Snow!

[Arch]

I just made three trips across to reception with some parcels to be collected. After the first, I remembered to put a coat on over my tee-shirt....

Coming down proper here now, the trip home will be more interesting than the trip in....

 

[D4VOW]

Nothing at all here Every year seems to be the same, plenty of snow all around us but we never get any

 

[Norm]

I had a lovely drive in today. We had about 4" at home, so I decided to use the old Land Rover for the commute, I had some lovely views driving across the Chilterns.

It's funny how uppity people get when they are driving their Vauxhalls at 20 when you overtake them. It's not like they wouldn't overtake me if the roads were clear, I just think they are jealous that someone has got a more suitable vehicle. They probably have micro-penises as well.

I pulled into the company car park and I'm the only person who made it in. Virgin snow 8" deep in the car park when I arrived. Someone else has joined me now but they walked the last few miles as we are on the top of a hill in the Chilterns and it is pretty ropey out there.

Strangely, I came over the M40 at Beaconsfield and there was not one car on it heading towards London. It's usually pretty sticky there but it was completely empty.

 

[Wheeledweenie]

It's funny how uppity people get when they are driving their Vauxhalls at 20 when you overtake them. It's not like they wouldn't overtake me if the roads were clear, I just think they are jealous that someone has got a more suitable vehicle. They probably have micro-penises as well.

Marvellous! I thought my sister and I were the only people to make that comment in everyday conversation.

 

[hackbike 666]

Nothing at all here Every year seems to be the same, plenty of snow all around us but we never get any

I don't bloody want any.I had a very lucky escape in Feb 2009 with a lorry and an idiot in "Pre Booked" cutting me up in the ice.

 

[Norm]

Marvellous! I thought my sister and I were the only people to make that comment in everyday conversation.

I thought I was going to get pulled up for that one. I certainly wasn't expecting support!

The company's car park a little while ago...

 

[Arch]

It's funny how uppity people get when they are driving their Vauxhalls at 20 when you overtake them. It's not like they wouldn't overtake me if the roads were clear, I just think they are jealous that someone has got a more suitable vehicle. They probably have micro-penises as well.

I'm not sure about that. I suspect that the way they think (if at all is):

"When I overtake him, I am displaying my superior driving skill. When he overtakes me, he's being dangerously cavalier."

You're probably right about the penises though.

I was keeping an eye on everyone this morning, but especially oncoming stuff, as I wanted to be forewarned of anything sliding across the road into me.

It's snowed quite a bit this morning, so the ride home could be more interesting. Or turn into a walk.

 

[hackbike 666]

What sort of bike are you using arch?

Just about to set of but I feel pretty crappy,reckon it's tiredness.

It went tits up at work yesterday,train failure at Wimbledon and then having to concentrate with the snow coming down.Had a longish job as well.

 

[Arch]

What sort of bike are you using arch?

Just about to set of but I feel pretty crappy,reckon it's tiredness.

It went tits up at work yesterday,train failure at Wimbledon and then having to concentrate with the snow coming down.Had a longish job as well.

It's a no-name steel MTB frame, with hub gears and hub brakes, mudguards etc, and shod with big wide Big Apples (I can't remember the width, but they are pretty balloony, and probably running at a lowish pressure at the moment). I stayed in 3rd gear (my normal starting off and slightly uphill gear) pretty much all the way in, so I didn't build up much speed - so I never had to brake hard.

I would assume that ideal tyres depend on the snow, in the same way that knobblies are good in soft mud but don't grip so well on tarmac (less surface in contact), they must be good in soft snow, but less good on ice...

It's stopped snowing now, but I reckon there might be more coming. If need be, I'll walk the bike home, but it's 3 miles, so I'd rather ride. The roads were mostly ok, just slushy at the edges and wet in the middle.

Hope you feel better soon, anyway!

 

[palinurus]

What I like about snow, apart from work being closed at the first sign of it, is how quiet it is at first. Last night and this morning the traffic was doing less than 20 and the difference in noise was something else. I live in a building at the junction of an A-road and a one-way street and I can hear a lot of traffic noise in the flat, especially vehicles accelerating after they turn into the street. Last night they were easing off the gas and it was really much quieter.

Now the roads are clear again the noise is picking up, but the drivers are still being a bit more cautious than usual so it's still relatively quiet. Don't know how much of the effect is slower driving and how much is the noise insulation properties of the snow.

 

[Bman]

Although hard work... and slow... I like riding in the snow


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugt3hdfNtfI


Wouldnt dare attempt it without decent tyres though!

 

[palinurus]

Lovely. Riding in snow is great (as long as it hasn't been compressed into that slippery clear stuff by vehicles). Where in Herts was that?

Haven't ridden today, went for a long walk in it instead. Maybe there'll be some snow around for Sunday's cyclocross.

 

[Bman]

Yeah. The compressed stuff is ok until it freezes/re-freezes. If its still soft you can still get some grip on it.

The video was filmed in Stevenage, although most places look the same under a blanket of snow

 

[tdr1nka]

South London roads were a pot purri of slush, crunchy snow, compacted snow and ice.
I stuck in the same gear for my trips and only went for speed when on gritted main roads.

It's my first winter on a road bike in many years but held up well and I only had a couple of twitchy back wheel moments.

 

[Arch]

Here's a pic from my way in this morning. It looks quite nice, doesn't it...

View attachment 5064

Then it did this:

View attachment 5065

And riding home was nerve wracking! The main roads were ok, although slushy at the edges, so I didn't dare trust it in case it was frozen, and rode home at snails pace. The bit between work and the main road looked like an ice rink, I had to walk it.