cycling in icy conditions

With the cold weather persisting how do the utility cyclists deal with the
extra hazards posed by icy roads? I have been trying to find information on
this on the web and the general advice seems to be don't go out on a bike in
icy conditions. This seems to me to be going a little too far as I am sure
there are people out there without cars who need to get about on their bikes
throughout the winter. What would people on here advise regarding
technique/equipment to reduce the risk of coming off on the ice whilst still
being able to get about on the bike?

Thanks

Adam

"Adam Lea" wrote in message
...
With the cold weather persisting how do the utility cyclists deal with the
extra hazards posed by icy roads? I have been trying to find information
on this on the web and the general advice seems to be don't go out on a
bike in icy conditions. This seems to me to be going a little too far as I
am sure there are people out there without cars who need to get about on
their bikes throughout the winter. What would people on here advise
regarding technique/equipment to reduce the risk of coming off on the ice
whilst still being able to get about on the bike?

Thanks

Adam


What you require is a recumbent trike!

Adam Lea wrote:
With the cold weather persisting how do the utility cyclists deal
with the extra hazards posed by icy roads? I have been trying to find
information on this on the web and the general advice seems to be
don't go out on a bike in icy conditions. This seems to me to be
going a little too far

I go almost that far now. Having badly injured myself on a slipery surface,
I'm not keen to do it again.

as I am sure there are people out there
without cars who need to get about on their bikes throughout the
winter.

It may be inconvenient, but sometimes alternative 3+ wheeled transport can
be found.

What would people on here advise regarding
technique/equipment to reduce the risk of coming off on the ice
whilst still being able to get about on the bike?

Use the brakes gently; be especially cautious with the front brake. Go
extremely slowly round the bends to keep the bike as upright as possible and
any injury as slight as possible if you do loose it. It may seem boring and
embarassing, but that's what you've got to do if you want to be reasonably
safe.

Using lower than normal tyre pressure might help a little as well if it
means the tyre bounces less on hitting bumps. (A tyre is more likely to
slide as it comes back down).

~PB

It happens that Adam Lea formulated :
With the cold weather persisting how do the utility cyclists deal with the
extra hazards posed by icy roads? I have been trying to find information on
this on the web and the general advice seems to be don't go out on a bike in
icy conditions. This seems to me to be going a little too far as I am sure
there are people out there without cars who need to get about on their bikes
throughout the winter. What would people on here advise regarding
technique/equipment to reduce the risk of coming off on the ice whilst still
being able to get about on the bike?


1/. Riding a fixed wheel helps a lot - much more control, and less need
for the brakes.

2/. Try to stay on roads which are likely to be safe. This doesn't
necessarily mean roads that have been salted, although that might be an
advantage; sometimes (especially at the moment) unclassified roads are
unsalted but bone dry, whilst main roads are covered in the slimey mess
that oil, salt and water make when mixed together.

3/. If you find yourself on an icy road don't panic! If you go rigid,
you'll probably come off. (A friend of mine managed this five times in
a row one icy Boxing Day morning, much to the amusement of the rest of
us!) Equally, be prepared to walk down (or up...) steep hills if
they're really icy. There are times when it just isn't worth the risk.

4/. Don't try honking; keep the bottom firmly in the saddle.

--
Simon

Adam Lea wrote:
What would people on here advise regarding
technique/equipment to reduce the risk of coming off on the ice whilst still
being able to get about on the bike?

At the risk of stating the Fabulously Obvious, keep your eyes
peeled for smooth and shiny bits and take particular care on the
corners. If in doubt slow down, and do the slowing down quite
slowly too. If you're in the habit of throwing the bike around,
get out of it.

That's about the limit of what I do, and it's a long time since
I've come off (daft thing to say, that was...).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Adam Lea wrote:
With the cold weather persisting how do the utility cyclists deal with the
extra hazards posed by icy roads? I have been trying to find information on
this on the web and the general advice seems to be don't go out on a bike in
icy conditions. This seems to me to be going a little too far as I am sure
there are people out there without cars who need to get about on their bikes
throughout the winter. What would people on here advise regarding
technique/equipment to reduce the risk of coming off on the ice whilst still
being able to get about on the bike?

Watch the road in front of you. In the same way that cars dry the road,
they also sometimes reduce the amount of ice. Sometimes in frosty
conditions there will be an ice free line along car tyre tracks, or
between them. OTOH in snowy conditions tyre tracks can be more slippery.

It is better to avoid cycle tracks and shared use paths as these don't
tend to get gritted and cleared of snow, indeed some shared use paths
around here have a layer of frozen leaves.

There are places where ice will form easier, e.g. on bridges, and places
where it will take longer to melt, e.g. where there is tree cover.
avoiding, or taking extra care in places like this will help.

If you do find yourself on sheet ice, Don't Panic. Panicking will lead
to you falling off.

Martin.

"Martin" wrote in message
...

There are places where ice will form easier, e.g. on bridges, and places
where it will take longer to melt, e.g. where there is tree cover.
avoiding, or taking extra care in places like this will help.


This is one area I am concerned about. On a freezing night frost can coat
the tree branches which slowly melts during the day and then drips on to a
near freezing road surface which then freezes as soon as the sun goes down.
There are few cars on my commute to clean the road surface. The tree cover
tends to be on the downhill sections which makes thing worse.

"Adam Lea" wrote in message
...
With the cold weather persisting how do the utility cyclists deal with the
extra hazards posed by icy roads? What would people on here advise
regarding technique/equipment to reduce the risk of coming off on the ice
whilst still being able to get about on the bike?

Up is a heck of lot easier than down.

Still not very easy though

pOB

Adam Lea wrote:
With the cold weather persisting how do the utility cyclists deal
with the extra hazards posed by icy roads?

You fall off.
At least that was my experience in early December.
When I got to work, of the four people there, one had taken a tumble on the
same corner and another had seen somebody else go over. That eased the pain
slightly I must say.

--

Geoff

Having grown up in Canada (and having learned to drive there), my
comments about winter driving apply to winter cycling: GENTLY.

Nothing will reduce your traction like a sudden action of any sort.
Accelerate, decelerate, and turn, GENTLY. This requires more effort to
look ahead, plan ahead, and act ahead, so that you do not need to take
sudden actions. Ride the way you would were you carrying nitroglycerin.

Bikes rule. Cars drool. Burma shave.