The Winter Weather Watch Thread .

captain_pink

Fought the Leeds weather and commuted in this morning. Kind of wish I didn't. Whizzed through the snow on the back streets. Dodged the slush on the main road, got wet in the spray in town (must look at buying mudguards).

Almost at work - merged with the pavement (pedestrian and cycle route) and before I knew it, I was sliding along on my hip... and didn't stop for 5 metres or so. There was sheet black ice across the path. Could barely walk on it, let alone cycle.

Damage:
1 x bruised and stiff hip
2 x grazed and bruised knees
1 x crisped front wheel (RIP)
1 x bruised pride

AndyManc

I got up this morning at 6am (fortunately I start at 7am this week) , I went outside to do a shoe on the road test and nearly fell flat on my a** . :?

Went back in, had a cuppa then walked to the end of the road for a bus.

£4.40 spent on bus fares for 12miles in total today :evil:

I couldn't sit in the bus seat without squashing my knees, the bus (small type) has zero suspension and the width of the seat could only fit 1 and a half people on it :shock:

Absolutely garbage !!

BTW , Wednesday night into Thursday some serious snow fall is forecast.

Do they sell bikes with ski type stabilisers ?

Nick6891

captain_pink wrote:

Fought the Leeds weather and commuted in this morning. Kind of wish I didn't. Whizzed through the snow on the back streets. Dodged the slush on the main road, got wet in the spray in town (must look at buying mudguards).

Almost at work - merged with the pavement (pedestrian and cycle route) and before I knew it, I was sliding along on my hip... and didn't stop for 5 metres or so. There was sheet black ice across the path. Could barely walk on it, let alone cycle.

Damage:
1 x bruised and stiff hip
2 x grazed and bruised knees
1 x crisped front wheel (RIP)
1 x bruised pride

i dont know where abouts in leeds you are but it was VERY slippery, i was going from around seacroft out towards wetherby and even though there was no snow as soon as i got out of whinmoor, when i was walking around when i arrived i lost count of the amount of times i nearly fell over, as soon as you came of the road there was black ice everywhere

mattybain

rhext wrote:

biondino wrote:

Matty, NO bike can handle the ice, save your money!

Come on biondino, can't you recognise an excuse for a new bike when you see it! Poor chap will be showing this thread to his other half in justification for an early christmas present, and then you chime in with facts and ruin it for him.

OMG it's like you read my mind LOL

BTW I had already got top level approval for the spend and now if she sees this it's toast. Thanks a bunch

captain_pink

i dont know where abouts in leeds you are but it was VERY slippery, i was going from around seacroft out towards wetherby and even though there was no snow as soon as i got out of whinmoor, when i was walking around when i arrived i lost count of the amount of times i nearly fell over, as soon as you came of the road there was black ice everywhere

I live in Chapel Allerton, but only a few hundred metres from Harrogate Rd. There's enough traffic on there in the morning to make sure it is clear.

It's been snowing steadily for the last couple of hours and there's another layer of snow outside the door now. Bus for me tomorrow.

ansbaradigeidfran

The Met Office says the weather is going to continue being really pants for the next two days for a lot of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Northern England:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html

AndyManc

ansbaradigeidfran wrote:

The Met Office says the weather is going to continue being really pants for the next two days for a lot of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Northern England:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html

Friday looks rideable , temps not falling below 0C day or night, possibly reaching 6C, thank god, one day on the bus and I hate them already . :roll:

iain_j

Left work tonight after a long, crap day, and was looking forward to the de-stress of the ride home. Walking from the office to the changing room block, it was drizzling lightly - good, i thought, a sign it's warming up.

Five minutes later i left the changing rooms, and the ground was white. Nearly slipped over a couple of times walking across the car park, and thought "hmm could be an interesting ride tonight". Couldn't decide between the back lanes with slippery slush but no traffic, or the main roads with lots of traffic but hopefully clear of slush. Started off on the former, it was ridiculous trying to get round the corners, so went for the latter and got home safely, and hardly any traffic cos i'd stayed in work so late.

topcat33

Hi All,

-9 this morning with light snow, the snow is really dry here so no slush the snow covered the ice from the last lot in places so pretty slippy. Mental bus drivers don't help, they're the same all over the world!

BoardinBob

Took the dog out at 6am. Black ice everywhere. Literallly everywhere. All over the pavements and roads. The main road is alright but I'm not taking my chances on that as it's a nightmare at the best of times.

Train again this morning

wgwarburton

-10 this morning. Legs don't work so well when it's cold, so I'm glad I didn't leave late!

Need to look out my ski hat & gloves- cold ears & fingertips this morning.

Snow forecast for tomorrow ("Blizzard conditions", apparantly). Hmm...

At least we havn't had any sleet, yet- I reckon wind-driven sleet is the worst weather for cycling.

Cheers,
W.

woodford2barbican

got the tube due to an early meeting - nearly slipped over crossing the road on the thin layer of ice.

I spent the rest of the walk to the station willing the passing cars to skid and have low speed shunts,

Sadly none did.

Tube was not too bad either.

Heresy,

marchant

Chilly & frosty this morning, but I had one of those rare moments of luck; cycle path was frosty but ridable, and I got off the bike to walk a part where it snakes left then right to go under a road (never ridden slicks in this weather). As I got off, I realised I'd stopped about 6 inches short of a huge patch of ice. Made up for the puncture the other day...

iain_j

Rain last night + no gritters + freezing overnight = lots of ice this morning. Not just black ice but white right across. As i expected it only lasted til i got to the main road where the traffic had cleared it. Had a laugh though at the little lad walking to school who joyfully jumped onto a frozen puddle to crack the ice, but didn't succeed and went flat on his back

mattybain

Made the mistake of trying to cycle into work today, I must have been nuts. North Manchester is one huge ice rink and although the main roads are kind of ok there are still big ice patches :shock:

Decided to take my old MTB (it's a sub £100 crock of sh**e) and managed to make it 99.9% of the way without incident. However despite reading other peoples messages I made the mistake of not taking it easy turning into the office and wham I hit sheet black ice.I then slide across the road ending up just outside the sales office, where everyone was watching having heard the bang, very embarassing :oops:

Still I am ok although the old MTB is pretty much ruined, it was on it's last legs anyway. Me thinks that new bike is a necessity now SWMBO approval or not LOL

Clever Pun

my road was a bit icy but the rest of the way was fine

god bless civilisation

redddraggon

I cycled in today, and even though there was loads of ice I only lost my back wheel once.

Looks like it's defrosting now.....

artaxerxes

Saw the ice on the road outside my flat so decided to take the train and tube in
Can't think of many things worse than the London Bridge Northern Line platform at rush hour.

lardboy

Came off on my way from Brixton to Clapham Junction. I've always taken the back roads between Claphams South and Junction, but nothing's been gritted yet, so it's all slippery as hell. I was turning right into a side road at about 10 mph and both tyres just disappeared as I crossed the centre of the road. Luckily it was completely empty except for peedestrians, one of whom came and asked if I was OK, which was nice. A minute to let the adrenalin pass, and I was back on, going a bit more gingerly.

I run Spec Nimbus Armadilloes, which are bulletproof in terms of punctures, but a bit lacking in grip at the best of times. They're probably a bit high, as I'm running them at 70 psi, so I'll let a bit out before I head home tonight, and see if I get a bit more grip.

Alternatively, anyone got any recommendations for tyres this winter?

jonginge

First really frosty day on the outskirts of the old smoke. Had one front wheel slide, which I just caught, going over some frozen leaves entering a mini roundabout. Once into Putney the heat island effect worked lovely

fonty1978

I chickened out from riding in again this morning and judging by some of the recent posts it's probably a good move. North West due for more snow overnight
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/nw/nw_forecast_warnings.html

Question is shall i ride in or walk?? Walking 6 miles will surely be quicker than trying to drive

BoardinBob

Forecast for Glasgow tonight is snow between 9pm and midnight, then rain for a couple of hours followed by sub zero temps for the next 8 hours.


I'm off to join an ice skating forum.

AndyManc

fonty1978 wrote:

I chickened out from riding in again this morning and judging by some of the recent posts it's probably a good move. North West due for more snow overnight
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/nw/nw_forecast_warnings.html

Question is shall i ride in or walk?? Walking 6 miles will surely be quicker than trying to drive

Me too, the side roads are solid ice .

I took the bus in again :evil: , the bus doors froze in the open postion :shock: .

Saw half a dozen bikers on the main roads so clearly it's possible, but not worth the risk IMO.

WEATHER WARNING.

Serious snow fall overnight ... the roads will be at a standstill, but it should all thaw out mid afternoon when temps 'soar' to 7C.

Friday looks good for getting back on the bike ... but it will still be v.cold.

AndyManc

OH YEA ..... if you can get some pics of the snow tomorrow and post them here, I'll do the same .


:arrow: ..................... :arrow:

AndyManc

I Want some .................. :shock:





http://www.blacktoe.co.uk/ice%20Grips/ice%20grips.htm


.

Mike Healey

BoardinBob wrote:

Forecast for Glasgow tonight is snow between 9pm and midnight, then rain for a couple of hours followed by sub zero temps for the next 8 hours.

I'm off to join an ice skating forum.

So it's arm and leg warmers time for Glaswegians then, is it?

Stuart Ross

I made the first 200 yards of my 11 mile commute before attempting to turn right on black ice and came off. No real damage to me or the bike but I walked back home and got the car.

BoardinBob

What a load of pish. No snow at all and warmer temps all night. How can they get it so wrong

Still some icy patches around though so the bike stays at home for one more day at least

dirk_van_gently

Last night I went to put something in the bin, had to wrestle the lid open.
This morning, no frost, no snow, so set off for the office, and it pi$$es it down, it is also very windy, like blow you over windy.

andyrr

South of Edinburgh on A7 - forecast looked bad last night so I hoped for a bike-commute but was prepared to forgo that for the car.
6:20AM : looked like spots of rain on the windows, still bloody windy.
Got bike out of garage and temp is ok, prob +2 or so.
Ride in to Gyle was fine, only 1 road really was bad, back road at IKEA where there's little traffic.
Just now hope that the forecast snow/blizzards don't really happen and the slightly higher temps mean that it's rain not snow that we get.