Anyone braving the cold today ?

[mjr]

By the by, reminded by charlotte's post, are roads gritted less these days? Am from rural lancs and very definitely have the impression that they are far less cleared than of old.

Wouldn't altogether surprise me as, outside the london bubble, the county council can no longer afford many libraries, nor many rural buses to stir up the slush.

It varies by county. I think Norfolk decided to keep salting the same amount of roads... it's a mixed thing. On the one hand, all the salt is harmful to roadside plants and wildlife. On the other hand, it enables more motorists to drive faster through the village and arguably crash slightly less.

 

[biggs682]

The only grit i have seen on my mainly cycle path commute is laid down by a private company where employees cross between 2 sites they operate next door to each other but the sites are divided by a cycle path and a stretch of waste ground

 

[mjr]

I definitely think they are gritting less - it's ridiculous - I mean face it, our country is not set up for snow - no extra money for gritting lorries and It's just depressing.

Is it really ridiculous not to spend millions extra to cope with an average of a week or so a year of snow in Kent?

And it seems like most Kent residents still think there's too many government services because they keep electing parties who basically aim to cut taxes in real terms.

 

[Welsh wheels]

Staying off the bike for this week, not going to take any chances. My hip still bothers me from a spill on black ice in January.

 

[Sixmile]

It has been bitterly cold the last few days but thankfully the roads are dry. Still though, the road bike doesn't come out in such weather. I much prefer riding wider tyres, upright positioning and not always having to be clipped in during the more wintery weather.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Yeah sadly I will have to rely on the spin bikes for a while now! ARGH!

 

[confusedcyclist]

Put this in tales of today's commute, but I was out, delivering cake!

Had a right ole jolly with the Marathon Winters. Best fun had so far this year on a bike. I feel sorry for those of you that don't have these tyres and are too scared to go out. My 1 hour ride took only 10 minutes longer than usual, thanks to slow traffic. Mr Council was out plowing our new supercycle highway, just not early enough for the commute (Doh!), so I stuck to the clearish roads.

 

[ColinJ]

[Looks out of window] Hmm ... looks like a job for 'Bicycle Snow Plough/Plow (Wo)Man'!

 

[Heltor Chasca]

-6’c low with an average of -3’c this morning on the school run. 1st time my youngest has mentioned that it’s cold. I had icicles in my beard which a gaggle of the little baskets decided was an invite to poke fun at me. I’m taking my ice pick with me this evening. That’ll learn them.

 

[betty swollocks]

Got a tad parky after a couple of hours.
Bottle became a slush puppy:-

 

[Rooster1]

Did 15 in a blizzard today - cold toe toes. Roads were clear but dicey icey.

 

[Brandane]

I braved it for my 1.1 mile commute at 7.30 this morning with about 6 inches of snow lying on the ungritted (apart from the A78 trunk road) roads. I was on the Trek MTB fitted with Schwalbe Marathon ice spiked winter tyres so all was well, especially where I could find fresh snow which wasn't rutted by cars. At that time of the morning on the minor back roads that I commute on, that was pretty much all of the route.
One nobber in a pretend Land Rover (Discovery or similar crap) appeared to take umbrage at me being out in such conditions. Clearly it is only fat lazy winkers in 4x4's who are allowed to go to work in the snow. Or maybe he was upset that he had blown about £20k for the privilege of driving in the snow 2 days per year, when I had blown about £50 for the winter tyres.

 

[night rider]

what pressure did you run the spikes ?..I had the same tyres on my Surly Troll today, in the same weegietown 6-8" snow, at @55psi in front & 50psi on rear, but was sliding & with very little traction on inclines. Usually quite reliable as well

 

[biggs682]

Did 15 in a blizzard today - cold toe toes. Roads were clear but dicey icey.

Was it wort the risk ?

I have commuted all week on some knobbly maxxis but tonight coming home was done at low low almost walking speed due to the amount of ice around , so thats the bike going away till its all gone .

have made a mental note to get some studded tyres for next year

 

[mjr]

A day and a bit on, cycling is still fine, but it's now a bit different in where I'm going over four or five people's old tracks, they're frozen and it's easy to get a bit railroaded and have to yank the front wheel out of the rut, especially where someone on narrow tyres has hit the verge. Busier or quieter sections are about the same as before.