Cycling in the winter months - best option
- Thread starter miremare
- Start date
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MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
I saw your ealier post and I thought, that's too much like hard work so sod it just stick the Marathon Winters on
No matter how well you think you know an area and the potential on-road ice patterns I'd still rather have the security of the studs. They only go on the utility bike but are on there from first to last frost.For those thinking about studded tyres maybe best looking now, supply seems to get very scarce later in the year.
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
About time for a wimp to come along 
and advise AGAINST riding in compacted snow, or even worse, ice. I had 2 offs last winter (both times on my MTB with knobbly tyres on). First time I got stuck in the rut left by a previous cyclist on snow, but by the time I came along it was hard packed and ice like. I came off but no damage done. Second time was at a T junction yards from my house. There was black ice on the road, and the front wheel went from under me. I came off and my chest landed on the handlebars. the result was bruised (and painful!) ribs and 2 weeks off work on statutory sick pay, just in time for christmas 
.
Fearing that I would be off the bike for a prolonged period, I stupidly went and bought one of those contraptions that you attach to the back wheel of your bike, like that of which you write in point 4 of the OP.. Do not waste your money!! Or if you must; you can buy mine (used twice, excellent condition if a bit dusty).... It was the most brain numbing experience ever, and no substitute for the real thing. Possibly a bit like buying a blow-up doll, ermm allegedly
.
and advise AGAINST riding in compacted snow, or even worse, ice. I had 2 offs last winter (both times on my MTB with knobbly tyres on). First time I got stuck in the rut left by a previous cyclist on snow, but by the time I came along it was hard packed and ice like. I came off but no damage done. Second time was at a T junction yards from my house. There was black ice on the road, and the front wheel went from under me. I came off and my chest landed on the handlebars. the result was bruised (and painful!) ribs and 2 weeks off work on statutory sick pay, just in time for christmas .Fearing that I would be off the bike for a prolonged period, I stupidly went and bought one of those contraptions that you attach to the back wheel of your bike, like that of which you write in point 4 of the OP.. Do not waste your money!! Or if you must; you can buy mine (used twice, excellent condition if a bit dusty).... It was the most brain numbing experience ever, and no substitute for the real thing. Possibly a bit like buying a blow-up doll, ermm allegedly
.About time for a wimp to come along
Knobblies no good for ice/compacted snow, you need studded tyres.
Klaus
Senior Member
- Location
- High Wycombe
Recommend options 1) and 2).
Generally (fingers crossed) we don't get bad winters in most parts of the country - commuting (which I don't) could be a problem especially in the hillier areas.
Last winter, after the snows I was off work over the holidays and was on the bike every day from 27 Dec to 3 January, it was biting cold and had to use proper gloves, balaclava, etc. But great - and I am a bit of a wimp myself .....
It's worth it.
Generally (fingers crossed) we don't get bad winters in most parts of the country - commuting (which I don't) could be a problem especially in the hillier areas.
Last winter, after the snows I was off work over the holidays and was on the bike every day from 27 Dec to 3 January, it was biting cold and had to use proper gloves, balaclava, etc. But great - and I am a bit of a wimp myself .....
It's worth it.
I saw your ealier post and I thought, that's too much like hard work so sod it just stick the Marathon Winters on
For those thinking about studded tyres maybe best looking now, supply seems to get very scarce later in the year.
You can stick them on. Every winter people think about them and get them too late and there are supply issues. If you do a lot of winter riding and can be bothered to change them go for it. I'm always a bit puzzled on here how every year we have people going on about needing knobblies or studs. I don't think you need any specialist equipment, but if it helps get it. For a normal UK winter in conurbations I don't personally think studs are needed. The last three winters have been worse than normal.
You can get caught out knowing an area. On 9th January I'd looked at the weather station, I knew black ice was coming, the weather forecast warned it was coming. I still came off twice, the second time I went to hospital. Really I'm trying not to put people off. Black ice tends to happen in particular places, it doesn't happen 'everywhere' very often. I'm just trying to say out of 3 months winter weather we only had 2 black ice days. By all means don't travel by bike on those days or do something else. I'm saying people can commute through a lot or all of the winter and people tend to look out of the window and see ice and think ice = everywhere. Or rain = heavy rain, when we all know it varies so much.
And as for black ice, if you've seen it forecast or look out the door and see it everywhere and think oh ****, by all means get to work another way. It's just not very often we get it that's all.
+1
I can count on 1 finger the amount of times I didn't cycle last winter because of the weather....love it!
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
and that's kind of the point, would you have had to make that hospital trip if you'd been riding on studs?
It really is each to their own, some people refuse to ride a frame that could accomodate studs, some people refuse to ride bigger tyres, some people can't countenance the idea of sacrificing some speed, some people hate the 'buzzy' noise the studs make on tarmac.
For me it's a no brainer, but only for utility purposes, I don't care if it's 2mph slower, it gets me from A to B with maximum peace of mind. I can see the tyre swapping faff as being a barrier, I'm lucky, they go on one bike for the entire Winter, it's only used as a replacement commuter if chance of ice and for shopping.
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
That can be a very geographical thing; don't forget we live on quite a big island! Up here (Ayrshire) last winter we had icey roads for weeks on end. The weather being one factor; the other being that our supposedly cash strapped roads department were only gritting main routes. Any routes away from the main roads were treacherous for long periods throughout the winter.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I think I'd have come off once. It was a bit of an unlucky fall that's how it goes sometimes (a colleague's car slid very badly). There are only a few days a year worth using studs to me - those two black ice days and a few others around 1st December after it solidified. I have to sacrifice speed, I have a high speed techical descent to go most places. If you think I'm mad someone I work with uses a much steeper road and came off on ice
. Some of the days when I've cycled through 6-15" of snow the average speed has been 7mph which is still faster than the other traffic or walkers (no public transport). I could walk to work, but often pavements are more treacherous.Well the OP lives in Anglesey so the thought had crossed my mind that some London advice isn't that useful. Ice isn't the same as black ice though. Ice you can deal with to an extent. It really depends how long their commute is. If it's only 2 or 3 miles that's maybe not so bad, if it's something a lot longer in the winter that's rather different.
I live in a very urban area in the north of England yet get out on country roads late at night. My road is not gritted. In a bad winter what happens is the road will freeze over under about 3 inches of compact snow that becomes polished ice. Last winter this was for about 3 weeks and 2 weeks the year before. It would have been longer had I not dug it out. In my opinion knowledge of roads helps hugely for winter riding.
Point about black ice is if you see it somewhere that is unlikely to get it, you can guess there's going to be a lot more of it in other areas. Same with ice. You just need to build up that database of road knowledge.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Same for me , sometimes it is safer not to cycle , at least if the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere you can keep relatively warm till help arrives rather than freezing to death in a ditch.It is a real possibility on my commute, if i came off and went into a hedge /ditch mid winter then i very much doubt a car would see me on the unlit roads i use.
