What to do if...

[Joe24]

I'm half way around my route, and snow starts to come down heavy? Its snowing now here, not too heavy, but if it keeps going its going to settle.
So what should i do if i get caught out in the snow? I have some wide tyres on my folder.
Is it best to get off the road if it starts to get slippy, or get off the road when the snow starts to settle. I dont think i will mind cycling with snow on the ground, its more having car drivers not paying enough attention, and me being hit.
So what do you reckon?
get off the bike and walk it back if it gets bad, and visability goes, or stay on the bike and keep going?

 

[col]

Snow is only very slippy when its been compacted down hard by other traffic,i would keep going,unless visibility and stability become issues,then i would reconsider.

 

[Smokin Joe]

It can be a right pain when you've got mudguards as it can become so impacted under them as to stop the wheel turning.

 

[Joe24]

When i cycle in the week, its on busy roads at rush hour, so the snow would probably compact together very quickly.
I've got mud guards on, so would that mean i have to stop every so often and shaked them to get the snow out?

 

[col]

When i cycle in the week, its on busy roads at rush hour, so the snow would probably compact together very quickly.
I've got mud guards on, so would that mean i have to stop every so often and shaked them to get the snow out?

In that case,walk,its not worth the risk.

 

[Smokin Joe]

It's a long time since I cycled in falling snow, but I do remember several stops on a journey of about 7-8 miles to clear the snow from under the guards because the wheel was getting almost impossible to turn. The one type of crap weather where you are better off unguarded, I reckon.

 

[marinyork]

I find cycling more smoothly, not putting your foot down, trying to keep a straight line through snow that hasn't been shaped into adverse shapes helps. If you try and cycle on compacted snow and accelerate too fast/put too much pressure on the wheels could slip a lot.

 

[col]

I did find when the snow was laying thick,and started to firm up,you know,between soft and a hard crust forming,the front wheel can sometimes slip off a firm bit to the side a couple of inches. and scare the sh@t out of you.Well it did me.

 

[barq]

I have to say I'm a big kid when it comes to snow - I always try to go for a ride in it on my mountain bike. Off road is slower, but then you don't have to worry about traffic doing mad stuff and the snow isn't compacted into ice.

 

[Dayvo]

I'd suggest slightly deflating your tyres to allow for a better purchase on the road's surface, try and steer in a straight line, and take corners cautiously. You should be OK.

 

[yenrod]

Snow is only very slippy when its been compacted down hard by other traffic,i would keep going,unless visibility and stability become issues,then i would reconsider.

I find snow really irritating to cycle in, as it lays down quite a lot of water down quite fast in a short period of time = Very wet roads.

Plus, without glasses/shield, its highly eye impacting !

Yet riding, an MTB (no way a road bike) in snow can be a laugh, skilfull but extremly tiring.

 

[Tynan]

doesn't happen much in London but I do recall a nasty trip once where it was so cold that the snow was actually freezing onto the bike, so it was actualy caking onto the whole bike and freezing

quite a journey and rather surreal in London

them folders look marginal all of the time to me, I'm going to guess that they'll be lethal if there's any sort of snow/ice, it has to be bad if you can't ride in the car tracks

 

[snorri]

There is some debate as to how many words the Inuit have for snow, but even in this country there are many variables. Wet snow, dry snow, falling on wet/dry/frozen ground, windblown snow, big flakes, small flakes all affected by differing ambient temperatures. Therefore no hard and fast rules apply for cycling in "snow".
Listen to weather forecasts and avoid getting caught out far from base. If you cannot avoid cycling in snowy conditions, then just take it easy remembering others may be having difficulty controlling their vehicles too.

 

[Joe24]

Cheers for the advice.
So if it does happen, i will deflate my tyres slightly and stay in the fresh snow.
I want it to snow when i'm off school and it isnt rush hour so i can go out when its quiet on an old MTB we have lieing around to see what its like.

Cheers for the help.