Almost bought the farm this morning

[neslon]

At 0700 I was happily cycling into Northumberland when the bike, for no apparent reason, slid out from under me. It went into the kerb, I smacked the road and slid in front of thw bus that was about to overtake me. I had one of those Bruce Lee slow motion moments as the locked back wheel and I slid closer together. At the last moment i was able to roll out of the way. Good reflexes by the driver thank the lord.

When I stood up, I fell straight back down - the road was a sheet of ultra slippy ice. Fortunately, I got away with a massively bruised elbow and arse and the bike was undamaged. Several things spring to mind, in no order.
Check the weather forecast.
Don't go fast on sheet ice.
Ride in primary (had the bus been alongside, I would have been under it)
Wear something to make head-butting the road a more pleasant experience.
Count your blessings, often.

Take care out there chums.

 

[nightoff]

Close call.

Well done on the evasive action. What sort of tyres were you on?

 

[benb]

Glad you're more or less OK. That sounds pretty harrowing.

 

[neslon]

Close call.

Well done on the evasive action. What sort of tyres were you on?

Conti 4000.

The main problem was the lack of ice in Toon so I was taken by surprise. Not sure other tyres would have helped. Still, on the bright side, my slipped disc feels a lot better than it did beforehand

 

[John the Monkey]

Met Office were issuing a warning of widespread icy roads in the North East tomorrow. Be careful out there.

 

[taxing]

Today was my first commute on icy roads, and it was only a mild touch of frost, but I was crapping it. I got to work fine, though stories like this don't fill me with confidenc e!

 

[BenM]

Wear something to make head-butting the road a more pleasant experience.

No don't because you will get a rotational injury

Last time I head butted the road (16 years ago or so) thanks to ice I had to have a few stitches in my eye socket. The bone still has a dent.

Get better soon and good on you for missing the bus!

B.

 

[asterix]

Phew, glad you are ok!

The trouble is when you get ice it can look just like a shiny wet road. I did 50 metres on black ice and only fell off when I changed direction, the only way was down.

So, if you have had a sub-zero night and by morning it is raining, watch out for black ice.

 

[upsidedown]

Glad you're ok Nes sounds v scary. Well done to the bus driver too.

Paul

 

[Simba]

I nearly had an incident like that last winter, lucky for me I managed to keep upright and the roads were empty. Glad you are ok though.

 

[avsd]

Ouch - I am glad you are OK.

The frost is the one thing that will make me stop commuting - happy with the wind/rain/cold but not frost/black ice.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Which road was this on!? I'm from the same neck of the woods as you, I don't want to repeat your experiment!

My back wheel slid a little bit on ice today, but that was it, no other ice after that thankfully

 

[neslon]

Which road was this on!? I'm from the same neck of the woods as you, I don't want to repeat your experiment!

My back wheel slid a little bit on ice today, but that was it, no other ice after that thankfully

The road from Dudley to Cramlington, near Shasun Pharma.

I should have realised when I was heading through Wideopen and felt the back wheel spin on the way up the hill. I dozily assumed it was just wet, then forgot about it. I also forgot the classic heat island effect - no frost in Jesmond, but it always appears by Hazelrigg. I blame the codeine I'm on for a slipped disc (which still feels better post crash - I might pack in the Physio and just go ass-planting on a regular basis.)

I'm in the car tomorrow as I have the most spectacular bruise/lump/stiffness/pain in my nether regions

 

[redflightuk]

I'm in the car tomorrow as I have the most spectacular bruise/lump/stiffness/pain in my nether regions

Hope all the above go quickly Nelson. I had a couple of offs last winter, luckily no traffic around me as one of the falls ended with me sliding 20yds finishing on the other side of the road. Only injury was bruised confidence.

This morning i took the trike and had a couple wheel spins on icy patches but coming home tonight wasn't nice in very thick fog( 20mins instead of 12 from the stables-home). Looks like fog for the morning and frost aswell, mmmm the trike again me thinks!!!!

 

[benb]

I'm in the car tomorrow as I have the most spectacular bruise/lump/stiffness/pain in my nether regions

Nothing wrong with a bit of stiffness in the nethers!