It has been a severely cold winter, and all the roads in your locality are covered with thick layers of snow. Does that mean you have to stop cycling, until spring arrives? Absolutely not! You can make the ordinary tyres of your bicycle into effective ‘ice-tyres’ – which are ideal for slippery, snow-covered roads. A little bit of imagination, and access to the necessary tools, is all that you need to make such ‘ice-tyres’. Over here, we will provide a brief rundown about how you should go about preparing such safe and reliable bicycle wheels:

• Gather all the necessary supplies – Screws, drilling machines, duct tapes and cable ties are some of the key items that you will require to make these tyres.
• Use a knob to drill through the tire – At the very outset, you need to determine the central point of the bicycle tyre (after removing it from the rim). Next, use the drilling machine to drill a knob into the wheel. Make sure that the area and depth of the portion drilled is not very large. You can consult a professional tyre maker for help on this count.
• Put in the screw – The knob has to be kept steady inside the drilled area, with sharp, rust-free screws. You need to take extra care to ensure that the screws are being driven in at a precise right angle to the circumference of the wheel. Any error at this stage can result in diminished tyre-performance on the snowy roads.
• Use cable ties and clips – Once the drilling has been properly done, you have to put the ‘ice-tyre’ back on to its rim. How can you do it? With cable ties! That’s right – these small and inexpensive wire maintenance tools come in handy in managing bicycle wheels too. You should use around fifteen to twenty zip ties to bind the tyres to the rims, to make sure that the former do not fall off. If required, use steel or iron clips to make the bind stronger.
• Check the traction levels of the ice-tyres – Next, you need to find out what the traction level of your newly-made ice-tyres is. Roll them along a snow-covered road, to see whether they are providing the requisite degree of stability, smoothness and braking options. If you feel that the tyre traction has to be increased, simply use a few more cable ties. That should do the trick!
• Protect the tube of the tires – If you are not using tubeless tyres on your bicycle (which, in any case, are not suitable for cycling in the snow) – you need to take due care of the tyre tubes. Attach durable duct tapes on the internal section of the wheels, which would protect the tubes, as well as the screws that you had drilled in. The tubes should be pointed inwards. Ideally, use 2/3 layers of tape, for that additional amount of safety.
• Show off your creativity – Yes, performance and reliability should be your two prime concerns while making ice-tyres, but that does not mean that you cannot lend a dash of visual charm to your bicycle wheels. Select cable ties of different colors, to make the tyres look vibrant and lively. You can also choose shaded rims and spokes.

None of the tools required to create ice-tyres bear high price tags. The procedure of making the wheels fit for snow-riding is also pretty simple. Follow the above tips to prepare sturdy, lasting ice-tyres – and step out with your bicycle in the snow with confidence!

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Yet not following a regular car maintenance plan, or ignoring signs that something might not be right with your vehicle, can cause costs to escalate further down the line. And in the worst-case scenario, it could prove to be highly dangerous. Here are some top car maintenance mistakes that should be avoided at all costs.

Delaying maintenance checks

According to Post Office Car Insurance, almost a third of car owners delay having their car serviced, in order to save money. But having your car serviced is an essential part of maintaining an efficient and safe vehicle. So, avoiding, or putting off, getting these checks done might jeopardize your safety but may cause faults to get worse over time. Unchecked faults left to fester, could cause further damage resulting, with you having to pay extra to fix the problems further down the line. In some cases, it may even make your vehicle unroadworthy.

Not changing the oil

Changing a car’s oil wouldn’t rank high on most people’s agendas, so it’s easy to see how this important task could easily be forgotten. Yet not changing your oil can be damaging to your vehicle, and can ruin the engine. Dirty oil can also cause restriction to camshaft actuators, which can make them freeze, causing the engine to fail if left for too long. In some new models of cars, you only have to change the oil as little as once every 12 months, so it’s not something that should take up too much of your life, yet is a vital procedure to keep your car in tip-top condition.

Ignoring the ‘check engine’ light

If your ‘check engine’ light starts to illuminate, then it’s telling you that something is wrong and needs fixing. It can be a real pain to see this light appear, but you should never ignore it. Get on top of minor problems before they turn into big, costly issues.

The most common reason for this light to appear is a faulty oxygen sensor, which can be caused by a dirty air filter. If not fixed over time, the resulting damage to your car will mean you’ll need a new catalytic converter, which is very expensive.

Not checking tire pressure

Don’t take your tires for granted; your car won’t function properly without the correct pressure in your tires. Having uneven, low or very high tire pressure can cause problems for your car. Incorrect pressure can reduce the lifespan of your tires requiring more frequent tire changes, but could also be the cause of potential accidents.

DIY car repairs

With car repairs being costly, it might seem like a good idea to try and fix problems yourself. But unless you’re a trained car mechanic, this could prove costly and dangerous. In fact, according to Post Office Car Insurance, over one in ten car owners try and fix repairs themselves, or ask friends and family to have a go.

But if you don’t know what you’re properly doing, you could cause further damage down the line to your vehicle, resulting in extra expense incurred in order to rectify the problem.

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If you know that your region will experience a fair amount of snow and ice during the winter you should consider fitting winter tires to your vehicle. These are made from a much harder compound than standard tires and have a tread pattern that stops snow from clogging up your wheels, giving you much more traction than standard tires.

Reducing your speed is an obvious thing to say but you also need to make sure that you retain enough speed to give your car enough momentum to get up any gradients in the road. Try and find a speed that you feel comfortable with and don’t stop unless you have to as you may find it very difficult to get started again.

If you feel your vehicle starts to slide or skid, which happens all too easily when driving in the snow and ice, you need to very gently turn your steering wheel in the direction that you want to go and not into the skid as you may have thought. Also make sure that you keep your foot well away from the brake pedal to start with. Once the vehicle has started to turn in the correct direction, if you feel that you are still going too fast, apply some very gentle pressure to the brake pedal making sure to ‘feather’ it so you don’t put the vehicle into another skid.

Carrying snow chains in your vehicle is a great idea because they will help get you out of sticky situations. However you need to make sure that you actually know how to fit the chains quickly and easily as it will be cold when you need them and you want to spend the least amount of time in the elements as possible. You should also carry a tarpaulin in your car to kneel on when you have to fit the chains as your legs will soon get cold and wet, which will quickly lower your body temperature.

Carrying a shovel and some cat litter or sand is a good idea if you are taking a long journey in the snow. The shovel will help you free your wheels if they get bogged down in the snow and spreading some sand or cat litter will help your vehicle achieve much better traction and get you on your way a little quicker.

Make sure that you keep an eye on any vehicles in front or behind you so that you are not taken by surprise if they get into trouble and can get out of the way if they do. Keep your windows clear of snow and clean, even if this means that you have to pull over in a safe place every now and then to do it.

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