Winter commuting. Is it worth the risks?

[John the Monkey]

Also, if you're riding salted roads, be scrupulous about washing the bike down - road salt knackers steel components in short order.

 

[BrumJim]

Salt on roads = off the cycle path and canal tow path, and onto the main roads for me. Still make it in on my bike, and feel smug as I see neighbours laboriously scraping ice of their car windows. Although little benefit to me as my car is always in the garage and never iced up anyway.

 

[Leaway2]

numpties who can't see out of their windscreens,

This is what bothers me.

It was damm cold today though. Thick gloves, seal skinz socks were not upto it.

 

[mcshroom]

The problem is that it isn't just wintry things that can catch you out in winter. You can come off on any of the things that can get you all year round anyway.

I've just come off while backing off and watching for ice. Unfortunately I didn't see the film of diesel on the roundabout. The most annoying thing is I don't normally ride that route but I thought I'd stick to the main roads because of the ice risk

 

[Davidc]

Why take any risks? Ice and snow aren't good news on a bike, for most of us there ceases to be much fun in cycling when the temperature's below zero, and salty water wrecks bikes (possibly excepting carbon ones).

In most of the UK there are at most a couple of weeks of really bad weather, and my policy is just to put the bikes in the garage and leave them there until it warms up a bit.

Good luck to those hardy souls who keep cycling no matter what the weather, I was once among you many years ago, but not any more!

 

[phaedrus]

I *love* the exhilaration of cycling in really cold weather, but I think that making a judgement day by day with regard to safety is a good approach.

Having said that, the only injury I sustained during last winter's dreadful conditions was on a morning when I decided not to cycle. I stepped from the garden stairs on to the drive where my car was parked and did a comedy somersault before landing heavily on the concrete. Oh, how I laughed!

 

[gbb]

Its worth it, if you proceed with care.
Didnt miss one days commuting last year, only offed once on black ice. The unfortunate thing is, you cannot predict if and where there will be black ice (certainly not in my locality). In 10 or so years, i've only come across it twice...just twice, and both of them were off the main roads. (mind i have felt the wheel go a couple of times in the past, but managed to hold it all up)
I'd think again if i were cycling B roads etc...i'm lucky, most of my commute route is used by bus's so its well gritted.

 

[taxing]

This is my first winter and I'm cacking it. Yesterday I slipped when I put my foot down after coming to a stop and pronged my bum on my seat.

My problem is that I don't have a car, so if I don't want to bike then I'l have to walk to the bus stop. This involves walking down side streets, which are the worst part of my commute anyway. Once I'm past those I might as well have biked it. And I slip when walking on ice all the time, but I've never yet done it on my bike, so I trust my bike tyres more than my shoes.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Missed a couple of days last winter and took the car - first time was when I set off not realising anything was up until I put my foot down at the end of my street...mainly when it was solid ice rather than a mixture of snow and ice

Days like today....I felt a bit drained and for a moment thought of driving in, then decided I couldn't be arsed with all the frost-scraping

I went out around Derwent Valley last year however and slid all the way down a hill "superman-style" with my bike under me

 

[nightoff]

Still commuting on 23mm slicks. it was -2 on the way in this morning but frosty rather than icy. No snow my way as yet.

I would like to keep on commuting through the winter but I am not fully geared up this year. I have everything but suitable tyres and at £70 - £80 a set of decent studded tyres they will have to wait until xmas is out of the way.

The other problem is tyre clearance. My road bike won't take anything bigger than 25mm. This means the hybrid will have to come out of retirement and I know I won't enjoy riding the hybrid as much.

I think the car will get more of a look in over the next couple of weeks.

My mission next year is to get fully geared up for year round commuting.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Dress up warm, cycle slower than usual, make yourself as visible as possible, give yourself more room turning, and if in doubt about the road surface, use good quality studded tyres (I recommend Nokian or Schwalbe). Sure they will slow you down a little on non-icy roads, but you will not go over on ice if you are riding sensibly.

I cycle all year round in Ontario. I love cycling in the winter. The temperatures get down to -25 (in the day) and there is a lot of ice and snow. I ride a converted single-speed steel mountain bike with studded tyres, and have never come off, even on the frozen lake. And if you're worred about components rusting use cheap sturdy components, and keep your bike as clean as possible,

 

[Iain p]

Day by day for me, thou it would have to be bad to stop me cycling. Main roads all the way so no probs with respect to that. Also how can people be cold when cycling? I wear shorts base layer and a cheap karrimor water proof and i am more than warm enough.

 

[palinurus]

It's been lovely this week for me. Clear and cold, roads dry. No ice except the odd small frozen puddle.

It's worth it, sure. Beats any of the other options I have for getting to work anyday.

 

[HLaB]

The problem is that it isn't just wintry things that can catch you out in winter. You can come off on any of the things that can get you all year round anyway.

I've just come off while backing off and watching for ice. Unfortunately I didn't see the film of diesel on the roundabout. The most annoying thing is I don't normally ride that route but I thought I'd stick to the main roads because of the ice risk

Ouch, I hope there was no damage done.

Going back to ice, touch wood its only had me off on a hybrid once. I decided to get the train back from my parents rather than cycling the the 15 miles on the ice in the pitch black. The train station is about 3.5 miles from my flat (its nealy all dowhill to my flat) and I gingerley cycled down. After about 3 and a bit miles I'm down at sea level and thought thats a relief and went to cycle the last couple of 100m's along the shared to the flat. The path goes slightly uphill and my rear wheel just started to spin and down I went. Got up and just about fell down again the whole path was covered in black ice and the 25mm tires on tthe sirrus. That was 5years ago and I've not used the path since and I've not come off commuting since, touch wood again.

The other time I've had a close one was going up the narrow road over the Cleish hills; I deliberately waited til 10am (meaning it was circa 11:00 when I got there); got to near the top of the hill and similarly though I could relax now; I relaxed to soon the last corner was in the shade and still icy, and the bike went from under me It made the descent fairly gingerous.

 

[Maz]

Riding on ice is a fantastic way to break an elbow...

Or a wrist, in my case.

Sometimes the weather can be too dangerous for cycling.