Assesing The Risk of Ice

[Banjo]

I am getting more wary of ice as time goes by.

I have been lucky to have slid off multiple times on ice without any real injuries but dont bounce quite as well anymore.

My guideline now is not to use lanes if temp is less than 3 degrees C ( or has been over the previous ).night.
Rain followed by frost is dangerous but run off from fields can catch you out.

 

[Dayvo]

To me, it's pretty clear: I don't and will not ride in snowy or icy conditions.

I've broken my collar bone once (under different circumstances) and 'suspect' that riding in the winter (especially here in Norway) would definitely result in a fall sooner rather than later.

A lot of winter commuters either use studded tyres or ride those 'fat bikes' and I admire their determination to not let them be stopped by a bit of snow. Maybe if they've had a broken a collarbone/wrist/ribs/head, then they might not be so eager.

As Banjo mentioned above, he doesn't bounce as well as he did, and nor do I. Plus I've recently slipped a disc in my lower back and don't want to invite any unwanted pain or discomfort.

But good luck if you do. At least a snowy winter in Britain/southern England doesn't last too long.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Second bike with ice tyres is what you need. Any sign of ice then I use the ice bike

 

[gbb]

I spent years commuting all winter and I found several things...
Town or urban cycling isn't too bad, the roads are usually gritted. Rarely ever had problems, and yet black ice will have you off in an instant. Thankfully I've found black ice to be very rare.
Countryside cycling requires great care, following things I've found...
Even once the sun's up and the frosts melted, beware those patches where the sun hasn't got to.
Beware those black shiny parts of the road where the tar has melted in the summer, in frosty conditions they become hyper slippery.
Changes in road surface deserve care.

 

[summerdays]

The danger signs for me are late evening rain followed by clear sky. And then in the morning the surface looking black and wet rather than dry and white. On those days it's the bike with studded tyres. Sometimes it's ok when you set off and you then come across an area which had that late night shower. Then it's a case of walking and going very slow, saddle lowered until you are past the worst. And aim for busy main roads that are more likely to be gritted.

 

[ChrisEyles]

I came off my bike several times last year on the ice, commuting to work early in the morning along country lanes (there is no other option from our house, and I didn't have a car at the time). When it was icy, sometimes I'd slip'n'slide through intact, sometimes I'd go down, and it didn't even seem to have much to do with how I rode. Fortunately I didn't injure myself and the only casualty was a cheap derailleur, but again, that was more luck than judgement.

I wouldn't do it again! It's pot luck whether you make it over any given large patch of ice, and you can never 100% guarantee there won't be any ice in a given location (unless you ride the whole way at walking pace I guess!).

I'd agree that riding in town or busier roads is fine though, if they're well gritted as they usually are (I've never had a problem in years of such conditions).

I think making the judgement call about road conditions is a really important thing to be able to do. If you have the option of taking the car when you suspect there will be ice on the roads, it's daft not to, in my honest opinion.

 

[mjr]

Yes, but how do you decide if it's icy?

I look at pots and pools of water outside my house, plus I'm much warier if it's below 4degrees C. I will usually take the studded tyre bike if there's any doubt in my mind... and t'other half hasn't taken it already.

 

[mjr]

If you have the option of taking the car when you suspect there will be ice on the roads, it's daft not to, in my honest opinion.

Sliding off the road in a car after hitting a surprise icy patch at 30+mph isn't really safe for you, plus you're much more likely to hurt someone else. It's daft to drive in such conditions. Ice bikes are the only responsible way.

 

[ufkacbln]

Solved...

 

[Dayvo]

Solved...

That's all very good, but sitting stationary won't get you very far and you'll get cold quickly!

 

[Ajax Bay]

@Zeffer 's experience Keep getting better, Z.

 

[Shaun]

How good are studded "ice" tyres? I've never used them - can the bike still slide from under you at extreme angles, or do the studs run out to the sides far enough to stop that happening?

 

[GGJ]

I was out in the country lanes today, temperature was between -1°C and +1°C. Lots of slippery patches on the roads but no black ice. I listen to the road, if it's icy the road is silent, spookily silent.

 

[ufkacbln]

How good are studded "ice" tyres? I've never used them - can the bike still slide from under you at extreme angles, or do the studs run out to the sides far enough to stop that happening?

I made a massive error!

I decided on a Marathon Winter on the rear to allow the grip and drive the trike

It was brilliant... until I decided to stop and realised that additional grip on the front tyres would allow braking

I now have these available and fit them on all three wheels

.. back to the question.

There is some contact at high pressures and a characteristic "buzz" as the studs hit the road. The number of studs impacting rises with low pressure, so lowering pressure does increase grip

I run mine at 35 - 40 in bad conditions, and have never slid yet

 

[Pat "5mph"]

How good are studded "ice" tyres? I've never used them - can the bike still slide from under you at extreme angles, or do the studs run out to the sides far enough to stop that happening?

Very effective, think riding a mini, two wheeled tractor
The other morning I was cycling to work at around 6am, on the non treated path, a pedestrian warned me about the ice ahead, I did not feel any on the bike, could see it though.
Riding over metal can still make you slip.
One does not do extreme angles on icy conditions, but yes, the studs on my tyres run out to the sides.
I think there is a cheaper version with only two rows of studs in the middle.