Winter commuting. Is it worth the risks?

[Flying_Monkey]

I use flats with mini-toeclips in winter. Being clipped in is too risky when ice is everywhere - in the (unlikely) event of my ice-tyres not working, IME there is no time to think about getting your feet out of cleats if you go over on ice.

 

[Downward]

its personal i guess, but i just feel safer when im not locked in. and if you do have to put a foot down, look cleats dont exactly give good grip at the best of times

Although if it's a bit wet you'll be slipping off the pedals.

 

[mgarl10024]

First Winter for me (well, first year of commuting by bike) and I am asking myself the same question. I'm reluctant to give it up so will keep it going as long as possible.

Coming home on Friday, it started snowing heavily in Bristol. New experience for me. I found that I seemed to eat my own body weight in snow (as I breathe through the mouth when cycling), and that whilst I found the dry morning (-3) chilly, the evening was much worse as the snow would wet your face then the wind would blow on it (need to get a buff or similar). I also found that my visibility was greatly reduced (snow on the glasses).
I took it slowly, and found there to be no issues on the cycle tracks I regularly use. While they stay ice free, I'll keep using them I think. I did have one wobble where I misjudged the edge of the cycletrack and my wheels went on the soggy/icy mud - heart in my throat for a second or two until I recovered. :-)

Good fun though

 

[fossyant]

His advice is generally sound, but the top-level Nokian ones with plenty of studs are a lot better than riding on sand-covered ice (I use the W240s).

Mind you, I road every winter in the UK for years, and in rural as well as urban areas, and I never needed (or even thought about) studded tyres. I came off a couple of times on black ice when, as a fairly inexperienced cyclist, I was riding a slick-tyred hybrid years ago, but I never came off riding my MTB (heavy-tread tyres, slightly lower inflation than normal). Has the weather significantly changed in the last couple of years, or are all you people being hyper-cautious?

FM..............

The mad spike tyres are crazy.

I too used to ride to work in all weathers -even liked riding on 20C tyres over frosted roads in my 'youth' on a 20 mile rural commute each way (oh and no mega lights.......I was young and ate carrots)

Main thing is....... weather goes in cycles.............

Dry and cold.....not a problem = roads OK, damp or wet and cold is not funny.................. from a cycling point of view....... last winter became damp and cold (then snow). This winter is looking to be similar.

 

[ColinJ]

I haven't read the whole thread (sorry) but I remember last winter being amazed at how many people here and on BikeRadar posted about crashing their bikes and injuring themselves. There's no way that I'd have ridden in those conditions.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Main thing is....... weather goes in cycles.............

Dry and cold.....not a problem = roads OK, damp or wet and cold is not funny.................. from a cycling point of view....... last winter became damp and cold (then snow). This winter is looking to be similar.

I think weather in the UK is more unpredictable because of the minor variations in temperature around zero. Whereas here in Ontario it is going to be guaranteed to below zero for about 3-4 months. And it's a drier cold than in the UK. So spiked tyres are a good idea for that period. In the UK, I am not so sure. I never felt I needed them.

 

[summerdays]

The temperature now is -6!!! Eeek! Glad I'm inside ... but I think today might be the day to fit those studded tyres..(yes I know I should have done it already but I'm lazy ... and they are going on the 2nd bike so I probably wouldn't have bedded them in because I would always be making excuses for taking the main bike).

 

[cyberknight]

-9 here just now when i went out to grit our drive , one of those shared ones for 4 houses so i hope the neighbours thank me !

If its like that Tomorrow it will be the car as i do not fancy a 10 mile commute in that cold as i do not get to sit in a warm office all day , i get to sit on a fork truck in a cold warehouse instead then cycle home with numb toes to start with

I should add that the boss (Mrs CK ) is off work so i have to take the car ,meaning i have been told !!

 

[User10119]

I had my first trip to work on the bus since (I think) March this week. I'm not prepared to do my rural commutes by bike on ice or snow - I simply don't have the bike handling skills to give me even a reasonable chance of staying upright so I would fall off, sooner or later. Since riding to some of my sites involves up 15 miles of (mainly) unlit, isolated and highly unlikey to be gritted lanes in an area where the mobile signal is unreliable to none-existant, the implications of falling off and semi-seriously hurting myself are not pleasant.

In previous years I did continue riding to the sites that are closer (and on gritted roads) on my 13 year old Halfords BOGOF gas pipe special with massively wide knobblies. But I no longer have that, since I bought my nice bike which has completely slick racelite hardcases and very snug clearances for the guards. So this year I might just walk - it's only a few weeks til the Christmas holidays, and a few at the beginning of next term that are likely to be problematic. I'd rather play safe.

 

[phantasmagoriana]

The temperature now is -6!!! Eeek! Glad I'm inside ... but I think today might be the day to fit those studded tyres..(yes I know I should have done it already but I'm lazy ... and they are going on the 2nd bike so I probably wouldn't have bedded them in because I would always be making excuses for taking the main bike).

Today's studded tyre fitting day here too - not sure how I'm going to do the 25-mile bedding in before tomorrow's commute though! Might have to take the bike to the nearest ice-free road and ride up and down it a few times...  

 

[Deleted member 1258]

As I said earlier in this thread I've never put the bike away because the weather's bad, been an all weather rider for over thirty years. I've been out this morning, 46 fixed wheel miles to Middleton Hall and back, its been -4 this morning, cold enough to ice up my beard, the fields are sprinkled with snow and the lanes are icy but the main roads are clear.and I've had an enjoyable morning riding in the sunshine. I will be commuting next week as normal, 13 mile round trip Coventry to Nuneaton and back.

 

[buggi]

suppose it depends on the bike and tyres but broken collars bones, broken elbows, broken hips, more punctures that you have to deal with in the cold, numpty drivers who haven't cleared their screens, grit being bad for the bike.

Call me a wimp, but my road bike is now on the turbo, and half hour a day with the ipod should see me not lose too much fitness over the worst of the winter.

I just got a cheap turbo off ebay and paid £20 quid for it. I rather be bored for 1/2 hour a day on that, than be off the bike for 6 weeks with a broken collar bone and in all that pain. Especially as my mum is going on holiday for 8 weeks to the other side of the world and i will have no one to help me to the loo!

having said that, now seriously kicking myself that i didn't opt for the cyclescheme this year and get a mountain bike so i could go out in the snow.

 

[monnet]

I've always been an all year round rider. I stopped commuting at the beginning of November, partly as I wanted the rest and partly as I was fed up of the nonsense you have to put up with from drivers. Now I'm assessing my commute on the basis of what the weather is like. I'm still doing the club rides (providing the weather isn't terrible - 60 miles this morning as it was cold but dry) but like Buggi, I'd rather do a few turbo sessions a week than risk myself in the ice and all the nonsense that goes with it. Now to clean all the grit and salt off my bike....

 

[2Loose]

Last year (earlier this year) I managed all year round with a slicked up mtb and loved every minute. This year, I am not sure that I want to ride the road bike. Something about skinny tyres and narrow drop bars screams "slips will hurt". Not sure if that's true so am going to give it a try...lol

If I am riding the mtb with nobblies by the end of next week I won't be surprised.

 

[HLaB]

Last year (earlier this year) I managed all year round with a slicked up mtb and loved every minute. This year, I am not sure that I want to ride the road bike. Something about skinny tyres and narrow drop bars screams "slips will hurt". Not sure if that's true so am going to give it a try...lol

If I am riding the mtb with nobblies by the end of next week I won't be surprised.

Not that I'd encourage you to try; I've only had one (touch wood) slip to the deck (plus a couple of clipless moments ) on a road bike and surprisingly they haven't really hurt. Maybe its the positon of my arms before a fall but I don't really want to get more concrete (or tarmac) evidence