Cycling on Ice - what is the technique?

[threefingerjoe]

I don't think I'd ride commute on ice or snow without my studded tyres. They work especially well on glazed or blackice. Follow that advice on the icebike.com page. I regularly commute on ice or packed snow in winter. I have my Nokian Hekkapalita W106 studded tyres mounted on a spare set of rims, so I can install them in a hurry if I find that it got icy or snowed overnight. I used them the first 2 days of this week, then went back to my normal road slicks today, as it was a little warmer. But, it rained today, and is supposed to be -6C in the morning, so I guess I'll go out to the garage and put the studded tyres back on.

 

[Calum]

Don't bother riding if it's icy. It's dangerous enough in the car, with 4 wheels. On a bike, you're highly likely to come off. Perhaps more so on a motorbike.

 

[Wolf04]

Decided discretion was the better part of wussing out and arranged a lift into work today as forecast for high winds and heavy snow. No wind or snow so could easily have made it in. Last night's return commute put me off as around five all the frost which had thawed during the day had frozen into one continous sheet, had three close calls and pushed the bike on several stretches. Lets all be careful out there!

 

[HLaB]

Decided discretion was the better part of wussing out and arranged a lift into work today as forecast for high winds and heavy snow. No wind or snow so could easily have made it in.

It was similar here, doom & gloom forecast; I was going to take the bus but stayed in my warm bed a few minutes too long cycled instead, If I'd got the next bus I'd been late. I wore quite a bit extra expecting the worst but there was nothing.

 

[Wolf04]

It was similar here, doom & gloom forecast; I was going to take the bus but stayed in my warm bed a few minutes too long cycled instead, If I'd got the next bus I'd been late. I wore quite a bit extra expecting the worst but there was nothing.

Yeh light snow now but just melting for the most part. On a bonus point I've located my Nokian Hekkapalita W106 studded tyres which were being stored at freinds house. So back to commuting next week. Only worry is the cars sliding all over the place.

 

[J4CKO]

I enjoyed my icy ride home last night, I did fall off but it was funny rather than dangerous, was on a narrow bridalway, tanking along due to new winter chunky tyres and really good lights, skimming over stuff because it was solid, hit a section that was a frozen crust over some foul smelling leafy water, ran out of momentum and fell sideways giggling like a loon and lay down on the embankment, not hurt at all.

I have noticed that the panniers help as they hit the floor first in the two occasions that I have fell off recently, they tend to leave a space for your leg between the bike and the floor, ok wont help in all situations but a squashy bag landing first does help. Must make more effort to stay on.

In car today, the wind and rain put me off.

 

[Baggy]

Went home on the main roads last night avoiding any off road bike paths. No sign of any ice - if it drops below freezing again I'll definitely stick to the main roads.

 

[fossyant]

In car today, the wind and rain put me off.

Eh.....riding in ice, then scared by a bit of water. Twas not very nice this morning, but better than ice !!! Even had a cycling colleague say "I'd never thought I'd be happy to see rain.....after that forecast..."

 

[MartinC]

Don't forget that it's not just how you cope with it that matters but also how well other people do. Cars drivers who aren't too bothered about traction or visibility need to be factored in.

 

[goo_mason]

Don't forget that it's not just how you cope with it that matters but also how well other people do. Cars drivers who aren't too bothered about traction or visibility need to be factored in.

Agreed. I'm trying to suss out the drivers' psychology which makes them drive even faster when the weather requires them to do the opposite and really slow down. Noticed it last week - there's a long, straight stretch of road immediately upon leaving work. In the summer, cars amble up there. Now that it's been cold and wet, they seem to be in a terrible hurry to get home quickly and they're tanking it. I couldn't believe the speed of some of them last Thursday when there was a very heavy hail shower - visibility was severely reduced, as was road traction - but that didn't seem to occur to any of them. Especially those who tried to overtake me on the 90-degree left bend at the top of the road...

 

[J4CKO]

I enjoyed my icy ride home last night, I did fall off but it was funny rather than dangerous, was on a narrow bridalway, tanking along due to new winter chunky tyres and really good lights, skimming over stuff because it was solid, hit a section that was a frozen crust over some foul smelling leafy water, ran out of momentum and fell sideways giggling like a loon and lay down on the embankment, not hurt at all.

I have noticed that the panniers help as they hit the floor first in the two occasions that I have fell off recently, they tend to leave a space for your leg between the bike and the floor, ok wont help in all situations but a squashy bag landing first does help. Must make more effort to stay on.

In car today, the wind and rain put me off.

The wind was pretty strong, also, I was peed off as I reversed the wifes car out last night and bumped into a car across the road, black car, against a massive light sapping hedge, unlit section of the road and rear tints, in a rush, knackered and pissed off, my own fault but looking at it later it was pretty much invisible.

Taking laptop home tonight, working from hiome tomorrow, bad week for cycling, one day in the saddle, resolve to do a full week next week, being away in London buggered my routine a bit.

 

[fossyant]

I was going to add J4CKO, that you are becoming a proper "mad cyclist" - i.e. going out in silly weather (ice)...... welcome to the club.....!!!!

 

[ufkacbln]

IditaBike

 

[Carwash]

Studded tyres. Can you get snow chains for bikes?

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I headed off this morning thinking it was "just" frosty but found a few slippy bits on some of the smaller housing estate roads which made life interesting.

I had a bit of a moment turning from a larger road on a housing estate into a smaller one: I was going pretty slowly and turning gently but I started getting definite messages from the tyres that they weren't happy and wanted me to turn even more gently. So I got off and walked up the short but steep hill just after that point.