Black Ice

Clive George said:

"Paul Boyd" <usenet.is.worse@plusnet> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 14:27:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said:

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.

From my point of view, it's a lot better to ride at -10 than at 0.
Getting wet is real threat . A nice dry cold is usually fine.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Pete Biggs said:

Paul Boyd said:

John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 14:27:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said:

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.

Heavy socks 🙂

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

On Jan 10, 12:44 pm, [email hidden] (Alan Braggins)

Quoted message said:

In article said:

John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 14:27:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said:

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.)

There probably are no more than 1.5 to 2 k winter cyclists in Ottawa
going from an old survey from the 1990's so you would be unlikely to
see very many.

If you were here this winter, it really has not been all tha cold
most of the time so the natives were probably not exaggerating too
much.

I think we and Ottawa hit -25 or -30 for a day or two in the last
month . Most of the rest of the time it has been around or even above
freezing. I thought it was April when I came out of the house a
couple of mornings ago. Temp what something like +8 C. We had about
15-18cm of snow on the porch railing one night and it was all gone by
noon the next day.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Tim Hall said:

Clive George said:

"Martin Dann" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

> Round here, everything within ten yards of the gritter gets gritted!!

Being gritted is an unpleasant experience.

I get used to it. Stuck my arm up to cover my face as it goes by.

Down here (Crawley, W Sussex) I was pleased to note that the gritter
driver turned off the gritting bit as he drove past me.

A proper gentleman. But doesn't that mean there will be a patch of black
ice in that exact spot tomorrow?

John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 20:36:

Quoted message said:

Heavy socks 🙂

Don't you just mean "heavy sock"? ;-)

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Pete Biggs said:

Paul Boyd said:

John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 14:27:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said:

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

At -25C I'd be concerned about bits dropping off my *body*.  And they ain't
plastic.

I've ridden my road bike in minus 20 C, it was was quite good fun.

Apart from the cold that is.

--
Nige Danton

In article <[email hidden]>, Ben C
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

A proper gentleman. But doesn't that mean there will be a patch of black
ice in that exact spot tomorrow?

Cars will probably spread the grit around a fair bit.

In article <[email hidden]>, Andreas Oehler
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Hakkapelitta A10 is 32mm wide and reasonable priced:

http://www.starbike.com/php/product_info.php?lang=de&pid=8803

I use a set for 10 winters now. Only about 80-90 spokes per tire but
enough to manage black ice without crashing.

Is that the same set for 10 winters, or just the same sort of tyre?
I know the studs are supposed to be hard wearing, but ...

Paul Boyd said:

John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 20:36:

Quoted message said:

Heavy socks 🙂

Don't you just mean "heavy sock"? ;-)

I'll be investing in three of the heaviest socks I can find if I ever go to
Canland in the winter.

~PB

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:16:11 -0000, Rob Morley:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Andreas Oehler
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Hakkapelitta A10 is 32mm wide and reasonable priced:

http://www.starbike.com/php/product_info.php?lang=de&pid=8803

I use a set for 10 winters now. Only about 80-90 spokes per tire but
enough to manage black ice without crashing.

Is that the same set for 10 winters, or just the same sort of tyre?
I know the studs are supposed to be hard wearing, but ...

It is the same set. Each tire lost 1 or 2 studs but even after about
2000-3000 km they don't show much wear at all.

Andreas

Paul Boyd usenet.is.worse@plusnet said:

John Kane said the following on 10/01/2008 20:36:

Quoted message said:

Heavy socks 🙂

Don't you just mean "heavy sock"? ;-)

Not at that temperature. Layers, as the skiers say.

Quoted message said:

Not at that temperature. Layers, as the skiers say.

Or the hen-farmers...

Garry from Cork said:

Quoted message said:

Not at that temperature. Layers, as the skiers say.

Or the hen-farmers...

Ah, dialectical differences. It took me ages to get that. Hen-
farmers? Lady-farmers à la "hen-party", other strange thoughts,...
then "AHA, chicken farmers"!

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

John Kane said:

Garry from Cork said:

Quoted message said:

Not at that temperature.  Layers, as the skiers say.

Quoted message said:

Or the hen-farmers...

Ah, dialectical differences.  It took me ages to get that.  Hen-
farmers?  Lady-farmers à la "hen-party", other strange thoughts,...
then "AHA, chicken farmers"!

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

You were right to be confused. Chicken farmers is the correct term.

John Kane said:

Garry from Cork said:

Quoted message said:

Not at that temperature. Layers, as the skiers say.

Quoted message said:

Or thehen-farmers...

Ah, dialectical differences. It took me ages to get that. Hen-farmers? Lady-farmers à la "hen-party", other strange thoughts,...
then "AHA, chicken farmers"!

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Actually John, we say chicken-farmers as well. Just a slip of my
brain!!

But hens lay, hence layers.

Garry from Cork said:

John Kane said:

On Jan 12, 1:47 am, Garry from Cork <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Not at that temperature. Layers, as the skiers say.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Or thehen-farmers...

Quoted message said:

Ah, dialectical differences. It took me ages to get that. Hen-farmers?Lady-farmers à la "hen-party", other strange thoughts,...
then "AHA, chicken farmers"!

Quoted message said:

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Actually John, we say chicken-farmers as well. Just a slip of my
brain!!

But hens lay, hence layers.

So much for my learning a new Irish term. 🙁

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada