Black Ice.

[Lardyboy]

Thought it was a bit cold this morning but set out anyway. Then 7 miles in we start going up a small incline, I spot the ice, but too late. Fairweather and myself go down.

Apparently I fell quite gracefully, I could hear Fairweather hit the tarmac!

Two cars stopped as Fairweather was still on the floor quite motionless. Two blokes get out and as I say "Careful it's black ic........." they both end up on their a**es too. Fairweather had giving himself a dead leg and his elbow was a bit sore too. I, however, was totally unscathed. Not even a scratch on the helmet! My bike had a scuff on the bar tape, scuff on the right pedal and a scuff on the rear mech. Fairweather's was a bit more worse off. Both levers were badly marked as was his right pedal.

Eventually Fairweather picked himself up, and said thank you to the people who had stopped to see we were ok, and thought as Fairweather was not 100% we'd head back. It was on the way back we noticed how bad the roads actually were and how lucky we were to get as far as we did without coming off!

 

[hackbike 666]

That's nice of those people to stop.
I think I would feel quite bad if people stopped for me and then hurt themselves like that.

 

[Campfire]

When it had snowed last week and frozen over, two children were knocking on people's doors trying to get someone to help because their mother had slipped on ice crossing the road and fallen straight on her head. I went out and she was in a bad way, confused and crying. She'd hurt her back too. A visitor to another neighbour's came over and took the young woman home in her 4x4 whilst I sat with her grandchildren, as the young woman wouldn't let us call an ambulance. I felt really worried about her and kept wondering how she was. It must have been very frightening for the children.

A couple of days later I saw on the news that 2 people had died through falling on the ice. I just hope the young woman was ok.

I had been wearing some 'spikies' when it was icy. They were really good. Nothing else will give you a grip on ice.

 

[longers]

Apparently I fell quite gracefully, I could hear Fairweather hit the tarmac!

Not a nice sound

Hope you're both ok now.

 

[Lardyboy]

Not a nice sound

Hope you're both ok now.

Not a sound I want to hear too often.

I'm ok, but Fairweather has just texted me to say he's to say that he's beginning to seize up.

 

[Mark_J]

My own riding has been severely curtailed over Christmas as we have had a lot of black ice on the roads. I have hurt myself a few times in the past coming off my bike on the journey to and from work.

When you are a kid you come off your bike, dust yourself own and carry on with blood dripping from your knee. It doesn't quite have the same appeal in sensible adulthood!

 

[hackbike 666]

Yeah I have to take it serious now.

I doubt whether my work would be too amused if I got injured while cycling in those conditions.Think I would find another way in.

 

[Fairweather]

Not a sound I want to hear too often.

I'm ok, but Fairweather has just texted me to say he's to say that he's beginning to seize up.

Happy New Year . . . .well not so far!

I'll take it as a lesson; if the back garden has ice on it then get on the turbo.

Lardster managed a beautiful dismount whilst shouting "ice", I think to myself to keep it in a straight line and the next thing I know i'm on my back on the floor in a lot of pain - landed slap bang on my hip and had a dead leg so could get off the road. I didn't even know a car had stopped to help until I saw a stranger standing over me. I was very grateful to him as we were in a very dangerous position - didn't stop idiots taking not a blind bit of notice to slow down though - a car towing a trailer came past with the trailer sliding all over the shop- t####r! We soon realised that there was a huge patch of black ice across the road, there's probably a car in the hedges right now I'd say.....

Leg came back to life soon enough..... then the thoughts are straight to the bike - no bad damage thankfully, couldn't work out how the brake levers ended up pointing towards each other?..... I was very happy that I had not torn my new tights or my jacket - lucky me.

See what interesting colours appear on the bumps now then.......and see if there are an cheap campag levers on the webnet......

Worst thing was that we missed out on the full Breakfast at the Compass cafe - bugger.

wonder where the name Fairweather came from?????????

 

[MacB]

glad no serious damage was done, I wasn't out until 1300hrs today and there was still quite a bit of ice around.

 

[abchandler]

I was out between 11.30 and 1.30 earlier. Patches of black ice where the sun had failed to reach. One had me off, but other than a scuffed knee and a bruised thigh where the bars hit me there's no damage done. Fortunately I'd unclipped in time to break most of the fall

 

[davidg]

London advice please

HNY all!

I havent been out on the bike at all for 2-3 weeks apart from a boxing day ride out of town...

what are the commuting conditions like at the moment? apart from brass monkeys!

I travel from Ealing to Mayfair along the main roads....any problems with ice in the mornings?

 

[Tollers]

I just got back from a ride around London. No ice this lunch time....in fact it was beautiful out there! I haven't done a morning commute in yonks though. Next time will be Tuesday.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Pretty lethal in the Coventry area today, Sunday, we had some rain yesterday and it froze hard over night. When I first went out this morning even some of the main roads were bad. I managed 30 mostly main road miles without problems before turning into Hoar Park http://www.hoar-park.co.uk/ for a coffee and nearly went base over apex in the car park. main roads all the way home with no problems. Ended up doing 44 very enjoyable miles. Back at work tomorrow after the holidays, will be out the house about twenty past six for the first time for a fortnight.
Lardyboy and fairweather glad neither of you did yourselves any major damage, hope the bumps and bruises heal quick.