My town is an ice rink!

Nuggs
Nuggs Posts: 1,804
edited December 2009 in The bottom bracket
After the initial surprise and beauty of Thursday night's snow fall, all that is left is sheet ice everywhere.

I can't even get off the driveway, it's like a skating rink, only set at 45 degrees.

No idea when it may thaw. Looking at the 5-day forecast, it looks set to remain frozen right up to Christmas.

Snow - great for 5 minutes then a complete PITA*!



*Depending on location and infrastructure's ability to cope with it.

Comments

  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    My town is a sh1t hole!!!!!

    The snow just makes it presentable on a tempory basis. :cry:
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • deptfordmarmoset
    deptfordmarmoset Posts: 3,118
    Major roads are fine down here in London because it's been dry - but it's really dodgy on sidestreets - smooth black ice. At one point I found myself on a ice rink - put a foot down and the foot slid one way and the bike slid the other way. Ouch!
    Looking for a cycling buddy?
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Stack of snow today in Sth Manchester...roads pretty bad now.....but I've finished for Christmas......

    Just done 4 miles towing my kids/neighbour's kids round the field at the back of our house on my MTB.... :D
  • The Chingford Skinhead
    The Chingford Skinhead Posts: 718
    Why is it that council's think that everyone apart from those using the road should be under house arrest when it snows. Footpaths are never gritted and yet around 35% of households don't have a motor vehicle? :(
    Pain is only weakness leaving the body
  • deptfordmarmoset
    deptfordmarmoset Posts: 3,118
    The Chingford Skinhead wrote:
    Why is it that council's think that everyone apart from those using the road should be under house arrest when it snows. Footpaths are never gritted and yet around 35% of households don't have a motor vehicle? :(

    That's probably because the Council and the Police advise the gritters to stay indoors until it all thaws.
    Looking for a cycling buddy?
  • Slapshot
    Slapshot Posts: 211
    ...and just to be different, our town has an ice rink again....back in tonight for our first training in 18 months.....fantastic
    http://justcycling.myfastforum.org
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Slapshot wrote:
    ...and just to be different, our town has an ice rink again....back in tonight for our first training in 18 months.....fantastic

    Not Dumfries? Cos I only know one cycling-hockey player from Dumfries... And he hits hard.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    It's lovely and warm here, don't know why everyone is moaning. I'm just back from 5 days in Lapland, 6 inches of snow everywhere except the most major of roads and the 'city' centre, out playing in temperatures of -22 and everyone going about their business without any problems. Cars getting around easily (no snow chains or snow tyres in use and very few 4 x 4 vehicles). They did say it was going to get " a bit cold" today with forecasts of -30 and apologised that there wasn't much snow there for our visit. :lol:
  • MrChuck
    MrChuck Posts: 1,663
    The Chingford Skinhead wrote:
    Why is it that council's think that everyone apart from those using the road should be under house arrest when it snows. Footpaths are never gritted and yet around 35% of households don't have a motor vehicle? :(

    This is my yearly gripe! Seems like once drivers are looked after everyone else can look after themselves.

    In a more balanced view it's obviously important to keep the road network moving, not just so people can still drive to B&Q but it's still a bit annoying when pavements are just left as hazards.
  • la dama vecchia
    la dama vecchia Posts: 6
    Our council always grit the pavements as well as the roads - they've been up and down twice today already!!
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    Pross wrote:
    It's lovely and warm here, don't know why everyone is moaning. I'm just back from 5 days in Lapland, 6 inches of snow everywhere except the most major of roads and the 'city' centre, out playing in temperatures of -22 and everyone going about their business without any problems. Cars getting around easily (no snow chains or snow tyres in use and very few 4 x 4 vehicles). They did say it was going to get " a bit cold" today with forecasts of -30 and apologised that there wasn't much snow there for our visit. :lol:
    I was in Sweden in February a few years ago. It was hilarious watching grannies drifting their big Volvo estates on the ice with no worries at all!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    They certainly have better driving skills although I did notice that although there was compacted snow / ice on the footways it wasn't anywhere near as slippery as the snow here this morning, not sure why. Also, they gritted some areas but the grit just gave better grip rather than making that horrible slushy mess we get - possibly something to do with it not lowering the freezing point sufficiently in those extremes of cold?
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    MrChuck wrote:
    The Chingford Skinhead wrote:
    Why is it that council's think that everyone apart from those using the road should be under house arrest when it snows. Footpaths are never gritted and yet around 35% of households don't have a motor vehicle? :(

    This is my yearly gripe! Seems like once drivers are looked after everyone else can look after themselves.

    In a more balanced view it's obviously important to keep the road network moving, not just so people can still drive to B&Q but it's still a bit annoying when pavements are just left as hazards.

    I am with you there...
    noting the lack of grit on pathways...I live very very close to the town hall as well
    the large number of houses, the large number of less nimble of footed who HAVE to use trudge to the shops risking limb on sheet ice..
    ok Tescum did well for their premises.. Aldo less so but lets not talk class differences here.. methinks the lack of regard for those not motorised is a national malaise

    well to sum up
    the car really is the fu££ king king aint it

    ps I really dont give a toss about Sweden either .. why do people always bring up that as tho it has any relevance to us here?
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    Started to snow yet again here in NW London so no chance of getting in a quickie before xmas day
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Pross wrote:
    They certainly have better driving skills although I did notice that although there was compacted snow / ice on the footways it wasn't anywhere near as slippery as the snow here this morning, not sure why. Also, they gritted some areas but the grit just gave better grip rather than making that horrible slushy mess we get - possibly something to do with it not lowering the freezing point sufficiently in those extremes of cold?
    You'll find that snow tyres are in fact the norm in north Europe. Colder snow tends to stay a bit more powdery, or if really bashed about it gets kind of grainy - melting snow is indeed more slippery. The roads there are often gritted but not salted, it's the salt that makes the slush - but you're right that salt only reduces the freezing point to a certain extent, so there's no point in proper cold.

    BTW my road just outside Dundee is not adopted by the council, with a 10-15% stretch it's currently just about manageable in a FWD vehicle but much easier 4X4. But the pavement is cleared and gritted regularly, so if in doubt - drive on the pavement!


    EDIT - we could start a "driving on the pavement" thread to debate the rights and wrongs...
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I stupidly believed last night's weather forecast and parked my Mini on the drive in front of our 4x4. Got up at 6.15am to do the morning stables to find a scattering of snow, tried to reverse off the drive (1:4 slope!) but couldn't. At the same time a taxi driver at the end of the road was trying unsuccessfully to get up the road itself which kicks up at about 1:8 to the main bus route through the estate. Me and my 12 year old daughter started getting buckets of grit from the bin at the top of the road and putting it on the wheel tracks to cover the distance of about 60m to the gritted bus route and after 15 minutes managed to get the road passable. At that point the taxi driver, who'd gone home, reappeared with a fork :? and said "oh, is it done" before driving up with no word of thanks and not having helped at all. A nurse opposite was also clearing her car and said "oh good, you'll have it clear for me". So much for community spirit! :evil:
  • ademort
    ademort Posts: 1,924
    For the first time ever i could not get to work this morning. After cycling 1Km this morning in 15 minutes i decided that there was no way i could do the remaining 15Kms it was terrible. Snow kept getting caught between the front wheel and forks to the point that you could hardly make any headway. The bad news is the weather forecast here is no improvement upto the weekend so am going to have to use a company car for a whole week BAAAAAHHHHH.
    Ademort
    ademort
    Chinarello, record and Mavic Cosmic Sl
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  • mocev
    mocev Posts: 9
    Thankfully, I'm not in the same situation. I love my neighbours.
    Everytime it snows they all turn up at my door en masse to get stuck in.
    My driveway is very long, very isolated and quite steep. It once took me 6 hours to clear two 'tracks' for my tyres to travel in so I could get out.. I can assure you that any backaches I've ever suffered from as a cyclist pale into insignificance.. Shovelling sucks.
    It's a lot quicker with a gang though. A few cups of tea and bacon sarnies to keep morale up and what could have been a major trauma ends up as a good social event. It seems to be becoming a favourite occasion for everybody who lives nearby.
    There was a bloke here yesterday who nobody has ever seen! He certainly doesn't live nearby. How's that for community spirit! :D
  • Stewie Griffin
    Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
    NWLondoner wrote:
    Started to snow yet again here in NW London so no chance of getting in a quickie before xmas day

    How far away does she live, can you not walk there :wink: ?
  • Slapshot
    Slapshot Posts: 211
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Slapshot wrote:
    ...and just to be different, our town has an ice rink again....back in tonight for our first training in 18 months.....fantastic

    Not Dumfries? Cos I only know one cycling-hockey player from Dumfries... And he hits hard.

    Wrong end of the Scotland mate ;)
    http://justcycling.myfastforum.org
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    mocev wrote:
    Thankfully, I'm not in the same situation. I love my neighbours.
    Everytime it snows they all turn up at my door en masse to get stuck in.
    My driveway is very long, very isolated and quite steep. It once took me 6 hours to clear two 'tracks' for my tyres to travel in so I could get out.. I can assure you that any backaches I've ever suffered from as a cyclist pale into insignificance.. Shovelling sucks.
    It's a lot quicker with a gang though. A few cups of tea and bacon sarnies to keep morale up and what could have been a major trauma ends up as a good social event. It seems to be becoming a favourite occasion for everybody who lives nearby.
    There was a bloke here yesterday who nobody has ever seen! He certainly doesn't live nearby. How's that for community spirit! :D

    If that was my neck of the woods he would only have been there to case the joint while you were busy :wink:

    I seem to always end up doing the donkey work on my street, the only other person to have helped me in the past was the convicted paedo across the road :shock:
  • dag_on_a_bike
    dag_on_a_bike Posts: 581
    Having spent 8 1/2 hours in the car yeaterday to do what normally takes 40 mins, can't say I'm particularly amused, least of all at those who think it's OK for them to queue jump/drive on the hard shoulder!

    No, Basingstoke was no ice rink, more a glorified car park
    There's no such thing as too old.

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