Alan Braggins said the following on 09/01/2008 09:15:
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For some people it might be a day to consider catching the train instead, or driving (cautiously, not spinning across the road and bouncing off a wall into cyclists, obviously).
My only options are cycling or driving, or walking I suppose. Frankly, in cold and icy conditions I feel happier on my bike, although a lot of my commute is on cycle lanes rather than road, so less risk of sliding under a lorry. The only dodgy bit is that on one roundabout, cars come sliding around it way too fast straight towards the cycle lane.
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For others, going back home just for long enough to get the studded tyres out then off on the bike again.
Yeah, right - and we've all got studded tyres to hand!
Excellent. For the benefit of others, where should we get them from?
In article <1iagwgt.quzpzp15nlrk8N% [email hidden]>, Ekul Namsob [email hidden] says...
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Paul Boyd usenet.is.worse@plusnet said:
Alan Braggins said the following on 09/01/2008 09:15:
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For some people it might be a day to consider catching the train instead, or driving (cautiously, not spinning across the road and bouncing off a wall into cyclists, obviously).
My only options are cycling or driving, or walking I suppose. Frankly, in cold and icy conditions I feel happier on my bike, although a lot of my commute is on cycle lanes rather than road, so less risk of sliding under a lorry. The only dodgy bit is that on one roundabout, cars come sliding around it way too fast straight towards the cycle lane.
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For others, going back home just for long enough to get the studded tyres out then off on the bike again.
Yeah, right - and we've all got studded tyres to hand!
Excellent. For the benefit of others, where should we get them from?
Alan Braggins said the following on 09/01/2008 09:15: > For some people it might be a day to consider catching the train instead,
[...]
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> For others, going back home just for long enough to get the studded > tyres out then off on the bike again.
Yeah, right - and we've all got studded tyres to hand!
Excellent. For the benefit of others, where should we get them from?
There's a reasonable choice in 26"
[...]
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but not much (i.e. only one tyre that I could find) for 700C
There are articles on the web telling you how to make your own. But since they use wide knobbly tyres to do that, that doesn't help users of many bikes taking 700c tyres. Like staying at home, or catching the train or driving instead, it's not an answer for everyone, just one possible option for some. http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/tires.htm
Black Ice is deadly because you can't see it and because it's unbelievably slippery.
It is caused when below-freezing air, supersaturated with water-vapour hits something solid like the road. It forms an instant sheet of ice without the tell-tale crystals of frost, so you cannot see it.
Best get B&Q to issue their security guards with some rock-salt, then.
My rule is, if you're going cycling and it feels REALLY cold on your ears, go home. Or check the temperature and if anywhere near zero, go home. Breaking your hip is a big deal.
Personally I've always said that if the bike is actually freezing up it is probably reasonable not to ride. Anything below -25 C is probably getting there.
[email hidden] said the following on 09/01/2008 11:31:
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Paradoxically, roads are probably safer in these conditions than cycle routes as roads get "gritted"
Roads are normally safer that cycle route. Interestingly it was an icy cycle path, with a clear road beside it that finally stopped me using that cycle path a year or two ago. After I started using the road for a few weeks, I realised how much hassle using the path had been, and how much safer the road felt.
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Round here, everything within ten yards of the gritter gets gritted!!
Personally I've always said that if the bike is actually freezing up it is probably reasonable not to ride. Anything below -25 C is probably getting there.
Over on another group they've been talking about plastic bits dropping off bikes because of the low temperatures. There's just something about the UK that makes people get all excited when the temperature gets near freezing or we get a flake of snow, whereas you guys in LeftPondia (and up a bit!) just get on with it.
"Paul Boyd" <usenet.is.worse@plusnet> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 14:27:
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Personally I've always said that if the bike is actually freezing up it is probably reasonable not to ride. Anything below -25 C is probably getting there.
Over on another group they've been talking about plastic bits dropping off bikes because of the low temperatures. There's just something about the UK that makes people get all excited when the temperature gets near freezing or we get a flake of snow, whereas you guys in LeftPondia (and up a bit!) just get on with it.
I was out riding last night in heavy snowy-sleet. That's colder than I've had for a long time. Colder than when it's several degrees below - at least then I don't get soaked.
For the first time ever I had the amusing slush-caked cassette. Changing gear meant some clattering/slipping while the chain worked a gap through the slush. Ok, if it had actually been properly freezing rather than just zero that would have been a lot worse.
Now the slush has all melted and has turned our field into a series of rapids :-)
Personally I've always said that if the bike is actually freezing up it is probably reasonable not to ride. Anything below -25 C is probably getting there.
Over on another group they've been talking about plastic bits dropping off bikes because of the low temperatures. There's just something about the UK that makes people get all excited when the temperature gets near freezing or we get a flake of snow, whereas you guys in LeftPondia (and up a bit!) just get on with it.
At -25C I'd be concerned about bits dropping off my *body*. And they ain't plastic.
Personally I've always said that if the bike is actually freezing up it is probably reasonable not to ride. Anything below -25 C is probably getting there.
Over on another group they've been talking about plastic bits dropping off bikes because of the low temperatures. There's just something about the UK that makes people get all excited when the temperature gets near freezing or we get a flake of snow, whereas you guys in LeftPondia (and up a bit!) just get on with it.
Almost of the icebikers across the pond are south of us, not "up a bit", but we get the benefit of the North Atlantic Drift. Some time ago I was in Ottawa for work, and we found it cold compared with home. Locals said it wasn't cold, the -40 they had had the previous month was cold. (But I didn't see any cyclists, even at "only" a few degrees below freezing.)
Personally I've always said that if the bike is actually freezing up it is probably reasonable not to ride. Anything below -25 C is probably getting there.
Over on another group they've been talking about plastic bits dropping off bikes because of the low temperatures. There's just something about the UK that makes people get all excited when the temperature gets near freezing or we get a flake of snow, whereas you guys in LeftPondia (and up a bit!) just get on with it.
Well no, most of us whine and complain.🙂 I don't do much pleasure cycling in the winter jus the normal commuting and shopping rides. I don't remember any plastic bits falling off but it does not sound unreasonable. Plastic does get brittle when it's cold.
