skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Well that was a lary ride home with the wind gusting from side roads ! Stay safe everyone
Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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Randombiker9
Senior Member
i havent been cycling due to snow not too much and roads are gritted but there's still a bit of snow on roads even though most is cleared but i just don't risk cycling when there's been snow or ice.
Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
I'm sticking to the main roads on the way home later this evening. Coming in earlier on the MTB, I thought I'd take the bridleway & back roads which were fun on Tuesday - only to be foiled turning on to the bridleway by a 2ft deep snow drift which seemed to go on for some distance to the next tree line so I turned back to the clear main road.
Then I made the mistake of turning on to Gulpher Road which was clear at the start, but there more snow drifts where the open fields began. Vehicles had cleared a bit of a path, but the powdery nature of the snow gave no grip and progress was slow - including walking one bit carrying my bike round a stuck car. Towards the end of the road, hedges had blocked the snow, but this only exposed polished sheet ice with a thin layer of snow on top.
Add in strong, gusty side winds and the 8 miles in today took longer than the normal 12 miles or so that I normally do!
Then I made the mistake of turning on to Gulpher Road which was clear at the start, but there more snow drifts where the open fields began. Vehicles had cleared a bit of a path, but the powdery nature of the snow gave no grip and progress was slow - including walking one bit carrying my bike round a stuck car. Towards the end of the road, hedges had blocked the snow, but this only exposed polished sheet ice with a thin layer of snow on top.
Add in strong, gusty side winds and the 8 miles in today took longer than the normal 12 miles or so that I normally do!
Quite good on the way home, not much traffic and what there was was travelling at an appropriate speed for once.
Only bad bit is I had to give the bike a good skoosh with hot soapy water to get all the brown slush off, by the time I was done I couldn't feel my fingers.
Only bad bit is I had to give the bike a good skoosh with hot soapy water to get all the brown slush off, by the time I was done I couldn't feel my fingers.
kevin_cambs_uk
Guru
- Location
- Near Cambridge
Today I took the bus...
yesterday was awful, going in was okay, powder snow, etc but coming home the second half of the Busway was just an ice rink. When I got the end, my front light was not working, so I had to walk from town to home. When I reached the end f the Busway, my hands were so cold I could not move them, I could not grip the handle bars anymore. So I had to walk, and when I got home and my wife pulled the gloves off they were just frozen. As they warmed up they stung so much, like they had been in a fire, I felt sick with the pain of it, really weird.
That was enough for me to say sod it and get the bus, I hate to give up, but I am fitting my kitchen in 2 weeks and cant afford to come off and damage myself. So as much as I hate giving in, it was the most sensible thing to do.
yesterday was awful, going in was okay, powder snow, etc but coming home the second half of the Busway was just an ice rink. When I got the end, my front light was not working, so I had to walk from town to home. When I reached the end f the Busway, my hands were so cold I could not move them, I could not grip the handle bars anymore. So I had to walk, and when I got home and my wife pulled the gloves off they were just frozen. As they warmed up they stung so much, like they had been in a fire, I felt sick with the pain of it, really weird.
That was enough for me to say sod it and get the bus, I hate to give up, but I am fitting my kitchen in 2 weeks and cant afford to come off and damage myself. So as much as I hate giving in, it was the most sensible thing to do.
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Swapped the Mtb for a pr of walking boots this morning , it was a nice brisk walk this morning , a lot of the footpaths have just a very thin layer of snow and are fine to walk on , other bits are about 2 or 3 inches deep then a small majority where there is no covering are icy where people have walked on it and crushed the snow . Main road out of town is slushy but good tracks going either way , smaller estate roads are same as outside the house but with just deeper snow in places .
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Nasty ride in this morning with the added dick factor from a BMW X-5 driver ( How odd 
) who obviously could not understand the physics of strong winds and cyclists with added dodging potholes........strangely after a few words through his safety box he did not want to stop,tosser ! Be careful out there,the wind is more dangerous than the snow
) who obviously could not understand the physics of strong winds and cyclists with added dodging potholes........strangely after a few words through his safety box he did not want to stop,tosser ! Be careful out there,the wind is more dangerous than the snow
straas
Matt
- Location
- Manchester
Like cycling through treacle this morning.
Slick
Guru
I hate that feeling.
Leaway2
Lycrist
- Location
- Manchester (Sale)
Brutish cold headwind all the way in. My hands were so cold In couldn’t press the buttons on the coded lock to open the bike shed.
Pretty grim on the way in this morning, headwind was bad enough, but the gusts from the side, particularly when passing side streets, were less than enjoyable. Took primary all the way in, and needed it on a few occasions when the front wheel was getting pushed into the middle of the road.
overmind
My other bike is a Pinarello
- Location
- Reading, Berkshire
Enjoyed the ride home last night. I took the mountain bike with fairly chunky tyres. It was quite good fun controlling the odd skids. It was also very quiet on what is normally a very busy main road. 2 reasons:
1. Less cars
2. Snow tends to absorb the sounds.
On the way in this morning the snow was more impacted. I had to concentrate more to avoid slipping. Also a lot more black slush around.
1. Less cars
2. Snow tends to absorb the sounds.
On the way in this morning the snow was more impacted. I had to concentrate more to avoid slipping. Also a lot more black slush around.
To all of you braving the elements to commute on your bikes these last few days! With one replaced hip and another due in the next two months I'm definitely not going out on the bike at the moment!
