Worst conditions you've ridden in?
NDawn
Posts: 238
Just had a discussion with my dad about worst conditions we've ridden in and as far as we can remember this February up on the North Yorkshire Moors was the worst we'd encountered yet.
Now it wasn't the coldest or wettest etc. but it was a combination that made it awful to ride. Basically what had happened is on the forestry tracks it had snowed heavily, thawed, frozen, then snowed on top.
It meant you had a perfect covering of snow, on top of a bit of slush on top of ice, added to that not being able to see the underlying surface meant as soon as you clipped any ridge or hollow caused by the tractors etc. you lost the front end as there was no grip.
Granted I should have had better tyres, was using 2.2 Rocket Rons which weren't suitable, but still it was so hard going, Losing the front end virtually every 20 metres or so.
I hate riding on ice but we had taken the bikes all that way and by god we were going to get in at least one ride
Now it wasn't the coldest or wettest etc. but it was a combination that made it awful to ride. Basically what had happened is on the forestry tracks it had snowed heavily, thawed, frozen, then snowed on top.
It meant you had a perfect covering of snow, on top of a bit of slush on top of ice, added to that not being able to see the underlying surface meant as soon as you clipped any ridge or hollow caused by the tractors etc. you lost the front end as there was no grip.
Granted I should have had better tyres, was using 2.2 Rocket Rons which weren't suitable, but still it was so hard going, Losing the front end virtually every 20 metres or so.
I hate riding on ice but we had taken the bikes all that way and by god we were going to get in at least one ride
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From end of the tube, Hungerford, to Bath/Bristol over two days. Kennet and Avon canal tracks, plus quiet road/lanes.
Mtb with slicks/panniers.
Was the windiest w/end ever!
Blew trees down all over the UK.
Flippin ard work, I can tell ya!0 -
I've attempted a ride in deep snow on the Malvern Hills in February and it was a fail. Pushed up the climb but had some fun on the way down
Rides at Penmachno and Cannock with thick ice on the trail. Was full attention and 'eyes out on storks' focus.
Photo from Penmachno - Dec 29th 2008.
Specialized Enduro SL Pro Carbon
Specialized Stumpy Evo Carbon
Canyon Aeroad Disc Di2
Specialized FSRxc - XC Race Bike0 -
Winter 92 . 3 of us threw the bike in my Land Rover, drove until we couldnt drive and then started the ride back. We were out on the North Yorkshire moors, We got betwwen Goathland and Stape(We lived near there). Return journey would have been ok if we had visibility. Took a long time, I remember it being fun but the worst conditions I have ever ridden in. Returned to pick the Land Rover up in my spare, non road legal Trialing Land Rover. If you were wondering.
Damn it, they were good days. I no longer have such a fabulous vehicle.fly like a mouse, run like a cushion be the small bookcase!0 -
Done the snow / ice thing this winter and last year as well. Worst conditions I've ever been out in though was before Christmas last year, Driving horizontal rain, really strong winds, axle deep puddles (on the roads :shock: ). Wind blew me off the trail at one point into a load of heather that then snagged my rear mech ripping it off.It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
When I was young (and looking back very stupid!) me and two mates went MTBing every single Sunday for over a year. Winter in Cumbria seen us with 5 foot snowdrifts, frozen gears and no braking what-so-ever! Didn't have any proper gear either- just wore two pairs of tracky bottoms, an extra t-shirt and squeezed a pair of magic gloves on over some regular gloves.
Ahh to be 15 again! 0 -
Hmm last year in the summer, riding high and exposed along a flood defence barrier along the coast when a thunderstorm desended upon me, nowhere to hide, felt very alone and exposed i thought i was going to be a 'statistic'! Thankfully just got soaked rather than struck by lightning 0
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gave up after a couple of miles as it got worse. Peak district 09/01/2010
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dvatc wrote:gave up after a couple of miles as it got worse. Peak district 09/01/2010
^ wins0 -
in asda's car park0
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This last winter was the worst I can remember. There were two weeks in Jan when I didn't go out on the bike which is some kind of record.0
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Riding down my local River when we had the floods, came round a corner and the water went up to my stem... was very deep and very cold!....DaZeD aNd CoNfUsEd....0
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Yep, this winter for me aswell. Got this bike last week of january, came off over ice twice in the first week of owning it, got caught in a blizzard that I swear to god almost claimed my fingers, got really sick of cleaning slush and grit off after every ride in the cold and had to fix a puncture sitting in the white stuff while pitch black from a board with a nail in it buried under 9" of snow on the way home from work... didn't bother going out again till there wasn't even any slush left.
Oh, and i'm getting another hobby for next winter because i'm NOT doing it all again.0 -
Many, many years ago, when I had my first MTB, I rode with a couple of buddies from Pangbourne to Princess Risborough, following a ride/route that had appeared in MBUK (Circa 1991/2). Had to ditch riding offroad when my front wheel was so caked in mud it wouldn't turn in the forks and I was quite happyily peddling, but not moving. Mud was knee deep dragging our bikes out to the road.
Similar conditions were had at SITS 2008...0 -
Worst for me this year didn't involve snow or ice, it was clay mud back in March.
A trail that is great fun most of the year had been turned to a quagmire following the snow melting. It was sticky clay mud and clogged the front and back wheels so badly that we had no option but to carry the bikes.
No matter how often you removed the mud within a few yards the wheels were jammed solid in the forks and seat stays. A mixture of carrying, pushing and dragging the bikes for what seemed like miles and eventually we got going again.
The mud was so sticky the tyres still hadn't shed it after another 10k.
By the time we got to something rideable our feet were enormous balls of clay mud and the bikes weighed twice their normal weight.
Thank goodness for sealskinz socks - at least my feet stayed dry and warm throughout.0 -
wind, rain and snow don't bother me...
there was some pretty treach ice kicking around this winter...
last winter...this was a great day out....
this year....this was a great day out basically vertical from Balquihidder
although some very very bike straight out from underneath glossy completely see through ice! Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.
H.G. Wells.0 -
Last summer my mate and I on holiday in Alps decided we had to go out despite rain and a bitter wind (well it was July what do you expect!). Rain got heavier as we rode the first chairlift, dropped down to lindaret along one of the muddiest paths I have ever ridden - arrived at the chairlift to the swiss french border which said there was 5cm of fresh snow at the top and advised caution - my mate convinced me with many - come on pussy - comments that we should keep going - the lift was very slow, it was very windy and it was snowing - we arrived at the top soaked through, too cold to hold the bars and feeling seriously worse for wear.
We rode back down to the bottom of the lift feeling hypothermic, dived into the only open restaurant ordered hot food, almost stripped to skin and stood in front of their fire trying to warm up while we waited for another mate to come rescue us in a van.
Litterally the coldest and most miserable I have ever been - next day it was sunny and 24 degrees out - go figure.Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.0 -
supersonic wrote:Rotherham.
Amen brother.
Got caught in a hail storm at the top of Brechfa once, was 2c in the Carpark so was easily in the -'s up top. Hail smashing into our faces and eyes so much we took shelter in some trees, the cold was unbearable after a while so had to push on. If anything made for a good ride.
On the flipside had a tough one back in '06, was soooo hot that summer. One lap of White's, burnt to a crisp and out of water pretty quick (was only rocking a no-brand 1ltr hydration pack then).0 -
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I guess I should say this one:
But in fact it was completely brilliant Worst conditions I've ever ridden in was a beautiful hot summer's day last year, foolishly went out for a long ride in the hills, no wind, no shelter. Burn... Miserable stuff, give me rain or snow any day. Uncompromising extremist0 -
Rotherham...
Soggy Bottom Race in Newnham park a few years ago... constant rain freezing cold only summer gloves and tyres race was a complete disaster 0 -
I did the snow thing this year including a couple snowy of night trips (the Lupine's light up a lot more when the ground is reflective ), but other than the near frost bitten fingers and toes I enjoyed it.
However, my worst ride was yesterday mornings comute to the office. Lovley sunny day, but about a mile in there was water running in the cycle lane. I had to go though a big puddle which sprayed up my legs. At that point I smelt it and saw the foul drain that the water was coming from. So I was covered in sewage.... Nice. Ride back home, shower using detol and carex.Somewhere in the Surrey Hills :-)0 -
This winter, when I came off on balck ice and crushed my hand, meaning I couldnt ride for a month
The worst part of it was the fact i was going to the shops for my mum :oops:0 -
Dagla got bad earlier this year. didnt brave at its worst but still 6 inches + at top
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