[ralbin]

Hello All
Hello Mike and crew. I bought my hill topper ( 26" L-ion battery} or as I refer to it ; my wind-beater, last April and have ridden it in all types of weather and throughout this winter (almost) past. Torrential downpours, 60+ MPH headwinds, gusting crosswinds, blizzards, 6 inches of insta-dumped fresh snow, ice slicked roads, minus 40 degree temperature ( even before wind chill); in fact there were a few days last November when my area was the coldest measured place on Earth ( Antarctica being in its summer) and etc. I love my Hill Topper to bits.
I am writing from Calgary Alberta Canada. A rather unique piece of the international climate puzzle. First we are at about 1000 meters ( 1049 yards at City Centre) above sea level and just east of the Rocky Mountains ( 100 klicks/60 miles and they can rise to 4,000 klicks above mean sea level) in the Foothills and at about 51 degrees north. All major weather systems track either just north or south of us so we get a lot of strong cold variable winds and a true winter climate with moderate snow.
These are some lessons that I have gleaned about winter riding.
1/ even the best gloves do not work as well as mittens made of something impervious to wind and with gauntlets that extend halfway up the forearms.
2/ the best place to put the power button/nubbin is on the hand-grip. I like it so that it's under the second knuckle of my left middle finger, someplace low enough that it will not be accidentally activated by an emergency death grip on the hand brake.
3/ aside from a helmet ( and proper clothing; especially throat and thigh/crotch and stomach and under-helmet toque protection ) the single most important thing is some face shield/ goggles designed not to fog as well as allowing for side vision. Even in still air, if it is cold, the speed generates eye tearing that is enough to blind you. Believe me you dont want to be cruising along at 15-20 miles per hour at night and miss spotting that little patch of black ice just ahead because your eyes have suddenly filled with water.
4/ Your battery life will suffer, expect maybe less than 40% of what you get in warm weather. I think because of two primary causes; a half-inch or more of snow causes considerable drag and resistance, never mind 4+ inches!and cold temps affect the battery cells and controller ( when -0 Fahrenheit or -18 Celsius, much less -20/30, I can only get 25 or so minutes before the battery needs to be re-set and re-set again and again, so consider some sort of insulating sock or blanket. I use one of those soft-pack refrigerator bags that are meant for keeping a six-pack of drinks cool in the summer, the insulation is enough to keep the internal warmth generated by the battery from dissipating: but a spare scarf wrapped around the battery also works ).
5/ the kit provides front wheel pull so use it if you start to skid and split-arse. Try to maintain balance, stick your legs out at a 45 degree angle to the sides ( like a balance pole for a tightrope walker) to steady yourself and also to give a foot to land on should you actually lose it. And keep the power going! The pull from the front wheel will help keep the bike upright and steady the whole frame and rear wheel.
6/ bike paths will be closed for most of the winter and the shoulders of the roads will be impassible. Therefore you will have to share the actual car lanes with others. Make sure that you are brightly coloured/reflective and that your ears are free of loud music and that your peripheral vision is clear. Your actual braking distance is not greatly affected but stopping the power to the front tyre can make the bike suddenly unstable and the rear wheel especially has a tendency to follow the path of least resistance and kick out into traffic.
Finally extreme cold is not pleasant but it can be endured, and is really no worse that having to wait for a delayed bus, and if it is not too cold and the roads are actually clear and dry and the wind is favourable then it can also be an exhilarating and amusing experience ( the looks on peoples faces looking at you looking at them can be priceless!) so there is no real need to put the bike away for the winter. And I say that as a wimp not some macho tough guy!
Sincerely,
Robert Albin
Calgary Canada

[ralbin]

Ooops! the Rockies are not 4000 klicks ( kilometers) high! more like 4000 meters. Sorry. I am red of face and apologize for the face plant.
Robert Albin
Brain-Lock Alberta Canada

[E-Dog]

Down here in tropical Colorado (or maybe up here, we are at 6,200 ft) we ride all winter. I mouunt my hand switch inside out, with the button against the handle bars. It is much easier to engage with heavy gloves or anytime for that matter. As for the shorter battery life in the winter it think it is mostly because of cold air density. Though I have been pleased with my winter range, but find I carry my extra battery more often. And please do yourself a favor and get studded tires, black ice hurts, eehh!

[ralbin]

Yeah E-Dog
Black ice I dont mind by itself; it's when gravity and inertia get added to the mix that interesting things happen! That is an interesting idea about turning the strap inside out, my own handle grip however is of such girth that the strap is barely long enough as is, do you ever feel the nubbin shifting position when you shift your derailleur? One thing I forgot to mention is that I wear extra large mittens and on especially cold -35/40 degree days I wear gloves inside of those mittens and I still have the tactile feel of where the nubbin is and whether my finger is in control of it. That is why I like it under my middle finger as I can keep my thumb and first finger locked in position and the middle finger then falls naturally over the power nub, (even when I can't quite feel my fingers,Ha).
Good luck with that thin air! I think I would rather be a kilometer high than a mile high!
Regards
Robert Albin
Calgary Canada

[E-Dog]

There is just enough velcro on my mountain bike grips to hold hand switch inside out. I always fasten mine to the non twist part of the grip shift. If yours are bigger you might want to get some velcro electrical ties, these come in handy for a bunch of uses like fastening the wireing harness, fenders, racks and baskets, ect. Keep your stick on the ice.

[Chris Clean Republic]

Thanks for the feedback all,

I moved this topic to the Customer stories forum. Thanks.