slow and steady on the 29er MTB - seemed OK, although really not a fan of the slush.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
"Severe weather warning"
(7379 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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Whatever specific subtype of winter tyres I have don't have a central lines of studs, so there's usually a point when turning (on tarmac) where the innermost line of studs starts feeling like they're skating slightly (or about to be ripped out), whereas on snow there's no such point.
700C*40mm Schwalbe Snow Stud (or perhaps Winter) were much easier to fit than 28mm Marathons plus.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp. Get studded tyres. Nothing more to say.
(In terms of your concern about stopping, they stop you under normal braking just like ordinary tyres. If you really really slam on the brakes to come to a skidding halt you'll rip a few studs out, but surely you won't be going that fast on the towpath anyway. They grip fine on the aqueduct [I rode across it last night and this morning]: when it's icy the studs grip and when it's not the rubber grips and the studs do too)
Posted 6 years ago # -
from what i remember when i got my studded tyres, there seemed to be a high premium for them from retailers here in the UK,
the usual german online mega-sites have them really cheap and cheap shipping - although not looked recently with the pound-EU value...
Posted 6 years ago # -
I got my first set (700C*30mm) in a big bulk buy orchestrated by Uberuce from bikediscount.de. I think the current 700C*40mm came from Planet X.
Posted 6 years ago # -
This morning we came via the Balgreen Tram Stop.
There seemed to be a breadcrumb trail of gritting heading west along the tramside path (as well as a more comprehensive gritting of the slope up to the tramstop)
There was a very thin line of tarmac along Baird Drive and onto the new WoL path but then it stopped mid way to the ice rink bridge.
I was trying to work out if they just ran out of grit or got bored or something else
Posted 6 years ago # -
Winter biking Newfoundland style:
Tandem
Studded tyres
Grenfell parka
SealskinsPosted 6 years ago # -
@SRD are you on an actual path or in the middle of the grass in that picture?
Posted 6 years ago # -
on the grass!
Posted 6 years ago # -
Road into Dalkeith and back was fine. Only two drivers passed on solid white lines with oncoming traffic, which is better than normal. One was a bus driver, though.
Shared use paths from Dalkeith to Gilmerton were mostly thawed when I was coming back around 1pm, but I took my chances on the road anyway.
Posted 6 years ago # -
If plans for NF pan out this summer I'm buying some sealskin gloves to bring home...
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt
Why wait for Canada?
you can get an additional 15% off if you sign up to their newsletter
Posted 6 years ago # -
Gloves? That's amateur hour.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@paddyirish I assumed in this case SRD meant gloves made from actual Canadian seals, but she may wish to clarify!
@dougal that's actually genius.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@dougal - eek!!! what happens if he hits something and goes over the bars !
Posted 6 years ago # -
@amir - the 3 is being reverted to its old route: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/lothian-buses-reveal-fare-increase-and-route-changes-1-4662918
Posted 6 years ago # -
Thanks Frenchy - must be down to my twitter complaining (or maybe not)
Posted 6 years ago # -
Today's concession to the weather: studded tyres and ski gloves. No other adjustments necessary.
(Although the headwind was irritating so hopefully it's a nice tailwind this evening)
Have just seen that it's now an amber snow alert for tonight/tomorrow so take care out there folks...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Not up here there isn't. So perhaps - perhaps! - I will get home tomorrow night. (V annoying if I don't as I was hoping for at minimum a bike ride every day this month*, if not for all Jan and Feb... Would probably be excessive to ask the lad working at the hotel if I could ride his BSO round the block a couple of times tomorrow night if I'm stuck?)
*this sort of counting isn't very me. But I sat next to @HankChief at PY. I think he's catching.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I'm on the MTB today, but I stuck to the road on A8 airport road as the path looked terrible and I was in a hurry.
Anyone got a recent update on what the path is like now?
Posted 6 years ago # -
It's amazing how much snow has gone around KB. I didn't think it was that warm
Posted 6 years ago # -
@galaxy - most of the depth of snow has gone but you are now left with a thin layer of compacted snow that looks pretty icy for you mortals without studs.
Posted 6 years ago # -
MMW and SMW fairly snow/ice free when I came through at 5.30ish bu LW very compacted and hard going even with front studded tyre going up hill. could have used the rear wheel drive again. but I made it without any difficulty.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Towpath from the bypass to the Slateford Aqueduct was a mixture of packed snow and freezing slush at 1800. I passed a couple of bikes making very tentative progress (one appeared to be on 25mm slicks...). If the temperature stays low overnight then the towpath will be impassable to anyone without studs tomorrow morning.
I met @Hankchief at the start of the journey, and when we had finished comparing the size of our bells, we discussed the wisdom of letting air out of studded tyres. I set off on this evening's ride with my tyres at 5bar, but a little while in I let out a good hiss of air (probably now 3.5bar) and noticed that the bike was considerably less squirmy on the frozen ruts.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@greenroofer good advice for any tyre in icy conditions, let out the pressure.
Posted 6 years ago # -
squirmy on the frozen ruts
well put, sir
PSI is a fine art
Posted 6 years ago # -
that said ..
marathon winter
65 psi 700x35
no surrender
Posted 6 years ago # -
"65 psi 700x35" now thats a contact patch!
Posted 6 years ago # -
At 0745 The towpath west of Meggetland was a mixture of rutted black ice, compacted snow and dry tarmac out to the bypass. I'd say it's practically impassable to bikes without studded tyres (one cyclist coming towards me fell off, and I passed another walking). With studded tyres at 3.5bar it was totally passable, but a bit squirmy on the ice as the bike found its own way along the ruts.
Posted 6 years ago #
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