Really wet weather this week.
As I rounded a busy corner in the city centre my bike went completely from under me and, clipped in still, we slid across the road. Luckily no buses in the adjacent lane. Turned out the guy cycling behind me was from sustrans who also slipped and we realised there was quite a lot of diesel on the road which we reported to the friendly and helpful people at the council.
I took a day off from the bike as one of my knees started to make a grinding noise then on my next trip, also in wet weather, a car driver pulled out directly in front of me. I braked hard and my wheels started to slip and nearly went over again.
Getting to my point, I'm quite freaked out and the last couple of days I feel really wobbly on my bike and wondered what I can do to decrease my chances of coming off again. My fear isn't falling so much as going under the wheels of whatever's behind me. I've had a whole season without so much as a wobble but just wondering what I could do in terms of equipment.
My current set up is:
Bike - felt F95 which I have few complaints with
Vittoria 2013 Zaffiro Rigid Tyre 700x23mm - these are cheap - never had any complaints but would a better tyre make a big difference? Some people talk about using 25mm but I'm assuming these wouldn't fit once I want to put my Crudcatchers back on.
Standard unbranded brake calipers that came with my bike with some new, but also cheap pads - assuming that these wouldn't make much difference as I skidded because they were slowing me down fast?
Bike - should I ditch in favour of a mountain bike (I'd need to buy one) on these days - or even for the entire winter? My commute is 6 miles each way but with a big bad hill on the way home. I was looking at some of the entry level felt MTBs at around £300.
Would value any thoughts people have.
As I rounded a busy corner in the city centre my bike went completely from under me and, clipped in still, we slid across the road. Luckily no buses in the adjacent lane. Turned out the guy cycling behind me was from sustrans who also slipped and we realised there was quite a lot of diesel on the road which we reported to the friendly and helpful people at the council.
I took a day off from the bike as one of my knees started to make a grinding noise then on my next trip, also in wet weather, a car driver pulled out directly in front of me. I braked hard and my wheels started to slip and nearly went over again.
Getting to my point, I'm quite freaked out and the last couple of days I feel really wobbly on my bike and wondered what I can do to decrease my chances of coming off again. My fear isn't falling so much as going under the wheels of whatever's behind me. I've had a whole season without so much as a wobble but just wondering what I could do in terms of equipment.
My current set up is:
Bike - felt F95 which I have few complaints with
Vittoria 2013 Zaffiro Rigid Tyre 700x23mm - these are cheap - never had any complaints but would a better tyre make a big difference? Some people talk about using 25mm but I'm assuming these wouldn't fit once I want to put my Crudcatchers back on.
Standard unbranded brake calipers that came with my bike with some new, but also cheap pads - assuming that these wouldn't make much difference as I skidded because they were slowing me down fast?
Bike - should I ditch in favour of a mountain bike (I'd need to buy one) on these days - or even for the entire winter? My commute is 6 miles each way but with a big bad hill on the way home. I was looking at some of the entry level felt MTBs at around £300.
Would value any thoughts people have.
There are usually three options when you ride onto sufficient diesel: crash, fluke or crash. I think it's more likely in the first rain after a dry spell, but other than that, if you can spot a pattern to the pollution (there used to be a coach company depot that had the tell-tale rainbow appear outside often), then you can report it to try to stop it or maybe vary your route when it's likely. Don't worry about it.
I had one of those recently. Stuck their bonnet right across my lane and then looked. I shouted because I honestly thought I was going to try bonnet-surfing but I stopped in time. After I stopped, they smiled, waved and reversed back into the turning. I just 
I don't enjoy them as much, especially on road (they're better on dirt tracks or gravel but still sooo slow and we have paved roads for a reason...), but I do use a hack MTB with spiked tyres if I want to go out when it's icy.
