - I think I went about 18 months with no puncture once, with daily ten mile commutes through London! Which is twenty miles a day, I suppose. Bloody hell thats decent going for those.
Another SS advantage - changing the wheel with no gears is an utter doddle. Its always the rear that gets a flat, isn't it?
My feedback thread is here.