I agree that ice is not always fun. I have always found that the white frost that you can see is OK, dont brake or lean hard and you are fine. The problem is usually the stuff that you cannot see, and others have said your first warning of black ice is often the fact that the bike wheels are higher than most of your body! If you are lucky you can feel the front wheel go light or shimmy in which case just concentrate on keeping the bike right way up. Bar one 100m stretch Solihull and Coventry have been OK so far, Solihull has run out of grit judging by the roads. It has however snowed today so will judge on the way home cycle or cycle/train/cycle....
Very apprehensive...advice needed
- Thread starter JiMBR
- Start date
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kevin_cambs_uk
Guru
- Location
- Near Cambridge
semislickstick said:
Ahh the guided bus way !
When I started out in June I really though I would be on it by now, and that was a big driving force for getting on the bike in the first place,
however, its still not open, and no one knows when its going to be so your not allowed to go down it but I have seen some people do so.
Also 2/3 of it is not suitable for a road bike, as its a crushed limestone pathway, superb for mountain biking, but I don't have a mountain bike.
I keep toying with the idea of getting a mountain bike, but if I don't get on with it and if the bus way cycle path is not fast enough I don't want to think I have wasted the money, I am pretty sure that come the summer I will be on the road bike, definitely, as at heart I am a roadie !, but at the moment I am in the car because the weather is so poor, but I still keep thinking that if I went down the cycle path on an MTB, I could be going to work on a bike now ....
decision, decisions ! as my wife knows I am dreadful at making them !
kevin_cambs_uk
Guru
- Location
- Near Cambridge
semislickstick said:
Ahh the guided bus way !
When I started out in June I really though I would be on it by now, and that was a big driving force for getting on the bike in the first place,
however, its still not open, and no one knows when its going to be so your not allowed to go down it but I have seen some people do so.
Also 2/3 of it is not suitable for a road bike, as its a crushed limestone pathway, superb for mountain biking, but I don't have a mountain bike.
I keep toying with the idea of getting a mountain bike, but if I don't get on with it and if the bus way cycle path is not fast enough I don't want to think I have wasted the money, I am pretty sure that come the summer I will be on the road bike, definitely, as at heart I am a roadie !, but at the moment I am in the car because the weather is so poor, but I still keep thinking that if I went down the cycle path on an MTB, I could be going to work on a bike now ....
decision, decisions ! as my wife knows I am dreadful at making them !
Ujamaflip
New Member
- Location
- Karlsruhe, Germany
Today I commuted to work for the first time since before Christmas, and the first time ever when it's been really cold. In the morning the first 20km in the city and the forest were fine, a light dusting of snow in places but nothing hazardous at all, it was a really nice ride. The last 10km were lethal though! Part of it was on roads, which were fine, but part of it was on cycle lanes which were untreated and like an ice rink in places.
I came off twice on black ice, luckily I was expecting it and only going slowly, nevertheless I couldn't see the ice and the bike was out from under me before I could work out was was happening. I bruised my palms a little and cracked a pedal but other than that I was fine. Fortunately there was nobody around to witness it!
On the way home I was very apprehensive, I rode very slowly on the cycle paths and avoided them as much as I could. It wasn't much fun for that portion of the ride, shame really as the rest was great.
I read some tips on riding on ice during the day, the main points seemed to be that you should avoid braking with the front wheel, let that do the steering. Try to keep your weight over the back wheel and avoid braking and turning at the same time. Test the ground every so often by lightly applying the back brake, you'll know if it's slippy and be able to react accordingly.
I came off twice on black ice, luckily I was expecting it and only going slowly, nevertheless I couldn't see the ice and the bike was out from under me before I could work out was was happening. I bruised my palms a little and cracked a pedal but other than that I was fine. Fortunately there was nobody around to witness it!
On the way home I was very apprehensive, I rode very slowly on the cycle paths and avoided them as much as I could. It wasn't much fun for that portion of the ride, shame really as the rest was great.
I read some tips on riding on ice during the day, the main points seemed to be that you should avoid braking with the front wheel, let that do the steering. Try to keep your weight over the back wheel and avoid braking and turning at the same time. Test the ground every so often by lightly applying the back brake, you'll know if it's slippy and be able to react accordingly.
Ujamaflip
New Member
- Location
- Karlsruhe, Germany
Today I commuted to work for the first time since before Christmas, and the first time ever when it's been really cold. In the morning the first 20km in the city and the forest were fine, a light dusting of snow in places but nothing hazardous at all, it was a really nice ride. The last 10km were lethal though! Part of it was on roads, which were fine, but part of it was on cycle lanes which were untreated and like an ice rink in places.
I came off twice on black ice, luckily I was expecting it and only going slowly, nevertheless I couldn't see the ice and the bike was out from under me before I could work out was was happening. I bruised my palms a little and cracked a pedal but other than that I was fine. Fortunately there was nobody around to witness it!
On the way home I was very apprehensive, I rode very slowly on the cycle paths and avoided them as much as I could. It wasn't much fun for that portion of the ride, shame really as the rest was great.
I read some tips on riding on ice during the day, the main points seemed to be that you should avoid braking with the front wheel, let that do the steering. Try to keep your weight over the back wheel and avoid braking and turning at the same time. Test the ground every so often by lightly applying the back brake, you'll know if it's slippy and be able to react accordingly.
I came off twice on black ice, luckily I was expecting it and only going slowly, nevertheless I couldn't see the ice and the bike was out from under me before I could work out was was happening. I bruised my palms a little and cracked a pedal but other than that I was fine. Fortunately there was nobody around to witness it!
On the way home I was very apprehensive, I rode very slowly on the cycle paths and avoided them as much as I could. It wasn't much fun for that portion of the ride, shame really as the rest was great.
I read some tips on riding on ice during the day, the main points seemed to be that you should avoid braking with the front wheel, let that do the steering. Try to keep your weight over the back wheel and avoid braking and turning at the same time. Test the ground every so often by lightly applying the back brake, you'll know if it's slippy and be able to react accordingly.
I had a long chat with some fellow cyclists on Sunday which resulted in the majority of us deciding not to martyr ourselves for the sake of a week of ice cycling. It'll be sub-tropical paradise by next week, perfect for enjoyable cycling, so in the meantime enjoy listening to the radio in the car and make the most of the extra minutes you have in the morning.
kevin_cambs_uk
Guru
- Location
- Near Cambridge
BuzzyJace said:
Well said mate
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Holy thread resurection.
What's the distance, and how fit are you - what pace can you ride at for any amount of time ?
What's the distance, and how fit are you - what pace can you ride at for any amount of time ?
gavroche
Getting old but not past it
- Location
- North Wales
There are no tips for riding on ice. Ice doesn't give you a second chance. The best tip is the one Buzzyjace said. Summer will be here next week so hang on until then.
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
Sounds extremely reckless to go as fast as you can, allow one hour and see how it goes.
