Unforeseen drawbacks of the cold

Hot Orange

Got to the station this morning and locked up and unclipped the lights as usual. Next, I removed my bike computer but, with freezing fingers, I dropped it. It bounced across the platform and made its way to the back edge, where it leapt off into the middle of some dense shrubbery in the car park below. Bums. It was only a cheapy Halfords one, but it's done a good job over the years.

So, as well as having to guestimate my mileage for today, I now need to buy a new one. Another cheap one, or time to splash out on a Garmin Edge or something?

Anyone else had any unfortunate incidents indirectly caused by the cold?

Lancslad

I saw some bloke cycling in shorts last night (-6) I thought this post was going to be related to something like that.

Mr Plum

So far I've only had the obvious drawbacks - falling off twice, freezing fingers/toes etc... but one good thing is that the bike racks at work are now half empty

I too bought a cheapy cycle computer to replace my wireless Sigma 1009 STS that's struggling with the cold and my LED light. Turns out the new one is total crap. Have to get another one now, probably a wired Sigma for £15 from ebay :roll:

UndercoverElephant

It was -14 degrees when I set off on Friday, over the course of the journey:

1) I had a rear light bracket shatter, which meant that the light dropped onto the road in front of a lorry
2) I had the grease in the free-wheel on the Genesis freeze, meaning that the pawls that normally make the wheel turn when you pedal had stuck in the free option so that when I turned the pedals, they did nothing but spin.

Not the best trip to work I've ever had.

W1

My airzound doesn't work when it's this cold.

Nor does my voice really.

I'm dehydrating due to snot, rather than sweat.

ex-pat scot

Nasal hair is freezing solid on my commutes.

Minus 14 around here

EKE_38BPM

I dislike the extra time it takes to get dressed/undressed. Instead of the 6 items I wear in summer I'm now wearing about 12.

fnegroni

W1 wrote:

I'm dehydrating due to snot, rather than sweat.

Clever Pun

last week I dropped my keys into a foot of snow, took me a little while to find em, while panic was rising

rolf_f

Clever Pun wrote:

last week I dropped my keys into a foot of snow, took me a little while to find em, while panic was rising

Last year I lost mine between car on drive and front door. Couldn't find them anywhere despite much searching therefore assuming the key had been picked up from virtually outside the house. Panic trip to Homebase to get a new lock the mechanism of which was larger than the original therefore needing much chiselling out.

Found the original key in the bush next to the door the following winter. It was about a foot from the door...........

rjsterry

UndercoverElephant wrote:

It was -14 degrees when I set off on Friday, over the course of the journey:

1) I had a rear light bracket shatter, which meant that the light dropped onto the road in front of a lorry
2) I had the grease in the free-wheel on the Genesis freeze, meaning that the pawls that normally make the wheel turn when you pedal had stuck in the free option so that when I turned the pedals, they did nothing but spin.

Not the best trip to work I've ever had.

Having only ever experienced -14˚C in Oslo in January, I don't envy you chaps north of the border. I remember the rather grim sensation of a rapidly dropping body temperature whenever I stopped moving.

UndercoverElephant

rjsterry wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

It was -14 degrees when I set off on Friday, over the course of the journey:

1) I had a rear light bracket shatter, which meant that the light dropped onto the road in front of a lorry
2) I had the grease in the free-wheel on the Genesis freeze, meaning that the pawls that normally make the wheel turn when you pedal had stuck in the free option so that when I turned the pedals, they did nothing but spin.

Not the best trip to work I've ever had.

Having only ever experienced -14˚C in Oslo in January, I don't envy you chaps north of the border. I remember the rather grim sensation of a rapidly dropping body temperature whenever I stopped moving.

Was a bit chilly, I'll grant you. By the way, a mountain biker in the office told me that if a freewheel freezes like that, all you have to do it piss on it. I think that about sums up mountain bikers.

Jay dubbleU

My main rear light doesn't like the cold - its ok when I set off but its reduced the asthmatic gloworm by the time I get home - strange my cheapy spare light doesn't seem to be affected at all

Nifer

I won't ride my road bike and my MTB is devoid of pedals currently, so I'm forced to drive

EKE_38BPM

Nifer wrote:

I won't ride my road bike and my MTB is devoid of pedals currently, so I'm forced to drive

Put your roadbike pedals on your MTB?

soundninjauk

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Was a bit chilly, I'll grant you. By the way, a mountain biker in the office told me that if a freewheel freezes like that, all you have to do it piss on it. I think that about sums up mountain bikers.

Heeeeeyyyy-aww you're probably right. Funny story, one of my friends mentioned that he had a pressure washer while we were on the way back from one of our Lake District trips one time. We informed him that it's use was probably not the best idea, but he insisted that it was the best thing since sliced bread in the bike cleaning world. Next time I saw him he was saving up for a new rear hub, as the act of pressure washing it had borked it to the point that whenever he span the pedals, that was absolutely all that happened, no wheel turning, no noise, no nothing.

Oops.

Nifer

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Nifer wrote:

I won't ride my road bike and my MTB is devoid of pedals currently, so I'm forced to drive

Put your roadbike pedals on your MTB?

That would be far too easy, no?

Mike Healey

Circumcision by frostbite?

Mike Healey

Sorry, not a drawback

zanes

I'm starting to think that the odd "crunch"/slight pedal slip I get sometimes when pulling off is less worn chainrings on new chain more slightly dodgy freehub starting to dislike cold weather.

secretsam

I usually leave my D lock at the station, attached to the bike rack

Then the damn thing froze solid the other week, had to get some warm water from the gents' to defrost it, thereby introducing water into the lock mech

Took it home and now carry it backwards and forwards, and regularly treat with WD40

Fireblade96

Is

SecretSam wrote:

...had to get some warm water from the gents' to defrost it...

a eupehmism for

UndercoverElephant wrote:

...piss on it...

?

secretsam

Fireblade96 wrote:

Is

SecretSam wrote:

...had to get some warm water from the gents' to defrost it...

a eupehmism for

UndercoverElephant wrote:

...piss on it...

?

No. Although that might have been an option, but I'd prefer not to risk frost-bite "there"

Blue Meanie

Being morally obliged to assist stuck cars as I'm the only one 'dressed for it'.