Freakin wet leaves!!!

[ColinJ]

A man I used to work with slipped on wet leaves while WALKING his bike into Hebden Bridge station. He broke one of his hips.

My front MTB wheel lost grip on a wet-leaved bridleway descent and I crashed heavily. I ripped a new cycling jacket, but fortunately the bike was ok, and I only suffered cuts and bruises. (Especially fortunate that I was not badly hurt because it was only a couple of days before I flew to Spain for a cycling holiday that I had paid nearly £1,000 for!)

 

[huwsparky]

Almost crashed twice last night, once on leaves and once because of cow shoot on road after a bend. It's a dodgy time of year to be riding that's for sure!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Leaves are natural, it takes fuel to go round collecting them up, more carbon into the environment, I understand the problem going down hill, but seriously I haven't given it much thought apart from the very odd rear wheel slip, more danger of coming of on a wet bit of metal, seriously they will be gone before you know it.

 

[summerdays]

seriously they will be gone before you know it.

No they won't, I kept reporting one stretch at traffic lights where you were having to turn at right angles having crossed the road quickly. And they never cleared it, it took months turning into compost and was still there in March.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

seriously thats not long, if you want local councils to do more be prepared to pay more tax, I don't have a problem with it as I said, I personally wouldn't want them to, but the planet is f'd anyway so go on pump more co2 out there.

 

[steveindenmark]

All I can think of is this one -
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtSwmLWCRjU

That looks like the painted hatchings on the road, another danger in the wet, along with manhole covers and anything metal.

Steve

 

[summerdays]

seriously thats not long, if you want local councils to do more be prepared to pay more tax, I don't have a problem with it as I said, I personally wouldn't want them to, but the planet is f'd anyway so go on pump more co2 out there.

So you think they shouldn't put grit on the roads either? To save CO2?

If councils want people to consider alternative transport to the car then that means they have to try to deal with some of the things that put them off. I have already said that I have slipped on leaves when both on my bike and on foot. Now if I or anyone else fall and break bones, particularly my hip, then that is going to have a cost associated with it. And I would be prepared to pay more in my taxes, I've answered that way in local referendums before now.

The thing that really irritated me about my example was that the path on the other side of the road does get swept. The entire path is under the same council, S.glos but whether it's to do with different wards I don't know, they have already swept the section before as normal this year but either side of that section I haven't seen the sweeper. (Sit on sweeper that is just narrower than the path so you can pass him when you meet him).

 

[Nigelnaturist]

That looks like the painted hatchings on the road, another danger in the wet, along with manhole covers and anything metal.

Steve

I still find it difficult to understand how he came off. I think on the apex of the marked area, but could have started on the the NO, in nearly 30,000km I have only had one slip I recall on wet painted markings, a few more on metal work, in fact its metal work I am more aware of than anything, had a bit of a slip the other day in the wet and a L.C. which I do anything up to 10-20 time a week, If in doubt I slow down keep the bike upright, winter is hazard no matter what you ride or drive, but being safe is about being aware of the dangers and drive/ride accordingly.
You lot will have me paranoid now about going out

 

[Nigelnaturist]

So you think they shouldn't put grit on the roads either? To save CO2?

If councils want people to consider alternative transport to the car then that means they have to try to deal with some of the things that put them off. I have already said that I have slipped on leaves when both on my bike and on foot. Now if I or anyone else fall and break bones, particularly my hip, then that is going to have a cost associated with it. And I would be prepared to pay more in my taxes, I've answered that way in local referendums before now.

The thing that really irritated me about my example was that the path on the other side of the road does get swept. The entire path is under the same council, S.glos but whether it's to do with different wards I don't know, they have already swept the section before as normal this year but either side of that section I haven't seen the sweeper. (Sit on sweeper that is just narrower than the path so you can pass him when you meet him).

IT could be argued that extra income from V.E.D. covers that, and in fairness how often normally, I don't remember to many frosts last year, the coldest I have a record for is 0.8c in Dec 2013 the rest above 1c, besides they never grit our road ever.
I can't explain why one section on one side of the road does and the other side doesn't, when I was a kid I don't remember the council clearing leaves, certainly not Derbyshire council.

 

[summerdays]

IT could be argued that extra income from V.E.D. covers that, and in fairness how often normally, I don't remember to many frosts last year, the coldest I have a record for is 0.8c in Dec 2013 the rest above 1c, besides they never grit our road ever.
I can't explain why one section on one side of the road does and the other side doesn't, when I was a kid I don't remember the council clearing leaves, certainly not Derbyshire council.
View attachment 62918

VED goes into a general pot, which gets spread around everything.

But not last winter but the one before there were lots of complaints that the roads were cleared of snow but not the paths, so then pedestrians walked on the road. Pedestrians and cyclists should have a safe surface to walk or cycle on, why do we prioritise the car? It should be automatic that if they grit roads or clear them that they do the same for the paths, yes start with the main ones and work your way down the priority.

I will see if I can take some photos of the surface on Monday but it will depend if I have time and it's too dark when I'm coming back.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

VED goes into a general pot, which gets spread around everything.

But not last winter but the one before there were lots of complaints that the roads were cleared of snow but not the paths, so then pedestrians walked on the road. Pedestrians and cyclists should have a safe surface to walk or cycle on, why do we prioritise the car? It should be automatic that if they grit roads or clear them that they do the same for the paths, yes start with the main ones and work your way down the priority.

I will see if I can take some photos of the surface on Monday but it will depend if I have time and it's too dark when I'm coming back.

I know it does, thats why I said It could be, I can drive on snow much better than I can ride on it, ice is an issue whatever the form of transport foot or wheeled, however leaves are no where near the same problem, an inconvenience maybe, a risk there is always risk.
I think might find the year before there was so much snow, that snow they cleared off the roads ended up on the pavements, the previous two winters were not great either, but the ones before that were more the couple of days snow and its gone.

 

[steveindenmark]

During winter the councils in Denmark use the farmers to clear the roads with their tractors in the outlying areas. I have always thought it to be a good idea. Nearly all the smaller roads are cleared quickly so we can get out. I always thought England was useless at keeping the roads clear. The snow and ice was a big surprise every year.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

During winter the councils in Denmark use the farmers to clear the roads with their tractors in the outlying areas. I have always thought it to be a good idea. Nearly all the smaller roads are cleared quickly so we can get out. I always thought England was useless at keeping the roads clear. The snow and ice was a big surprise every year.

In general it never stays long enough for people to get use to the snow, it would be better if compulsory skid control was part of the driving test, I learnt to drive in snow so its a none issue for me really, though not keen on it on two wheels, especially slicks.

 

[Cuchilo]

During winter the councils in Denmark use the farmers to clear the roads with their tractors in the outlying areas. I have always thought it to be a good idea. Nearly all the smaller roads are cleared quickly so we can get out. I always thought England was useless at keeping the roads clear. The snow and ice was a big surprise every year.

The farmers in the uk would get subsidies to not clear the roads

 

[Nigelnaturist]

The farmers in the uk would get subsidies to not clear the roads

Its bad round here, being mainly arable farming, though they do have some token effort trying to clean the mud.