ice riding

vengeance111

has anyone got any tips for ice riding
the only thing i can say is dont pedal steer or move

birchy

got to be as nimble as cat to catch the bike when it gets out of shape

stomith

I reckon you could skip the pedal or steering bit too..and just have: Don't move at all.

Ice Racing would be hilarious......3....2.....1....GO!......and nobody move a muscle...

vengeance111

lol
i think you can get tyres with metal spikes in them

Northwind

Relaaax. The looser you are on the bike, the better your reflex actions will do at correcting for slides. And the slower and more gentle and controlled your inputs are, the less likely you are to slide. And plan miles and miles ahead, ie, go slow, brake early, steer more gently and make wider corners if you can. (oh, and if you're on the road, ride where the cars go if it's icy, those bits will have got warmth and wear off the car tyres and good salt coverage, cyclists tend to cut corners and use bits of roads cars can't)

Snow is different, the fresher the snow the better.

Oh, and flats can help

freeride-mike

i'd just avoid the ice tbh or u'll end up like me, slipped on a frozen puddle fell off and now suffering with a pulled back

Northwind

Avoiding it is good advice too

jmillen

As above, if you can avoid it...avoid it.

If curiosity is getting the better of you like it did me at the weekend, take it slow, no sudden movements etc etc is the normal advice.

The only way to get across hard packed sheet ice on footpaths etc which can be very difficult to see is get off and walk, it really isnt worth the risk in my eyes.

vengeance111

it is infuriating becuase i cant ride on the trails till the ice has gone and theres quite alot becuase unkie the rest of engalnd it rained not snowed and all the rain has frozen
oh well give me some time to practice on slippy sufaces

.blitz

vengeance111 wrote:

has anyone got any tips for ice riding

You can't fall off in a straight line if you're not braking or accelerating

Edit: and you're not on a camber or ascending or descending

diy

its very easy to fall off in a straight line, if you are on a camber.

But splitting hair aside as north says, relax, keep the controls smooth, try to stay upright and you minimise risks. I would add also that keeping your weight back, so that your front wheel is your steering wheel and your rear wheel your driving wheel is also worth thinking about. It also means the rear is more likely to go than the front, which is easier to manage.

Also when climbing I normally aim for the steepest part, so I can drop down if I loose grip. On ice you have to aim for the lowest part of the tracked climb as you'll end up there anyway.

Be aware that cold tryres can be quite hard to work with if you need to fix a puncture.

If you use SPDs note that they may clock with ice and be harder to release or clip in. Particularly if you've had to put your foot down in the snow.

Lastly carry a spare pair of gloves, dry base layer, sox and a couple of freezer bags. If you do go through an icy puddle and get wet feet, you will risk frost bite, so wip out the spare sox and freezer bags if your feet get wet and its really cold.

Wooliferkins

Ice Tyres Considering the 700s for the fixie for when the (not much here) snow thaws and then freezes on Oxfordshires ungritted roads. To be fair it's only been sub zero for a week now bar the +2 when it snowed yesterday.

Northwind

.blitz wrote:

You can't fall off in a straight line if you're not braking or accelerating

I can fall off anywhere, you're just not trying hard enough.

ex-pat scot

keep your weight off the front wheel wherever possible.

Don't try and steer, brake or lean at all.

Always know where the nearest soft landing spot is

antfly

Northwind wrote:

.blitz wrote:

You can't fall off in a straight line if you're not braking or accelerating

I can fall off anywhere, you're just not trying hard enough.

That`s not what you told me

Also, when on the road don`t ride down hills that have ice at the bottom just before a junction.

suspected_puncture

Im loving all this ice talk, luckily ive only come across mushy snow and no real ice..!!

So far all good fun and no coming off!!! I'm a newbie, so I tend to go quite slow and brake well in advance!! I was out on sunday trying to get some natural sideways action to see how well i could controll the bike.. but i couldnt get anything going unless i hit the brakes even with a tight turn.. Quite disapointed!! I shall see how I do on the ride to work tomorrow!!

Hopefully the landing will be soft, I dowbt I will get my feet out of the SPDs as these are abit new to me also so the knees may take a beating!!

Ollie

Kiblams

Had great fun on my ride in to work, all of the shared cycle paths along the river were complete ice and completely empty Had a bit of fun locking my front wheel, reminded me of the joy of skidding the back wheel as a child. Probably only fun as it goes against everything I have been learning out on the trails this year :?

Actually found it very useful for identifying just how much I can use my front brake before I can expect the bike to get away from me, very educational :shock:

dunker

i try to avoid but got caught in the freeze last night, about 1/2 mile from home came round a corner about 20mph and hit a sheet of ice and the next thing i know i'm sliding along the ground. bruised elbow and hip and pulled groin tendon things, can just about walk today bikes ok though

vengeance111

that sounds nasty
at least the bikes not broken

DuncSF

Yep, the ice is very dangerous. I'd spent build up to Christmas with family etc., and impatient to get out and get some miles in....big mistake, Ok for about 4 miles then hit a roundabout in Skelmersdale and back wheel just went. Result is bruised hip, elbow and lots of skin left on the road. Bike OK, various chew marks on bibtights, oversocks and base layer elbow.
Did what you all would do and that is get back on the bike and very carefully get back home safely. It makes you appreciate what the pro cyclists have to do when they have a big pile up but get back on and finish.