@palmersperry: "I've been offered a job in Aberdeenshire and whilst working out where I'm
intending to live the issue of cycle commuting has come up.  The distance
is 15 miles each way which is long-but-doable (I think), and I can build
up to it by cycling to work and taking the train home to begin with[1]
However there remains the issue of the winter ...  My initial guesses
appear to show that living close and cycling should cost about the same
living further away and driving during the winter.  However much as I
like Land Rovers[2] I'd rather not spend the cash required if I can avoid
it!  (And the extra cycling can only help wrt London-Edinburgh-London in
2013!)
So the question is, however bad do winters generally get in Aberdeenshire
and what are the general opinions on Marathon Winters?  Was thinking of
going Fixed anyway, so if comments are generally positive I just need to
think tyre clearance when purchasing!
[1] Not too worried about traffic as being a postie I won't be commuting
    when everyone else is.  However this itself does have implications 
    for winter ...
[2] Nb: Not actually suggesting I'd *need* a Land Rover just because it's
    Scotland, merely that if I was going to "have" to get a car I might
    as well get one I'd like!
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ..."
    @dunlopjohn: "Alistair Gunn:
<quote>
...
Prepare for freezing temperatures, torrential rain, and gale-force
winds. If the elements join forces, expect misery. Avoid the head-
wind that follows you round; take vitamin D supplements, if you're
into that sort of thing, because you won't see the sun; keep out of
the haar; and the rain...well, we have more words for rain than the
Eskimos are said to have for snow.
Seriously, I'm in west-central Scotland, not the north-east, but I
don't think there's anything there that would put me off year-round
cycling. Depends what you're used to, I suppose.
Your biggest trial of all will be the Doric.
John"
    @lea114: "<quote>
Don't expect to put them on and then start cycling around as if it were 
a snowless surface. You will start squirming around* which will scare 
you enough to ensure you keep your speed well down so that it 
(hopefully) doesn't hurt too much if you go down. If you do that and be 
prepared to put a foot down if necessary then you should stay upright 
but expect to take at least twice as long to get anywhere. Basically 
what they allow you to do is to get somewhere without having an accident 
if you take extreme care, where on standard road tyres you will be off 
even with taking extreme care. Marathon Winters work best when the ice 
is hard and smooth so that it doesn't break under your weight and you 
can just go across it with care. Some of the hairiest moments are a) 
turning and b) descents (I used to walk the descents during really bad 
conditions).
*caused when you ride on compacted snow and the snow crumbles underneath 
the tyre sending the rear sideways.
(this was my experience of Marathon Winters during the severe weather in 
December which at one point dropped 6+ inches of snow on the roads which 
was not cleared on the minor roads I use to get to work and rendered 
them impassible to most traffic.)"
    @pjclinch: "<quote>
You mention salt...
The last two winters have been fierce and down here in (slightly more 
temperate) Dundee, about 70 miles south, the Council used a /lot/ of 
salt grit.  And when I say a lot, I mean it.
This year it completely pasted the chains on the triplet despite almost 
daily cleaning and last year it took out the chain and derailleur on the 
cargo bike (derailleur completely seized, though less thoroughly cleaned).
Expect your transmission to take a beating, even if you give it quite a 
bit of TLC.  And expect to give the bike more TLC in general.
We were commuting all through the winter, but we've only got a couple of 
miles each way (and bear that relatively low distance in mind when you 
think what it did to the transmissions).
Pete.
Peter Clinch                    Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637   Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177              Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net <email_address>     <url>"
    @goo18731: "<quote>
Fixed will help here - I've been doing more commuting north of Pete on
my fixed and have done sod all TLC apart from replace the chain.
You mentioned trains - why not take them in the snow. Generally as
relaible as driving.
And no problems with taking your bike on any trains up here.
How fixed is your start time? There is a 0614 from Aberdeen gets in to
rachel43@example.net.
PhilO"
    @palmersperry: "PhilO twisted the electrons to say:
<quote>
That was part of my thinking in going (back to) fixed.  Other parts being
that I enjoyed it, so why not?
I suspect the start time is very fixed alas ...
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ..."
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