I used to be macho about the cold weather and would ignore icy conditions and go out anyway. Then one bitterly cold but sunny New Year's Day I went out on my MTB...
After 30 minutes I was descending a bridleway towards a farm gate when it suddenly dawned on me that the whole area was deep in shadow. I hit a big patch of ice which was lurking in the gloom and -
BANG! - I went down fast and slid into the gate. There were a few scratches on my bike and my clothes were scuffed but I only picked up a few bruises. I remounted and carried on...
Another 30 minutes went by and I was just starting to relax again when I suddenly found myself off the bike again. More bruises and a couple of small cuts. It was due to a small patch of black ice which I hadn't noticed because the sun was low in the sky and shining straight into my eyes. I remounted and carried on...
Another 30 minutes went by and I was bombing down a farm track when I spotted a group of farmers gawping at a large 4x4 sliding sideways back down the track - holy crap - panic stations B)!!!! It was too late to brake as I hit the hitherto unnoticed river of black ice. I tried to keep going in a straight line, unfortunately there was a bend coming up. My front wheel slid from under me, I went down hard in a near faceplant on the ice, slid about 20 metres along the ice and ended up in a tangled mess of battered rider and battered MTB in a frozen ditch. The farmers looked on in shock, then burst into a round of applause
! Thanks a lot for your concern for my well-being you bastards
!
Amazingly, I hadn't broken anything on me or the bike so I limped home and vowed never to go out on a bike when it is icy again. Yeah, I know that I could stick to gritted A-roads but (a) I don't like them and (B) I live on a cobbled backstreet which is never gritted, so even
getting to an A-road is hazardous!
I'm sticking to power-walks on the hills and exercise bike sessions indoors until the ice goes away
! A broken hip isn't going to do much for my fitness. I'm amazed by how many reports there are on the cycling forums of riders breaking arms, legs, collarbones etc. in icy falls. Ice is God's way of telling us to put the bikes away for the winter!
!!!! It was too late to brake as I hit the hitherto unnoticed river of black ice. I tried to keep going in a straight line, unfortunately there was a bend coming up. My front wheel slid from under me, I went down hard in a near faceplant on the ice, slid about 20 metres along the ice and ended up in a tangled mess of battered rider and battered MTB in a frozen ditch. The farmers looked on in shock, then burst into a round of applause 
