Ice, ice, baby

[Slick]

Both my bikes have suffered in this weather for one reason or another, but both came out the shop in mint condition with a mixture of new parts. I went out last week to get to work but couldn't bring myself to lift either of the like new machines off the wall hook so left them where they slept and retreated to the kitchen for more hot tea and toast before taking the car all week. Weather looks to have improved a bit now so intend for normal service to resume tomorrow but there still seems a lot of salt on the roads despite the return of the rain.

 

[mjr]

Am I dreaming when I think the ground is typically four degrees Celsius colder than the air? Is that general or just local?

Fortunately, usually the doorstep freezes more readily than anything else locally, so it's fairly obvious if studded tyres are called for. If the path gravel has frozen together, it's going to be really really slippery.

 

[I like Skol]

Bloody soft the lot of you! It's winter, what do you expect, just ride accordingly (or are we going to be like the motons and just drive like idiots regardless of conditions and then act all surprised at the [obvious] consequences?).

 

[12boy]

Fixed gear or single speed beater bikes with studs can be a lot of fun. Fixies really do aid in sensing real wheel traction.

 

[andrew_s]

Am I dreaming when I think the ground is typically four degrees Celsius colder than the air? Is that general or just local?

It sounds a reasonable number, if you want a single number.
In reality, it will vary a fair bit depending on things like how much wind there is, and how cloudy it is

 

[Pale Rider]

Am I dreaming when I think the ground is typically four degrees Celsius colder than the air? Is that general or just local?

Fortunately, usually the doorstep freezes more readily than anything else locally, so it's fairly obvious if studded tyres are called for. If the path gravel has frozen together, it's going to be really really slippery.

Four degrees is an interesting number because it's the temperature at which water is at its most dense.

Lots of liquids expand when they get hotter, but water also expands when it drops below four degrees.

Which is why we get burst pipes and potholes.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Fixed gear or single speed beater bikes with studs can be a lot of fun. Fixies really do aid in sensing real wheel traction.

I usually ride fixed through the winter,

 

[johnnyb47]

Four degrees is an interesting number because it's the temperature at which water is at its most dense.

Lots of liquids expand when they get hotter, but water also expands when it drops below four degrees.

Which is why we get burst pipes and potholes.

Talking of pot holes, there springing up everywhere at the moment where I live.

 

[Sunny Portrush]

When I lived in Aberdeen 30 odd years ago, I used to cycle to work every day. I can remember cycling through snow on 23cc tyres. I haven`t been out on my bike for nearly two weeks because of ice. Oh for the naivety of youth again!

 

[EasyPeez]

Fitting studded tyres is hardly rocket science, but I am quietly chuffed with myself for having the knowledge/forethought to do it and for remaining upright today

What bike do you have them on, Rob, and in what size?

 

[Blue Hills]

No ice here today (around 3 deg) but I did get caught in very cold heavy rain...half an hour earlier than forecast by the ever useless BBC

mm - don't think it's reasonable to expect that sort of accuracy.I find them pretty good. Unless you were joking of course. A young acquaintance of mine was trying to persuade me of the merits of a weather forecasting app which by correlating its meteorogical info with your GPS position can apparently, wonder of tech wonders, tell you whether it's raining on your head or will do if you turn the next corner off Oxford Street.

 

[Pale Rider]

can apparently, wonder of tech wonders, tell you whether it's raining on your head.

My brother was showing me something similar.

I remarked it might be easier just to look up.

Brother got quite sniffy - what I didn't know is that he had written the ap.