Do you go on your bike when the roads are covered with thin snow ?

[biking_fox]

Thin tyres = higher pressure = cuts through snow more efficiently cf fat tyres that ride on top.. Only for a certain depth, but not necessarily a bad choice, Is sometimes a lot better than cars. Whether it cuts through ice under the snow is different again. Always ride all year round - admittedly mostly in a gritted urban environment. learn the skills, wrap up warm and enjoy.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Thin tyres = higher pressure = cuts through snow more efficiently cf fat tyres that ride on top.. Only for a certain depth, but not necessarily a bad choice, Is sometimes a lot better than cars. Whether it cuts through ice under the snow is different again. Always ride all year round - admittedly mostly in a gritted urban environment. learn the skills, wrap up warm and enjoy.

Its not always about skills though is it? There can be black ice/ice and you can go down no matter what your skill level is. Its not really snow thats the issue.

 

[gavroche]

Nine days since I have been on a ride due to icy roads but the forecast for next week looks better with temperatures up to double figures.

 

[nickyboy]

Been out a few times on the MTB including yesterday morning when max was -2. Mainly offroad and didn't experience any grip issues. Some icy stretches but kept it steady, no braking and straight line. Got up to about 1600ft ASL without issues
Wouldn't fancy the road bike atm. Main roads are fine (but crap as they're full of traffic). Minor roads are very dodgy here as we get a lot of water runoff from the fields that freezes on the roads

 

[Brandane]

Nine days since I have been on a ride due to icy roads but the forecast for next week looks better with temperatures up to double figures.

But with rain and 40mph winds, in our case. It seems to be that is the only 2 types of winter weather available in these days of altered climate. Freezing cold; or wet and windy.

Personally, give me the cold option, and forsake the bike for winter. Other than the occasional ride out on the MTB with Schwalbe studded winter tyres.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That's great, until all those cars, buses, and HGV's on the untreated roads start sliding onto the pavements and cycleways.

They have laws about all those vehicle needing proper winter tyres etc.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Perfect winter wonderland today, though coldest was -6C during ride. I was dressed for it, so no problem.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

There can be black ice

Conditions for black ice are fairly well understood and can be mitigated for / avoided. But you have to understand the conditions necessary and apply that to the local roads you know.

 

[matticus]

Conditions for black ice are fairly well understood and can be mitigated for / avoided. But you have to understand the conditions necessary and apply that to the local roads you know.

This is why I'm skeptical of riders on 200k rides saying ice won't be a problem - it's incredibly rare to know all the roads concerned, in a variety of conditions. [Often accompanied by my favourite winter phrase - "If you see any ice, just slow down!" ]

 

[Ming the Merciless]

This is why I'm skeptical of riders on 200k rides saying ice won't be a problem - it's incredibly rare to know all the roads concerned, in a variety of conditions. [Often accompanied by my favourite winter phrase - "If you see any ice, just slow down!" ]

Agree, if I’m on a winter 200km audax I’m relying on the organiser to have picked suitable roads. Knowing when to turn around and when to push on for tales down the pub, is a valuable skill.

 

[Saluki]

Today was a bit interesting so stuck to the bus routes. First and last 100 yards, on my ungritted street were a smidge worrying.

Yesterday, we took a different route and, at one point, got off and walked as the ice was a bit sheet. Cycle paths don’t get gritted, I guess.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cycle paths don’t get gritted, I guess.

Ours get gritted but they would also need clearing to be effective. The same techniques that can work on a road with a lot of hot traffic doesn’t work half as well with cold bikes with narrow tyres.

I stayed off our cycle tracks today and used gritted bus route roads to get out of town to the rural gritted roads.

 

[winjim]

Thin tyres = higher pressure = cuts through snow more efficiently cf fat tyres that ride on top.. Only for a certain depth, but not necessarily a bad choice, Is sometimes a lot better than cars. Whether it cuts through ice under the snow is different again. Always ride all year round - admittedly mostly in a gritted urban environment. learn the skills, wrap up warm and enjoy.

My winter tyres are 30mm and have a bit of a shallow tread. I do find that they can struggle with loose snow, sometimes you need to spin them in order to clear it off or go sideways a bit so they can dig in and get to a more solid substrate that they can grip. Slidy funtimes. I use them under mudguards so there can also be a buit of a buildup of snow between tyre and guard. On more packed snow or ice they're no problem at all.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Four riders were killed one winter near Prestatyn in Wales due to a car skidding on ice. Car slid into a club run ! Be careful. Minus NINE this morning.

It's supposed to snow overnight here, till the early hours of the morning.
I'm organizing myself to bus it to work (if the bus comes haha!) not because I'm scared of falling, but because I'm scared of getting run over by a sliding car. I have seen folks attempting to drive in snow, it was scary!
Think is, to get the bus I need to walk 30 min to the stop ... on icy pavements, at 6am!
On the bike, it only takes me 20 min to get to work

Winter/snow tyres are mandatory.

A driver told me that snow chains would damage our British roads, not sure if this is correct.

First and last 100 yards, on my ungritted street were a smidge worrying.

I gritted myself a way out of the housing scheme, like I do every winter, nobody else seems to mind sliding

 

[Two-Wheels]

Funny, I was going to make a similar thread after Sunday's weather but I was too busy & just back from being away a few days.

Before my accident I would've probably gone out & 'taken it steady'. Thing is, no matter how steady you take it, the way it was on Sunday I could've gone in to a hedge at any moment with the country roads I cycle on.
Since the accident though I'm more cautious. I don't go hell for leather going downhill any more & I'm more cautious around bends too.

So when it was icy on Sunday I hopped in the car & went to the gym instead.

-8c here this morning.

When I went away on Monday, I drove through a stretch that the car said was -15c. Was tempted to get out and see how cold it felt but couldn't be bothered.