Cycling on Ice - what is the technique?

[J4CKO]

Its worth it for your bike to be the only one in the bike shed apart from the dumped 1970's sit up and beg Raleigh, its worth it for the incredulous questions "Are you on your bike".

I quite like it, certainly focusses your attention, now I am sure I can pretty much stay upright, however its when you have to make evasive movements that problems arise, usually due to dimwits looking through a 10cm square porthole they have cleared in their windscreen, then all bets are off !

We used to make a bee line as kids to get out in the snow and ice, people think the Japanese invented "Drifting" in cars sometime in the early nineties, no, it was a group of manchester schoolboys on a frozen pond in Handforth circa 1983, my mate had a steel framed kids racer called a Raleigh Meteor and through some quirk of physics he could spin it 360 on its axis, he didnt know how he did it, on the remarkably similar Arena I couldnt do it. The old Proto MTB/Cruiser that was the Raleigh Bomber, could, by virtue of its huge baloon like tyres stay very stable (for a two wheeler on ice) and do huge, graceful and very long drifts. We fell off, we got back on repeat until concussed and blue with cold, we fell through the ice to return home frozen smelling like the pond life we were.

Ok its not the same on the roads but there is a hint of that time in my decision to cycle on icy roads.

 

[jassy-x]

Think about it.....one crash can have you off the bike a whole lot longer than a few days in the car/on the bus.....

....my sentiment also fossy....the bike has been safely stowed away in the garage for the last two days and looks likely to remain there for the rest of the week.....not worth the risk with so much time ahead for cycling....

 

[fossyant]

Just been out for a walk around the block near work - the main roads are dicey if you are less than 1m from the curb, the side roads...hmmm...let's just say walk !

 

[Twenty Inch]

I used to cycle along several miles of exposed back lanes. I found out in Spring that my work colleagues had been running a little book on how often I'd fall off on the way to work.

 

[John the Monkey]

I've been off for most of the week - setting off at 6:10am, most everywhere has been iced up on my route, and however good your bike handling, ice doesn't really give you a chance (imo). Having already slid across the tarmac at 20+mph twice this year thanks to the actions of motorists, I'm in no mood to repeat the experience, personally.

 

[MartinC]

If the question is "how do you cycle on icy roads" my answer is only if you have to and then slowly, gently and carefully. Anticipate everything as early as possible and watch out carefully for the bad patches.

If the question is "how do you cycle on ice" the answer is only in a straight line without braking or accelerating.

The trouble with doing the first is that you may end up doing the second, which only works for a short time.

 

[sparkyman]

Fell of on the ice today!!! took it easy all the way into work coasted round the corner to my office (very slow less then 8mph) and bike and me decided to part :/ road was nowt but a sheet of ice, no cars following closley so only a slight bump to my pride and elbow to show for it...

 

[Bodhbh]

Looking like I might be okay over winter myself as nearly the whole commute is on busy, well-gritted road, which has not frozen. Fingers-crossed. I think otherwise I'd blow the 50 odd quid on some form of icespiker tyres in a flash tho, I really do not want to go off and do not see ice as a challenge.

Might seem like an indulgence. But everyday lost off the bike to public transport is 4 quid down the drain and 1hr added to the commute so the tyres would be worth it with just a few icy days otherwise.

 

[summerdays]

Thanks for all the information ... I'm not intentionally going to set off onto black ice but you never know when you will get caught out by conditions.

And the car doesn't sound that much safer in ice - found out my BIL crashed last night and is in hospital with lots of broken bits (hip/knee/wrist) after having to be cut out of his car.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Cycled into Uni today and took the long route there as it was such a beautiful morning with the frost and the ice. When I arrived my fellow-students, mostly half my age, looked amazed that I'd cycled in. Of course I am cheating by being on a recumbent trike as I didn't feel at all unsafe on the slippery roads. It was good fun though!

 

[User482]

I'm sticking to the main roads at the moment - they get gritted whereas the cycle paths do not.

 

[wafflycat]

As the enlightened have alreasy pointed out - use a recumbent trike!

On a more serious tone, when my son was studying for A-levels, his educational establishment was a 26-mile round trip by cycle, on a year-round basis. When it was icy, he'd use my recumbent trike. At first he was loathe to do so - but when it appeared at college, it was actually deemed to be cool, due to it being so different, and was in demand for having a go on by all & sundry at college.

My 'bent is a basic IceT, a tourer, so not the lightest of machines, so not exactly speedy, yet if I had to get rid of all my cycles except one - I'd ditch the uprights (my beloved Bianchis) and keep the IceT - it is just so practical for year round use, and I get given far more room on the roads, and it's safer on icy surfaces. It's an entirely practical choice - as well as being huge fun!

 

[Mr Pig]

its worth it for the incredulous questions "Are you on your bike".

Which translate means, "Are you a complete moron?"

There's nothing big or clever about cycling on ice, it's just plain daft. Hit a smooth patch of ice and your chances of staying on the bike are remote. Then you've got to consider how much you would prefer to go through Christmas without a broken hip/wrist/arm...

 

[Leadlegs]

I learnt the hard way many years ago that ice and cycling don't mix.

Now if it's icy and I want to go for a ride I go offroad. Yes the ice is still there, but it's usually obvious, lying in depressions that can be avoided and has never been the cause of a tumble for me.

 

[palinurus]

I remember seeing a video on Youtube of some nutters cycling on a frozen river. They stayed upright, mostly (although I bet it was a pretty straight stretch of river).

I'll have a look for it later.