Got any tips for riding in the ice & snow?

[ColinJ]

I've got to repeat the "don't do it" theme, though fear that some inexperienced cyclist might kill themselves.
25/12/04 (3.20pm) is the last time I cycled on ice and came within inches of death. Dispite what some say (probably single guys with no responsiblities and no understanding of their own mortality) you cannot cycle safely on ice...get an imagic instead

Blimey, I read this thread, and was nodding my head in agreement with you, and then I moved on to the rest of the forum and found this thread - chilling stuff... I'm not saying that ice was involved, but it is pretty scary. Good luck to spandex and best wishes for a full recovery but I will continue to be extremely cautious when out on my bike, especially when it is frosty.

I have to say that sliding about on 3 wheels (away from traffic of course!) sounds like a lot of fun; 2 wheels - no thanks!

 

[Tynan]

pleased spandex is walking wounded

obvious thing to say but speed is not a good thing as regards safety, especially if it's an acceleration hell for leather type speed

 

[palinurus]

Get a trike ! !

Do you actually have a Leitra like that one in yr' Avatar? If so, that's gotta be the perfect ice'n'snow commuter. s'long as the rear wheel's gripping.

 

[Joe24]

A trike in the ice sounds fun. You could go round the icy courners sideways shouting POWER. Of course only on empty roads.
I had a look at those ice tyres, and what happens when your riding on tarmac? I would think that when you go from ice that the metal in the tyres will spark and wear down, making them no good in ice.

 

[littlered]

I cycled to work once in the snow, skidding about on the snow was fun, it took me double the time to get to work.

With ice go at a steady pace, DO NOT break hard, take corners wide (if poss) and be careful if in doubt walk

 

[mickle]

A trike in the ice sounds fun. You could go round the icy courners sideways shouting POWER. Of course only on empty roads.
I had a look at those ice tyres, and what happens when your riding on tarmac? I would think that when you go from ice that the metal in the tyres will spark and wear down, making them no good in ice.

A trike like a Speedy or Trice on ice is soo much fun. I went for a snowy ride once on a borrowed speedy without mudgourds (Wahaaaaay!), stood up and a load of slush poured out of my sleeves. Eeeeew.

Tungsten studs are just about ok on tarmac if you dont go too far, skidding will rip them out of the rubber rather than create sparks. Which is a shame.

 

[ufkacbln]

Recumbent Trikers laugh at Ice and Snow!
(Or at least until you get a cold bum!



Catrike Expedition on Ice

Part 2

 

[will]

if riding up high on lonely roads in snow, its actually a pretty good idea to do it with a friend. A crash in the middle of nowhere in the freezing is pretty dangerous.

At least with someone else there they can keep you company while you freeze to death.


That being said I love snow riding (snow NOT ice)

 

[stevew]

Unfortunatly I don't own a Leitra, just dreaming. I have a Trice Classic NT and imagine the rest ! !
I've also got an upright trike (barrow) and I thought that might be good in the snow and ice but I've never tried it.

 

[gbb]

I suspect knowingly cycling in the ice is outright dangerous. The problem is, you invariably dont know its too bad, until its too late

Rode out one morning last winter....got to the road, slip...bang...straight off. No messing, just dumped me straight on the floor

Lifted myself up, back to the house to warn the wife (she'd be coming out in 1/2 hour)...the back to try again.

Rode a sightly different route...slip...bang...straight off again

Wife rang me later....'hey she said...you know that ice you warned me about....slip...bang...i came straight off'

The whole road was just a sheet of black ice.

The main roads shouldnt pose a problem..its the side roads or paths that dont get salted you need to watch out for.

 

[ufkacbln]

Years ago, I lived in St Budeaux, Plymouth. We used to commute to The Hospital at Stonehouse.

One morning, my wife was on an early and I was day off. She went out as usual, but I heard a "Crash" - looked out to see bike on side, so being a caring person put on dressinggown to see if she was alright. - She was, and went off.

I returned to house to find door locked - and no key - 06:30 knocking on neighbour's door in dressing gown. She was gracious enough to feed me tea and phone wife who sent keys in a Taxi!

 

[Joe24]

A trike like a Speedy or Trice on ice is soo much fun. I went for a snowy ride once on a borrowed speedy without mudgourds (Wahaaaaay!), stood up and a load of slush poured out of my sleeves. Eeeeew.

Tungsten studs are just about ok on tarmac if you dont go too far, skidding will rip them out of the rubber rather than create sparks. Which is a shame.

Sounds better with someone elses bike, rather then your own.
Can you turn a normal old mountain bike into a trike?

Will how deep was the snow that you are in with that picture?
We live on a hill, and its only when it snows hard that the road gets snowed up. Normally its gritted before or when it is snowing because tis a bus router ans fire engine route, but when it comes down hard , the main roads round here dont seem to be gritted well, or not gritted.

 

[mickle]

For decades there were kits available which converted any bike into a delta upright, about twenty years ago a guy introduced a bolt on kit which converted any bike to a tadpole upright which I think is the preferred format in terms of handling (I still want one!). I havent encountered either type for years, though Hilldodger undoubtedly has one or both knocking about in his collection.

 

[stevew]

Trike conversion kit available here http://www.altena-bike.nl/index.php?id=241 Got a feeling it's expensive though.
The other man to speak to is http://www.trykit.co.uk/

 

[arranandy]

I hit a patch of black ice when I was out this morning. Front wheel just went away from me and bike and I went skitting across the road. Luckily I was on a very quiet country road (probably the reason why it hadn't been gritted) and there was no cars coming the other way. Fortunately no damage to the bike and I've got a bruise on my thigh and a sore elbow.

Made me ride very carefully for the rest of my ride as I before I had thought the roads were just wet but now any patch in the shade was potentially icey.