Riding in the snow on 23c slicks.

Bustacapp
Bustacapp Posts: 971
edited January 2014 in Commuting general
Anyone ever done this? Suicidal?

Comments

  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    My colleague did last year - can't find the video I took though ...
    He even accompanied me up the hill out of his village whilst it was snowing one evening - they closed the hill to traffic shortly after we went through ...
    He slipped a couple of times ...

    He was on a trike!
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    In fresh snow, not too bad. Just take it really easy. Expect a few lairy slides. Can be quite fun if you don't mind a few bumps and bruises!

    In snow that's had a chance to freeze, awfully difficult. At best you are not able to steer as the front wheel tramlines. If it's been packed into ice, it's pretty much impossible, i.e. faster to walk.
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  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    if your on main routes are on gritted roads then your fine. I found out to my peril last winter that the side road roads that had not been grilled were the troublesome bits. If its fresh snow its fine, you can see it and avoid it, but if it is just been below zero and you get ice on the road that is when it is dangerous, you just cant stay up straight.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    +1 to the above, it's not easy. A mtb or CX is so much better for snow.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    MajorMantra wrote:
    +1 to the above, it's not easy. A mtb or CX is so much better for snow.
    plus a slightly lowered saddle ...
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    Even on 28c Schwalbe Marathons riding on snow and ice isn't fun. Mountain bike time.
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  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    unixnerd wrote:
    Even on 28c Schwalbe Marathons riding on snow and ice isn't fun. Mountain bike time.

    Woah woah woah. It is fun.

    Just not safe, fast or wise.
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  • michael_roadie
    michael_roadie Posts: 84
    I did last year, 23mm GP4000s in the little bit of snow we got in London. As said above, fresh snow is ok as it's not that slippery, but after its been compressed and partly ice, can be pretty dangerous and gotta take it slow.
  • kingofthetailwind
    kingofthetailwind Posts: 575
    http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 3336,d.d2k
  • shmooster
    shmooster Posts: 335
    KingOfTheTailwind wrote:
    http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CDwQtwIwAg&url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8GoL8UzIj0&ei=iPaJUqq4PM2thQfNkYHwAQ&usg=AFQjCNFzvN5oYYm4jCidiUfpwcet7n6Cig&bvm=bv.56643336,d.d2k

    Great video.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Bustacapp wrote:
    Anyone ever done this? Suicidal?
    It snowed today, I rode on 23mm slicks, am I suicidal?
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • jspash
    jspash Posts: 107
    michael_roadie wrote:
    I did last year, 23mm GP4000s in the little bit of snow we got in London. As said above, fresh snow is ok as it's not that slippery, but after its been compressed and partly ice, can be pretty dangerous and gotta take it slow.

    I did the same last year. But I've gone up to 25s this year. Not sure if it's going to be better or worse. Or if I should just pony up and get a full-on winter bike!
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  • Bustacapp
    Bustacapp Posts: 971
    Initialised wrote:
    Bustacapp wrote:
    Anyone ever done this? Suicidal?
    It snowed today, I rode on 23mm slicks, am I suicidal?

    Call that snow?
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Initialised wrote:
    It snowed today

    LOL, no it didn't.
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    earlier this year when we had all that snow for ages i cycled to work on 23c tyres, about 7 miles each way. if the roads arent too small and are in regular use by cars its not too bad, if you can follow a bus stick to their tyre marks and its much easier!
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  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    MTB and Snow studs !
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    fossyant wrote:
    MTB and Snow studs !
    When the real snow comes, until then...
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • socistep
    socistep Posts: 88
    got caught out earlier in the year when commuting from from Leeds, decent amount of snow had come down and I was on my CAAD8, I limped through about 3 miles and it was quite slippy, started to go uphill and got worse and walked back from there - that was still quicker then all the cars gridlocked up that hill and another factor in walking as they were all over the road and reduced room for bikes.
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    i went past someone last night who had stud tyres, well it definitely sounded like it (it was dark!) can't see them having many studs left when it gets to jan/feb when we are much more likely to actually get snow!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    temp down here was ~0°C this morning ... I can see that some might be worrying a bit about ice ...

    My studded tyres are fitted - to a spare set of wheels that I'll fit when conditions require ... till then I'll carry on wearing out these heavy flakjacket tyres ... :(
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,930
    Main problem with snow is the grit that they throw on the ground - it's like dipping your bike in sea water.

    Other than that look out for ice. Easier to say than do.
  • debeli
    debeli Posts: 583
    Short answer: Do not ride in the snow on 23c slicks.

    Long answer: There will be people who say they do it and that it is easy. I used to commute (Southern Europe) on snowy and icy back roads on an MTB. Snow is not just snow. It can get frozen (where no tyres will offer any advantage), turned to sludge, crunch freshly like cornflakes, be interspersed with puddles, be full of stones and chips. I've never cycled on 'Disney' snow that just carpets the ground and behaves itself. It can even be yellow and not for drinking, but that's another song.

    It can also hide the hugest of huge potholes and any number of bits of street flotsam and detritus. Then you add junctions, descents, camber and HGVs into the mix. Not only do the tyres of an MTB offer better control; I also find the riding position an easier one from which to correct a slip or kick at the ground to stop a fall.

    Reprise of short answer: Do not ride in the snow on 23c slicks.
  • ricnott
    ricnott Posts: 4
    I got caught out in the snow last year on my 23c slicks. The main roads were fine as the teraffic dispersed the snow but one part of my ride is along a private road and no traffic meant a VERY slippery ride for a mile. It was quite scary but loads of fun 'powersliding'. The worst bit was a few days later when the snow when and there were sheets of ice all the way to work. Have now got MTB for the winter fun.

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