first winter of cycling.....when does ice become a problem?

[Pat "5mph"]

I paid more when I bought mine several years ago, and they are still going strong, I just have a spare bike sitting with them on that I can grab when I need to.

Oh yes, me too, I paid much more 3 years ago, they are still going strong.
But I got another pair from this offer, just to hang on a hook for the future
Last month the offer was 12.99

 

[shouldbeinbed]

All good advice above, also beware of the tram tracks & manhole covers etc in the wet as well as icy weather. Wet metal is lethally slippery.

I'd suggest fatter tyres with some tread and lower pressure, ride slower and more upright and steer clear of the canal towpath (particularly if that is the cobbles) - unless it is well tended and good condition - it can be a cold wet lesson if you lose control on there. 99% of the time it is softish slushy gunge rather than solid packed ice on roads.

Cleaning this crud and road salt off is imperative. Winter gunge and slush sticks more and the grit & salt and general road crud acts as grinding paste wearing your rims, brakes and drivetrain down readily.

I have my shed find £20 MTB set up and ready for the bad days, knobbly tyres for the most and a cheap set of wheels with Marathon Winter studded tyres for a bit of fun on my countryside park bits that will be solid ice for a week after the snow has finished and not gritted.

The other thing is keeping warm, layers are best, layered gloves & socks as well as bodywear.

If it is really cold then consider tights or a pair of lycra long trousers/individual leg warmers under regular type trousers.

Buy a Buff.

(Edit-typos)

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I don't get to use them as much as @Pat "5mph" does but liked my snow stud tyres a lot last winter. They kept the bike rubber side down on some quite icy semi-rural commutes and allowed me to go off and play when circumstances allowed :

I've now got a pair of Marathon Winter too as they were on offer in the summer. Double the number of studs should hopefully feel even more reassuring.

(Edit to change one of the pictures.)

 

[mjr]

Listen to the local radio weather forecasts and learn where near your house ices over first and longest and check them before you set off.

I'm another person with access to an old MTB with spiky tyres for when it's needed but I can often delay going out until after the thaw.

 

[slowmotion]

If there's ice on the road, I get off and walk. You tend to have absolutely no time to react or correct for it. Watch out when riding over bridges. There is no soil beneath the road surface to insulate it, and ice forms earlier than on the surrounding roads.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I can often delay going out until after the thaw.

Wot, you stay in till April?

 

[mjr]

Wot, you stay in till April?

Norfolk thaws most days. It ain't Scotland.

 

[united4ever]

Come the end of this month I will fit my marathon winter tyres to my old banger, then use that bike most until the end of March. On special offer here.
If you can manage to stay on gritted roads you will be fine - mostly
I suppose your area is warmer then Scotland, so, maybe, the expense of the studded tyres won't be necessary, here they allow me to commute with confidence in icy conditions.

Thanks. The marathon winter tyres look good.....would maybe make the difference between cycling or not 20 or 30 days over the next few months. People say they can be a bitch to get on. How so? I would use a tyre lever and try to add it just like my normal tyres when i have a puncture. I have mudguards too and they fit quite close to my current tyres....maybe there wouldnt be the space withthe mudguards...i could try and move them too i guess. Thanks again.

 

[summerdays]

Mine go on ok normally (I'll regret saying that I'm sure!)

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Thanks. The marathon winter tyres look good.....would maybe make the difference between cycling or not 20 or 30 days over the next few months. People say they can be a bitch to get on. How so? I would use a tyre lever and try to add it just like my normal tyres when i have a puncture. I have mudguards too and they fit quite close to my current tyres....maybe there wouldnt be the space withthe mudguards...i could try and move them too i guess. Thanks again.

Punctures are rare, I never had one in 4 winters.
Clearance can be a problem.
Best thing would be to get a cheap second hand mb with clearance, keep the ice tyres permanently on that.
It is going to be a heavy bike, of course, but it will allow you to cycle on ice.
If you're using your bike for transport, they are invaluable.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Mine go on ok normally (I'll regret saying that I'm sure!)

Nay, the winters are ok to fit.
I find the battle is more with the Marathon pluses!

 

[winjim]

Thanks. The marathon winter tyres look good.....would maybe make the difference between cycling or not 20 or 30 days over the next few months. People say they can be a bitch to get on. How so? I would use a tyre lever and try to add it just like my normal tyres when i have a puncture. I have mudguards too and they fit quite close to my current tyres....maybe there wouldnt be the space withthe mudguards...i could try and move them too i guess. Thanks again.

What size are your current tyres? If clearance is an issue you can get Schwalbe Winters in 30mm. Half the number of spikes and obviously narrower than the Schwalbe Marathon Winters, so not quite as good, but I used them last year and kept riding every day. They're fine on ice but have a little trouble clearing deep snow.

 

[The_Weekend_Report_Guy]

If it's icy/snow I'll switch to an old GT Timberline mountain bike from 1990. It's got 26" studded tyres on. Since the photo it's got a decent saddle and new grips plus some funky (but horrible to fit) half-length mudguards.

A £35 eBay purchase with a pair of £20 studded tyres it's worth it just for safety:

My thought and exactly what I did before... Cheap MTB with good tyres should be enough for the bad days... And always slow down..!

 

[MichaelW2]

We need studded tyres so few times a year, that it doesn't seems worthwhile. I made some DIY studded tyres out of a cheap MTB tyre and some self-tapping screws. I won't last as long as the carbide studs of Marathon Winter, but it grips on black ice just as well.
If you can find a cheap knobbly tyre with large, separate knobs, you can pierce a hole in a knob with a bradawl, screw in a 3/8, flat heat self-tapping from the inside, and dremel off to a sharp, flat protruding 4-5mm. 5cm spacing works OK. You can glue some inner tube over each screw head.

 

[mjr]

We need studded tyres so few times a year, that it doesn't seems worthwhile. I made some DIY studded tyres out of a cheap MTB tyre and some self-tapping screws.

With spiky tyres on sale at £10-15, making it oneself doesn't seem worthwhile unless you enjoy such projects.