Cyclo-cross tyres make a difference

In article <[email hidden]>,

Sir Ridesalot said:

Hello there.

A few weeks ago I put two Schwalbe Light CX Pro 30mm wide tyres on my
Miele beater road bike for riding the trails when they get muddy. I
also put full fenders on the bike. Both worked great! The bicycle
originally had 27 inches wheels so there is a fair bit of clearance.
The fenders really save a lot of gubk from getting thrown onto the
bike.

Last night we had ice pellets mixed with rain that froze on contact
with the ground. A couple of inches were on the ground when I took the
bike out to get some milk at about 2AM. Traction on the icy roads was
great. I was also able to ride the bicycle cross country through a park
and up a few low hills (still off pavement) with out any problems. I
might buy a cyclo-cross frame in the spring. The side pull brakes are
not the best but a lot of that is the brake pads. I am going to put
some Kool Stop Salmon pads on them.

I had a similar positive experience, albeit using WTB
"Allterrainasaurus" tires, which are technically just some knobbish
"hybrid" 700c tires.

Quoted message said:

I wonder if putting a pair of in-line brake levers on top of the
handlebars will improve the current braking any?

I really like mine. The top levers seem to generate more power than the
drop levers, but the big advantage is using the brakes from the simple
and stable top position.

Quoted message said:

I found out that bottle type dynamos are useless in these conditions as
the they slip on the tyre. I am going to get a battery that will fit
into my handlebar mounted bottle cage.

Peter

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos