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"Severe weather warning"

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  1. Mandopicker101
    Member

    Having just had my first ride on them today I'm still getting to grips with them (pun intended). I didn't have a pressure gauge with me at work today, so I just pumped them up until they felt firm. Not hard, just firm and that felt good. I could hear the Snap, Crackle and Pop effect, so I knew the studs were doing their thing. Might top them up a wee bit as I hit a bad pothole and I could feel the rim taking a dunt.

    I note that you can go all the way to 95psi, but received wisdom seems to be that 'hard' results in the studs not being in contact with the ground.

    I defer to the experience of others.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. TheBaldyBullet
    Member

    Sidewalls say 35-55 for snow/ice so I plumped for 50,eager to see how well they do tomorrow but everyone's posts so far seem to be positive.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I will shortly be fitting my Ice Spiker and Marathon Winter to the monstrousbike.

    The torpedo was lovely and cosy this morning with both the spraydeck and roof in place, but coming home this evening the 50mm Kojak on back was proving to be less than ideal once I reached the snow line. I had actually taken a knobbly tyre with me this morning, intending to fit it before riding home, but I forgot to bring any tyre levers with me. And with the motorists all behaving like it's summertime frankly I don't want to be amongst them with the machine.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. Nelly
    Member

    "And with the motorists all behaving like it's summertime"

    Yep, a couple of silly passes tonight.

    A colleague had to drive home to kirkliston early today and said there were cars all over the place on way to south queensferry. Looks like many drivers have forgotten how to drive in snow/ice.......which makes it more dangerous for us.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. HankChief
    Member

    Not fun tonight with studs. Hopefully will get my rebuilt wheel back tomorrow and I rejoin the rice crispy party soon.

    In the middle of a particularly heavy snow shower this morning on Glasgow Rd was a rider in shorts - fair play to you - and a mudguardless jean wearer - must gave regretted that...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. Kenny
    Member

    Just returned from a carol service with the family, we got there by car and foot. Extremely bad pavements and roads the whole way. I mentioned to the wife that I'll definitely be taking the bike tomorrow as I'll actually be safer than in the car, since my car tyres don't have spikes. Incredibly, she agrees.

    If you don't have spikes, then best of luck to you tomorrow...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. LaidBack
    Member

    Arellcat The torpedo was lovely and cosy this morning with both the spraydeck and roof in place, but coming home this evening the 50mm Kojak on back was proving to be less than ideal once I reached the snow line. I had actually taken a knobbly tyre with me this morning, intending to fit it before riding home, but I forgot to bring any tyre levers with me.

    Nice to hear that the Quest got out - with a roof too.

    Nobbly on back would be good though weather will suddenly change if you do that.
    'Course you stay up the hill so traction is important !

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. Uberuce
    Member

    Put the studs onto wee blue floofy, thus turning it into wintersaurus. Just as well, since my plan to get the bus tomorrow will fail on the grounds it'll take too long.

    I found myself with an embarrassment of overstaffing today,so when a colleague suggested I knock off early and get home in daylight, I agreed. Went for the Lasswade-Roslin path, which was disagreeably slushy,but agreeably agreeable in every other respect.

    Pavements are ice rinks up here tonight. I type from the civilised environs of the Roslin Inn, with a fire but scant feet to my left.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. gembo
    Member

    Cycled home tonight 10pm from Churchill theatre was a bit icy, closer to balerno a bit worse but still fine at slow pace with marathon plus as stuck to road. Side streets of Colinton had some coverage of snow. Snowman in back yard made by son earlier today before his definitive performance of dandy Dan in bugsy Malone, still some tix left for tomorrow night, sold out saturday

    Too kind guys

    Too kind

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. LivM
    Member

    Frozen snow in Murrayfield plus lack of gritting - looks nasty out there. Sounds crrunchy as cars drive past. Take care out there today.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. TheBaldyBullet
    Member

    NEPN covered in frozen slush from Ainslie Park to Roseburn,no access paths gritted either.
    Main roads from Gogar roundabout up through Gyle to Sighthill have not been touched either still large amounts of ice especially in the bus lanes.
    Motorists still driving like it's the summer :0(

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. gembo
    Member

    First proper frost on my windows, this a.m will leave a little later, I was far out from the gutter last night and first wall of snow across my front yard. Was melting last night so hopefully won't need to shovel

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. Nelly
    Member

    Main roads Marchmont to Gyle all fine, side roads, pavements and bike paths rather slippy.

    Marathon Winters were brilliant, but even then I had a rear wheel event at Hutchison Crossway.

    Looking forward to the ride home !!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. fimm
    Member

    Took the bus today. Pavements near my flat OK. Pavements outside Haymarket covered with ice, very unpleasant/dangerous. No gritting at all that I could see.

    Whoever looks after the platform at Livingston North station had done their usual good job of clearing and gritting it. The car park looked slippy - once I'd got to the main road I would probably have been fine.

    Can you get spiked tyres for a Brompton?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. Broony84
    Member

    After hitting the deck last night for the 4th time this week (At the Melville Street statue) I've decided the bus is my best option for the next few days. I seen loads of cyclists this morning and some of them had skinny tyres which baffles me completely as they looked comfortable at areas where I was slipping whilst walking.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. Greenroofer
    Member

    Towpath a beautiful sparkly sheet of frost most of the way from Meggetland to Gogar, with some patches of black ice. The long drag past the Wester Hailes Education Centre had extensive bits of frozen puddle.

    Saw one other bike on the whole trip. Changing room and bike park at work deserted.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    @ fimm

    Yes

    http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mobile/schwalbe-winter-hs396-rigid-tyre-16-x-120-inch-(30-349)-fits-brompton-prod35880

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    All types/sizes -

    http://www.schwalbe.com/en/spikes.html

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-weather-ice-warning-after-snow-1-3631539

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. Kenny
    Member

    Normally, I see around 70 cyclists on the NEPN between Roseburn and Hawthornvale. A few weeks ago during a terribly wet and windy morning, there were 34. This morning - 7. I can't blame people, indeed I'm thankful it was that low. But at least 2 of those 7 were riding on standard road bikes, so I can only suspect they hit the deck at some point already today.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. wingpig
    Member

    Big heap of grit in the middle of Five Ways but the NEPN otherwise treatmentless. The diciest bit was the site of the permapuddle at Drylaw, there there were two deep smooth ice-puddles with a narrow channel of rutted ice between them.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. LivM
    Member

    I remember a tragically comical morning a few years ago at the 5 ways junction (slope, corners) where it was totally sheet black ice - I got off and pushed, but in the time it took me to walk around the corner and up the hill (while calling out "black ice" to every bike in the area) at least 10 people fell off. It had a hypnotic inevitability to it.
    I got spikes after that day.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    "It had a hypnotic inevitability to it."

    The 'worst' fall I ever had was years ago at the bottom of Chambers Street.

    I was well prepared for car-polished ice for the last few feet. This time the icesheet was yards long.

    I just slid and slid - so no particular pain/damage.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  24. BurntOut
    Member

    Made it in from Fife in one piece this morning, over miles of ice. Now on a massive high - must be the adrenalin. They've made the new A90 section so smooth, it's like a skating rink.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  25. wingpig
    Member

    "...They've made the new A90 section so smooth, it's like a skating rink."

    See also the special smooth-and-water-holding stuff the Chancelot was surfaced with. The bit of footway my neighbour replaced when he installed a dropped kerb for his driveway is also much more slippery than the surroundings.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  26. SRD
    Moderator

    NMW and MMW fairly well gritted - although the top of MMW less so.

    But the dog-leg to the toucan at Melville drive untreated, also the cut thru to valley field. Looks like someone took their work very literally.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  27. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I only fell off twice on the way in. Take-home message? One ice tyre is sufficient for straight lines and gentle bends. It is not sufficient for actual corners.

    First tumble turning from Ross Gardens to Savile Place (soon to be renamed Yewtree Place) nice lady with a dog asked if I was OK. Minor cuts and bruises. I told her I should have seen it coming.

    Second lie-down on the Westburn corner of the towpath. Gentle, almost balletic slide into the liquid mud verge.

    Washed my jacket under the showers, knee and ankle throbbing under my desk. Think I'll go home through town and buy a second ice tyre tomorrow.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  28. algo
    Member

    @IWRATS - sorry to hear that . I hope you heal ok. I also only have a front winter tyre - I managed ok but was pretty sheepish as it was my first outing on them… maybe I'll fit one on the back too.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  29. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Very glad I stayed up until much too late (early?) this morning fettling the winterbike to get it ready for this morning.

    George Street was a fairly terrifying icerink, even with the spiky tyres on I was getting a bit of wheelspin. Man infront of me on a MTBSO was sliding all over the place but somehow managed to stay upright.

    I gave up for one section and took the road, then went back onto the path for the last block towards Charlotte Square. Right at the end, where footfall had carried slush across the path, again it was treacherous, especially having to stop and put a foot down. Need some studs on my toes!

    More slitheryness through Melville Street and Manor Place, then on the main roads as far as Corstorphine which seemed OK. Back streets in Corstorphine and past Gylemuir were again no-go zones for the unspiked.

    Even with the spiky tyres it was tetchy in places (some of it probably my own apprehensiveness), especially through every chicane and tight right angled-turn that the cooncil could throw at me. I think it's only fair that anyone proposing the installation of new chicanes should be first forced to cycle through one that is frozen up with black ice and not be allowed to use spikes.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  30. cc
    Member

    SRD: thanks for the warning.

    On the subject of black ice: some years ago a period of below-zero temperatures was punctuated by a heavy freak rain shower; the rain froze on contact with the ground and the bottom of Leith Street was one big skating rink. Cars were sliding along and crashing into those in front in a giant game of dodgems. All fairly low speed, no apparent injuries, and thankfully no cyclists that I can remember, so it was spectacular stuff for the non-car-owning spectators. We flagged down and warned some drivers at the top of the street about the chaos ahead but they all said "thanks" then drove off and within a few seconds joined the pile up and wrecked their cars. So we went back to spectating.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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