What do you do in the bad weather?

[ColinJ]

People whittle about 'black ice' etc, but how do you develop the skills to handle it if you don't ride it? Micro climates behind hedgerows etc can be as much as 6°C colder than the surroundings, so on a bright, clear day it can still reach out and grab you, and if you haven't developed the skills and experience required to stay upright because you're doing insuficient you have no means to fight it.

I don't believe that even one person in a thousand can 'handle' black ice if the bike does not have studded tyres! (By that I mean recovering having started to fall - there simply isn't any friction to work with and it happens VERY fast.)

Even if by some chance it IS possible to learn such skills, you have much more chance of breaking an arm/leg/collarbone/hip in your practice sessions than you do of surviving long enough to learn how not to do it!

I agree that you CAN learn where ice is likely to be and avoid riding there. Several of my falls were in shaded dips. I know now that ice forms/remains in such places so they wouldn't usually catch me out now. I have still managed to get caught out by ice where I didn't expect it though.

 

[ColinJ]

This wasn't one of my more sensible rides...

Much of that country road hadn't been gritted and I had steep climbs and descents to tackle. I wouldn't do that now...

I would also wear my CycleChat buff the right way, not inside out! And not lose it - I haven't seen it for 3 or 4 winters. I'm sure that I will still have it somewhere...

 

[Cycling_Samurai]

View attachment 574599

Like the helmet . 👍

 

[rockyroller]

I would also wear my CycleChat buff the right way, not inside out! And not lose it - I haven't seen it for 3 or 4 winters. I'm sure that I will still have it somewhere...

oh man I can relate! I have a favorite thin thermal layer for the head, a smartwool beanie type thing. I lost it so many times & bought new ones, I technically have 3 but can only find two of them. they're so small & thin, they disappear like socks in a washing machine. when it's super cold I wear it under the thin balaclava Smartwool Unisex Merino 150 Beanie

 

[rockyroller]

I don't believe that even one person in a thousand can 'handle' black ice if the bike does not have studded tyres! (By that I mean recovering having started to fall - there simply isn't any friction to work with and it happens VERY fast.)

I agree. even if it's not invisible & you have some warning. I had a fall last winter that was so fast, it was like the hand of God slapped me down. the good thing is I went down w/ hands on bars & feet on pedals, so the impact was distributed on the whole side of my body, with a final, abrupt, tap of my helmeted head. I layed there for a second or two holding my head w/ 2 hands evaluating what had just happened. it was so slick the bike slid pretty far away. in my defense I had been having good luck over sporadic ice over frozen mud & dirt. I think what sent me down was a subtle flick of the bars. still think I could have made it if I was dead still & just rolled over it, w/ no flinching. anyway the smart bike wears studs, especially if you're out looking for trouble

brace yourself

View: https://youtu.be/kuQpYZPUf3s

 

[ColinJ]

I had a fall last winter that was so fast, it was like the hand of God slapped me down. the good thing is I went down w/ hands on bars & feet on pedals, so the impact was distributed on the whole side of my body, with a final, abrupt, tap of my helmeted head. I layed there for a second or two holding my head w/ 2 hands evaluating what had just happened.

That sounds familiar...!

I went out for a ride with @Littgull last week and crashed on black ice. I swear that as I was falling that post of yours flashed through my mind... I landed heavily on my left side and slid along the road. When I came to a halt I flexed my left leg and left arm to see if I had broken anything but, fortunately, I got away with it!

I think what saved me was the whole side of my body taking the impact, thus reducing the impact force on any one body part. The fact that it happened so quickly meant that I didn't have time to react and stick my hand out. I think that doing so might easily have led to a broken arm or wrist.

 

[rockyroller]

That sounds familiar...!

I think I remember you writing that. I think my hip hurt the most, for a week(ish)?

 

[ColinJ]

I think I remember you writing that. I think my hip hurt the most, for a week(ish)?

I was completely pain-free. I reckon falling stretched out and relaxed like that is similar to the way that Judo experts break their falls.

I think that my cycle helmet slapped the road surface too but no damage to helmet OR head!

 

[rockyroller]

I think that my cycle helmet slapped the road surface too but no damage to helmet OR head!

yeah was really grateful to be wearing mine. also happy the camera mount didn't break. a cpl years ago, for the 1st time since we started wearing helmets 20+ years ago, Wifey & I decided to skip the helmets on a really hot day. she wound up crashing into a rail-trail bollard & going down badly & broke her wrist. weird to say she was lucky, but I mean that she didn't hit her head. after that, we both swore we would always wear a helmet. I cheated on a short 2 mile slow speed beach ride, on a sandy trail, last summer. so thanks for the reminder!!!!! eek!

 

[gbs]

I am pleased/grateful all the contributions to this thread. There are many good tips re kit/clothing and many re the psychological aspects. I think the lockdown effect (ie physical activity restricted to home gym, walks and cycling) made me overly concerned re the temporary loss of cycling.

FWIW in future I will not fret if the weather turns nasty - as someone put it it won't last long in London and it environs. Having said that I remember that there was ice and snow on the pavements of Mayfair and other less well served areas for much of February 1985.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The 70/80s had far more snow and ice.