CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

"Severe weather warning"

(7355 posts)

  1. organicmatter
    Member

    I came down twice on my way home 1st black ice on the promenade entrance at Granton also the new cycle path bit at silverknowes, doesn’t help they’ve been made of really smooth tarmac.
    May need to invest in some spiky tyres

    Posted 6 years ago #
  2. amir
    Member

    Icy off main roads in south edinburgh as well. Black icy

    Posted 6 years ago #
  3. unhurt
    Member

    Pavements in New Town are pretty bad in places too. Saw a young guy wipe out completely then almost did the same myself.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  4. bill
    Member

    @jdanielp thanks for the towpath update! after reading this I decided to avoid it and Bichael and I managed to get a lift back with my workmate.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  5. Frenchy
    Member

    Note to self: dark frosty December evenings are not the time to explore the back roads of Midlothian.

    I stayed upright, but I've had finer ideas in my time.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  6. ARobComp
    Member

    Towpath by Boroughmuir School was an absolute disaster of ice by the time I got there. Most cyclists walking. It got better when it went back to tarmac, but the bit by harrison park was mostly sheet ice too, not to mention the cobbles by the bridges.

    Bailed and hit the main roads all the way back to Colinton. really crazy rain/thaw-freeze. Not seen that for a while.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  7. Greenroofer
    Member

    Further note to self. If you've spent all night forcing studded tyres onto your Brompton, maybe it would be a good idea to take that bike to work rather than a different one. That would mean that when you find the towpath is a sheet of black ice from the bypass to Meggetland, you can ride home at reasonable speed..

    ...rather than walking some sections (all aqueducts and the bit by the police station all incredibly icy) and riding the rest very slowly. At least I had the Elephant Bike with me, which has a very low centre of gravity and very wide tyres that I let lots of air out of. I would have preferred studs though.

    Frankly terrifying trip home that took twice as long as normal

    Posted 6 years ago #
  8. paddyirish
    Member

    met a guy at Ferrytoll who had come off twice and was walking the bike very gingerly.

    I had studs on, and to think that this morning, I was wondering if I had been premature in fitting them...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  9. Rosie
    Member

    Ah, so that sparkle I saw on the pavements when walking from the bus WAS ice. I really didn't think it was cold enough.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  10. mercury1and2
    Member

    saw cyclists along edinburgh academy henderson row way on the road and i was walking on pavement icy in bits - scared of falling so not cycling at all in icy weather

    Posted 6 years ago #
  11. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Towpath v icy at top of Gibson Terrace - cyclist in front of me came off on it. Took the road from there

    Posted 6 years ago #
  12. Bigjack
    Member

    Took road bike this morning as a bit milder and raining but that was a mistake for the journey home. I ended up walking down the ramp at the Crewe Toll red bridge and the off ramp at Roseburn. New WOL path at the ice rink was an ice rink as were the side roads at Saughtonhall. MTB again tomorrow methinks. Pity the new MTB has those new fangled 27.5 inch tyres and I have studded 26inch tyres in the garage--grrr!

    Posted 6 years ago #
  13. Ed1
    Member

    I wonder why was it so slipy this evening as been colder days and snowier days in previous years, this seemed the most slipy day I have cycled. I found harder to get on bike and when stopped like standing on an ice rink

    Posted 6 years ago #
  14. Snowy
    Member

    Greenroofer, this is our fault. After both fitting spikes yesterday, neither of us took the spiked bikes today. The ice fairies are punishing us.

    I especially do not recommend 110psi slicks. Idiot, idiot, idiot.

    After nearly losing it several times on GSR and the first bit of canal path, I bailed and took a short cut through Wester Hailes, which was even worse. Main roads back were fine, but paths and pavements on south side are lethal, and I was walking most of the last half mile.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  15. Klaxon
    Member

    There was a shower of rain this afternoon that is quickly freezing to become a thin layer of ice anywhere that's not been gritted

    Far more dangerous than the grippy frost of days before

    Take care

    Posted 6 years ago #
  16. wingpig
    Member

    Very peculiar crackling noise in places which I assumed was grit/salt might have been some swiftly-frozen fluffy snow... there was a brief shower of definitely snow whilst I was peering at Dunsapie Loch in the gloom trying to determine if it was frozen or not.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  17. jdanielp
    Member

    Despite my very good luck, coincidentally leaving work early today (and not having to go in tomorrow, even better...) which meant that I avoided the worst of the bad conditions on the canal towpath, I decided to head out again. Pavements are ok in the most part but then suddenly very slippy at random. I'll be heading back in two hours.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  18. fimm
    Member

    Yes, horrible, horrible, horrible out there. Might get the bus tomorrow.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  19. SRD
    Moderator

    Mike Crockart (former Edin West MP) at A&E with suspected cracked rib after fall on ice (not bike related.)

    Posted 6 years ago #
  20. unhurt
    Member

    Currently walking home very carefully as there are random stretches of black ice on town pavements - and on the road till about a metre out. Need hobnails....

    Posted 6 years ago #
  21. gembo
    Member

    Icy all over had shocker of return home tonight due to mechanical. See commuter thread for details of ice on towpath, road, very bad at gogarstation and pavement from edinbyurgh park to Balerno, take care

    Posted 6 years ago #
  22. chrisfl
    Member

    Felt the ice when leaving the office and took the road home this evening. Just about to go downstairs and fit winter tyres onto the Helios. Wish me luck.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  23. unhurt
    Member

    See the ice warning runs till 11 tomorrow. Maybe I'll get the bus the morn... Quite a lot of the road was VERY icy down here tonight, even at busy parts.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

    V cold/icy, and yet KB says it's 2 -

    https://www.ed.ac.uk/geosciences/weather-station/readings/24hours

    Posted 6 years ago #
  25. stiltskin
    Member

    Still +1 at the airport. Just goes to show that it isn't just how cold the air temperature is that is important in ice formation.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  26. unhurt
    Member

    Actual vs "feels like" I assume? Met Office down here says 1C, "feels like" -4C. (I think that the presence of ice or not is something to do with "wet-bulb" temperature, but I'm not going to try and explain my limited understanding of that!)

    Posted 6 years ago #
  27. jdanielp
    Member

    Made it home in one piece. The ice is now more extensive, coating the width of the pavement and into the road in some places as unhurt reported, but far easier to spot due to its crystalline sheen. It was clear that the areas that are sheltered from the wind were generally ok, while more exposed areas were far more likely to be iced up.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  28. wingpig
    Member

    One person walking on the road rather than the footway on Abbeyhill and one walking on the footway but doing a wee skiddy dance. Lots of sparkly bits on the bits of road no-one drives on, in the lee of traffic islands and so on, through the Marionville/Lochend roundabouys, the bottom of the Canongate, but the Cowgate looked a bit warmer

    Posted 6 years ago #
  29. chrisfl
    Member

    tires done, just under an hour....

    Been playing with using https://weathermap.netatmo.com/ interesting colder to the West.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  30. rider73
    Member

    black ice on paths around crewe toll and all around dalgety bay (i almost fell over getting to the car and then getting from the car to work!!!!!)
    be careful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted 6 years ago #

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