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

[mustang1]

I have in the past. But not any more.

 

[cyberknight]

Luckily where I am no proper snow and although not above freezing all weekend any patches of ice have been worn away by traffic so fairly safe

 

[matticus]

Oldhippy said:
It amazes me constantly that someone will happily get in a two ton box and drive in bad weather but are stunned at those of us who cycle as transport will do the same. We still have to shop, visit people, work and so on.

On four wheels, assuming you're not going like a twat, if you skid a bit at modest speed, then nothing much happens. On two wheels, if you you skid a bit, then you are more than like on your arse. If ridden my motorcycle in snow maybe 3 times, and it was exceedingly unpleasant and dangerous though I got away with it. Push bike likewise though did come off on sheet ice - which I'd seen so was unhurt. Car - use a bit of sense and slow down, maybe slow down a lot, and it's really not big deal

If you look at the potential risk to OTHERS, cycling is indeed more sensible than driving in bad conditions.

[I have a slightly different view to most cyclists, in having been to ICU after a car+ice crash! But that's a different topic, and I'd probably walk away from the same accident in a modern car ...]

 

[fossyant]

This is how you do it. Fortunately I got the Ice Spiker Pro's on discount, something like £75 each now

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Never set out in such conditions but have been caught out on club rides a few times.

Tend to avoid heading out when it nears freezing point as I don’t bounce as well as I used to.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Sometimes, because I live in London and most roads are cleared pretty quickly. But I don't go out if it's actually snowing. And I stick to known gritted roads.

 

[T4tomo]

If it is snowy then you expect it and ride accordingly so no chance of falling off.

Really, no chance?

 

[matticus]

Why does that surprise you? A small patch of ice, a car will be over it before it causes any real problem, but a bike will be on its side.

Plus, if somebody else loses control of their box on wheels and hits you, if you are in your own box, you have some protection. On a bike, you don't.

Fri 4 Aug 2006:
Robert Harris, 47, was driving on the A547 near Abergele, north Wales, in January when his Toyota Corolla skidded on black ice and collided with riders from Rhyl Cycling Club who were out on an early morning training exercise. The car hit the riders with such force that two of them were thrown over a wall into a field.

Those killed were Maurice Broadbent, the club's chairman; Dave Horrocks, 49; Wayne Wilkes, 42; and 14-year-old Thomas Harland. The teenager's father, Jon, also part of the group of 12, suffered a broken leg and saw his son die.

 

[Sharky]

... but the merest hint of steering had my front wheel slide from under me and I went down fast, and HARD!

One of the most painful spills I've had was just this. Riding up a slight incline on a frosty road at no more than walking pace and down I want. My hip took most of the impact and it hurt for days afterwards.

 

[palinurus]

Fresh snow? yes- I can't resist it

Other kinds of snow? It depends.

 

[AlanW]

This is how you do it. Fortunately I got the Ice Spiker Pro's on discount, something like £75 each now

You and me both

 

[Littgull]

I went out on my MTB on New Year's Day once and crashed on ice 3 times in an hour! It made me more cautious about offroad winter riding.

Mind you, it didn't seem to put me off doing some winter road rides...

View attachment 670816


I went out on a winter ride with @Littgull a few years back. We were aware that there might be problems with ice, but managed to avoid it...

... until we didn't!

We were on a very minor road and very suddenly came upon a sheet of black ice across its width. He managed to carry on across.

I didn't touch the brakes...

... but the merest hint of steering had my front wheel slide from under me and I went down fast, and HARD! It was lucky that it did happen so quickly because I didn't have time to react. My hands were still on the bike and I landed on my left side, completely relaxed. Because I hadn't stuck an arm out or tensed up my entire left side took the impact, which it was able to do without injury. It shook me up though, so I was extra vigilant after that and have avoided icy conditions since then.

Oh crikey, yes I remember that Colin. A lucky escape from injury. It was in Ship Lane very near Grains Bar. A very quiet moorland lane high up above Oldham, Denshaw and Delph.

A 'like' for the timely warning to CC'ers not for the fall.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You all need a bike like mine that’s stays upright on its own.

 

[Bazzer]

Fri 4 Aug 2006:
Robert Harris, 47, was driving on the A547 near Abergele, north Wales, in January when his Toyota Corolla skidded on black ice and collided with riders from Rhyl Cycling Club who were out on an early morning training exercise. The car hit the riders with such force that two of them were thrown over a wall into a field.

Those killed were Maurice Broadbent, the club's chairman; Dave Horrocks, 49; Wayne Wilkes, 42; and 14-year-old Thomas Harland. The teenager's father, Jon, also part of the group of 12, suffered a broken leg and saw his son die.

I couldn't understand why there would be black ice in August as shown, but the incident happened in January of that year.
The driver had defective tyres and from the report it is suggested he was speeding.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Well, I made it to work and back.
The challenge, this morning at 7am, was how to get out of my housing estate.
I have now gritted a way out for me tomorrow.
I've got the Marathon Winters on the MB, not the Spikers like @fossyant, so I wasn't risking any shared pavements, I took the road all the way.
At a particularly iffy junction, I dismounted, slowly walked the bike along the pedestrian way.
No doubt there was some ice on the roads early this morning, but the studded tyres did their job.
Our pavements and segregated cycling routes are now a thick sheet of ice.
I feel for frail people, stuck inside for 2 weeks now.
I would gladly pay extra council tax to have segregated walking and cycling routes, and pavements of course, gritted during an icy spell.