Off on the ice

Initialised

First proper corner this morning. Nowt major, shoulder started hurting now though.

Anyone else have frosted tarmac for breakfast?

Twostage

Had a couple of hairy moments including a front and rear slide. Only a split second but enough time to swear.

scruffyduncan

yep. Off yesterday morning. Slid about a bit today and just walked aome of the way. No reduction in the speed of motorists though eh?

rhann

no reduction in speed for me either, one of fastest commutes in weeks

danlikesbikes

Not for me but cheated and used the XC race bike for a super fast burn to work and had the best fun in ages!

BDFun

What sort of roads are you cycling on that has ice?

I cycle along a busy A-road so I'm hoping that it gets warmed up enough by cars that it isn't icy. I do try to take it easy on corners and stay further away from the edge of the road though.

thel33ter

It's not icy down here yet but I had one last year, and a few squirmy moments.

bakerstreet

Twostage wrote:

Had a couple of hairy moments including a front and rear slide. Only a split second but enough time to swear.

Yup, I had time to swear twice this morning! Icey leaves n the cycle lane!!

MichaelW

At what point is it worth getting studded tyres?

tomb353

first ice-off of the year yesterday, fitted studded tyre on the front last night. rear studded tyre will go on if and when we get any snow.

Initialised

BDFun wrote:

What sort of roads are you cycling on that has ice?

Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either. Time to drop the pressure or get some proper knobblies.

Initialised

MichaelW wrote:

At what point is it worth getting studded tyres?

Ice Spikers are tempting but probably overkill on a commute. Snow studs are only £20 each so I might get some of them.

BDFun

Initialised wrote:

BDFun wrote:

What sort of roads are you cycling on that has ice?

Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either. Time to drop the pressure or get some proper knobblies.

It was an honest question Just curious to know if you are encountering the ice on busy roads or on the quieter ones.

Initialised

BDFun wrote:

Initialised wrote:

BDFun wrote:

What sort of roads are you cycling on that has ice?

Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either. Time to drop the pressure or get some proper knobblies.

It was an honest question Just curious to know if you are encountering the ice on busy roads or on the quieter ones.

My commute goes, residential-dual carriageway-riverside C2C track-urban-park-industrial estate. The off was literally 200 metres out of the house. Not a busy road, residential, by the local corner shop. I was turning left into it as a transit was turning right into the same street so I might have been too close to the kerb and had to indicate, forgot not to lean and my rear tyre is getting a bit slick.

Bruised hand, hip, knee, face and my shoulder is the bit that still hurts a bit and it looks like I've been fighting again. I think I lost half a pack of Lockets and some Strepsils at the time.

pst88

I can understand the advantage of knobblies on snow but do they really help on ice? Surely you're just reducing the surface area? Just like how slicks are actually better in the wet than knobblies.

The Rookie

Almost anything other than spikes will be useless on sheet ice, but I have found my WTB Slickasuarus fairly reliable on the heavy frosts we get in the Midlands, they do slip and slide a little but in a predictable and gentle way, not gone off yet!

Simon

jeremyrundle

Initialised wrote:

BDFun wrote:

What sort of roads are you cycling on that has ice?

Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either. Time to drop the pressure or get some proper knobblies.

Now I think I understand this, I think you mean the sort of tyres on mountain bikes.

I had a tyre that is bumpy on the side and smoothish in the middle, on my Saracen, do ones that are bumpy all over make a difference, I fitted them yesterday ant think it is harder to cycle on the road.

What lower pressure, I have 55psi, what would you as a cyclist advise.

I ask because years ago before studded tyres and Sturmey Archer three speed, "like wot I ad son" we got on with it, I don't remember seeing people fall off much. A little like my old Mk2 and MK3 Cortins, no power steering (Mk 2) no ALB, no anything, we drove according to the conditions.

Is it because like cars bikes have evolved and we no longer ( well I do ) poodle about but reach speeds the Sturmey Archers never could.

Thank you.

Initialised

I'm running Continental Double Fighter IIs @ 60PSI, next time it's icy I'll try dropping to 45 so the knob at the side get a chance to make contact. Unless I buy some Snow Studs or similar first.

MichaelW

You can get pants for osteoporosis sufferers with hip-protector crash pads
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_protector
Would a bike-shorts version of this be of interest?

Probably the worst type of damage that you can suffer from a fall is a broken hip.

Initialised

Could be good, would prefer something less medical looking than that.

badwolf

Initialised wrote:

Sexy

Initialised

Saw the forecasts, ordered Snow Studs, probably overkill but overkill is under-rated.

TommyEss

You need quite a bit of ice for the studs to penetrate and give you traction - if you're coming off on the slippy tarmac, I can think if little worse than metal for traction - drain covers anyone?

Studded tyres really only work on those really snowy days we had at the start of the year, when the snow's compacted, melted and re-frozen - man that was slippy!

For all other frosty parts - treat like wet white paint or wet drain covers - ride straight, keep your weight off the front wheel, and don't try and steer or pedal.

Initialised

Shhh... I just wanted an excuse to splash out on some fancy treads.

Radioactiveman

Think I will stick to my two ton tank I have never enjoyed coming off on ice, tends to come a bit unexpectedly and hurts lots.

It wont stop me MTB ing though although I prefer snow to ice much nicer to land in/on

Lycra Man

I wasn't commuting, and it wasn't ice, but I fell on Sunday morning, while out on my weekend ride.

On a roundabout, l reached the apex and leant right to turn right, bike went out from under me, and I slid down tghe road on my cheek and eybrow.

Made a mess of my prescription glasses, knee, hip, ribs, elbow - the usual.

Fortunaltely the bike seems OK, and I cycled home, before going to A&E to get patched up/stitches.

It was surprise, and not in a good way.

Lycra Man

langster

Watch out for the grit they put down as you sometimes don't see it

jeremyrundle

Lycra Man wrote:

I wasn't commuting, and it wasn't ice, but I fell on Sunday morning, while out on my weekend ride.

On a roundabout, l reached the apex and leant right to turn right, bike went out from under me, and I slid down tghe road on my cheek and eybrow.

Made a mess of my prescription glasses, knee, hip, ribs, elbow - the usual.

Fortunaltely the bike seems OK, and I cycled home, before going to A&E to get patched up/stitches.

It was surprise, and not in a good way.

Lycra Man

were you wearing a helmet, i ask because this concerns me, i thought they would offer more protection

TommyEss

jeremyrundle wrote:

Lycra Man wrote:

I wasn't commuting, and it wasn't ice, but I fell on Sunday morning, while out on my weekend ride.

On a roundabout, l reached the apex and leant right to turn right, bike went out from under me, and I slid down tghe road on my cheek and eybrow.

Made a mess of my prescription glasses, knee, hip, ribs, elbow - the usual.

Fortunaltely the bike seems OK, and I cycled home, before going to A&E to get patched up/stitches.

It was surprise, and not in a good way.

Lycra Man

were you wearing a helmet, i ask because this concerns me, i thought they would offer more protection

Exactly what kind of a helmet do you expect to cover your face, knee, hip, ribs and elbow, pray tell!?

@Lycra Man - had a similar thing a few years back, cut my chin open, rode home, then decided my wrist was sore. Quick trip to A&E showed a fractured triquetrium (very exotic!). Best guess was that there was some diesel mixed in with the drying rain on the roundabout - nasty combination. May as well have been ice.

Take it easy - hope you heal quickly.

jeremyrundle

TommyEss wrote:

jeremyrundle wrote:

Lycra Man wrote:

were you wearing a helmet, i ask because this concerns me, i thought they would offer more protection

Exactly what kind of a helmet do you expect to cover your face, knee, hip, ribs and elbow, pray tell!? .

What a strange answer, I simply asked was a helmet worne, if so what type, as if they are no protection I would look at a better one myself from what I have, is that such a bad question as to reply in that tone.

TommyEss

jeremyrundle wrote:

TommyEss wrote:

jeremyrundle wrote:

Lycra Man wrote:

were you wearing a helmet, i ask because this concerns me, i thought they would offer more protection

Exactly what kind of a helmet do you expect to cover your face, knee, hip, ribs and elbow, pray tell!? .

What a strange answer, I simply asked was a helmet worne, if so what type, as if they are no protection I would look at a better one myself from what I have, is that such a bad question as to reply in that tone.

I think my point has gone way over your head - the OP suffered no injury to any part of his body covered by the helmet.

If you crash with a helmet on and hurt your hip, you don't then say "My hip's sore - must get a better helmet?!"