2 falls - 1 ride
Tashman
Posts: 3,074
Slightly embarassing ride yesterday.
First fall was at 0mph as I'd come to a roundabout and was unable to clip-out due to not tightening the bolts properly after adjusting the cleat position.
Second was downhill entering a bend. 45kph (According to Strava) ice - gravity - floor. Thought I'd bust my collar bone but it's just bruising all down my left shoulder/ribs/wrist. Hurts to breathe but hopefully should recover fairly swiftly.
Take it easy out there guys, i went out in the afternoon to avoid the ice but I guess this bit was too sheltered so hadn't gone. Oh and if the other guy who was at PRH is on here to I hope your collar bone heals well and swiftly!
First fall was at 0mph as I'd come to a roundabout and was unable to clip-out due to not tightening the bolts properly after adjusting the cleat position.
Second was downhill entering a bend. 45kph (According to Strava) ice - gravity - floor. Thought I'd bust my collar bone but it's just bruising all down my left shoulder/ribs/wrist. Hurts to breathe but hopefully should recover fairly swiftly.
Take it easy out there guys, i went out in the afternoon to avoid the ice but I guess this bit was too sheltered so hadn't gone. Oh and if the other guy who was at PRH is on here to I hope your collar bone heals well and swiftly!
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Even with 5 degrees air temperature, there will be that shaded corner where ice has not melted and might not melt at all.
You can stick to gritted main roads, but it's not much fun
Some play the "dew point" game, but I never found it a particularly reliable way of telling if there is ice around...
I rode with my dad on Saturday, 72 years old and still going strong. He had a near miss just in front of me, similar scenario although a little slower, saw his back wheel just twitch but he somehow straightened it out and went straight on, used the bank on the outside of the bend as a berm and saved it. m4d 5k1llz from the old boy
I gritted my teeth, braced for impact but luckily ice patch was short and i braked as soon as i was past it
5 mins later, stopped for a piss, thought I'd unclipped both but I hadn't and fell over in a pile of leaves, nothing damaged but my pride
Unfortunately out in the sticks where I am the treated roads woul mean a just a single road that I try to avoid for too long
Despite what a few people say, it really isn't worth the risk. My brother ended up in hospital after a guy in front of him went down on an isolated patch of ice and he went down in sympathy. I still have a scar on my arm after I went down about 10 years ago on ice too.
Trouble is I've got the bug now and having to balance that with being sensible about conditions. Roll on the spring/summer!
Not doing any more night rides till it warms up...
Rode along the main roads so they were gritted but there was ice in the gutters.
I'll probably go on zwift this week as it's too cold to ride first thing and at night.
I wholeheartedly agree with this - I have only done three rides this month, but have been getting much more into distance running anyway, which is unaffected by the weather - I can even run in the snow.
I have been surprised when out running in the frost at seeing roadies taking their chances - as a non-racer, I just dont see the point in taking the risk.
A decent level triathlete colleague of mine broke an arm. On a run. So there's danger on ice whatever you do.
Personally my rule of ice is if there's been rain/sleet/snow on one day, sub-zero temperatures overnight, then don't even think about the 6.30am commute (one section is untreated road that tends to have hill water run-off - ice rinks in the making). Even the shared cycle paths on that route just don't get the gritting that the adjacent roads do.
However, if it's been dry for a day (or preferably two), I'll still go out in sub-zero temperatures (as it was this last week), I'll just go steady on the sections that I know could still be damp - and this is the rub - I know the commute like the back of my hand, so this is actually fairly easy. I think I'd be far more nervous on roads I don't know that well.
Be safe out there folks! Spring is only a few weeks away!
Brilliant.
All my ice falls have been on back roads which are not gritted. I am very cautious on these. I have mostly been using main gritted roads this winter to avoid an high speed crashes.
SO what is your message? Go slowly, so you will go down in slow motion? Seeing you own 20 bikes, you might even fit one with studded tyres, no? :roll:
Also charging down a hill at 30mph is never a clever idea unlessyou know the road is ice free. Wet roads can very slippy it only takes a bit of diesel. Even in todays group ride i was very cautious on bends. It was a very quick ride but i kept my distance and all tight bends were taken with caution. I did not fear ice but greasy surfaces.
My commutes at present are using 33 mile route of main roads. i often do a shorter hillier route but the downhills would be dicey. This main road route is ice free even when it has been minus 4. I use a shorter route in the evening home because the ice has melted by then has had not had chance to reform.
Thank you
The rule doesn't work so well down south because the daytime temps mean the ground temps don't stay so low. That said, it wise to stay safe. Far too many people falling off on ice right now. 4.5 hours waiting time at Addenbrooke's A&E on Friday. I'm sure they don't need any more bent and broken cyclists.
Saying that, there were numerous accidents all over south Cumbria this morning (unsurprisingly), so even four wheels not so good if there's been no gritting. I suspect Cumbria CC will be getting it in the neck for this oversight (but to be fair, the forecast wasn't for sub-zero temperatues at all overnight). :roll:
I told you.
17 :shock:
One for each day of the week