Was using hybrid with snow and ice tires and the tube popped with spike wearing it back on slick bike hoping my winter tires for that will be here soon
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
"Severe weather warning"
(7379 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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@UtrechtCyclist
Fife, and beautiful in the same sentence? What have you been drinking?
Posted 8 years ago # -
There was a tiny little sprinkle of salt/grit on the Innocent at the Bingham junction. Nowhere too slippy, despite the leaves. Slightly misty around Leith, growing to medium-misty a bit further inland. Lots of condensation in my beard but it didn't freeze.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@CJC thanks. I'm glad to say that I went for it despite my reservations and, like you say, it was fine. The path looked sketchiest for the length of the section between the lifting bridge and the end of the potential school works diversion, but I took it cautiously and experienced no slippage. Beyond that it was absolutely fine, although I was having to wipe fog from my glasses quite frequently.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@paddyirish, the last half of the train ride to Leuchars is lovely! I always want to get out and go for a ride through the forests near Ladybank.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Utrechtcyclist, I know, just using local's license. coastal parts, especially East Neuk, are lovely and Lomond Hills good as well. But relative to the rest of Scotland it is near the bottom of the table...
Posted 8 years ago # -
"But relative to the rest of Scotland it is near the bottom of the table..."
Fife has a bad 'reputation' due to a small number of (mostly former) industrial areas.
Bit like parts of the Lothians, central and mid Scotland.
Maybe Fifers like keeping the best things to themselves...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Freezing morning, but the streets were dry so headed up to the canal. Quite atmospheric with the fog & loads of cyclists. One girl in tiny shorts jogging, one child howling as her mother bundled her along. Then saw a lot of white stuff around the Gibson Terrace section - frost. However, only frost, not black ice (on which I have fallen & broken my shoulder) so made it in a fairly tentative fashion over the cobbles to Lochrin Basin & down to Fountainbridge.
Fingers numb – I've mislaid my good gloves & wear a cheap pair as I don't want to shell out for another good pair because that means I'll find the mislaid ones.
Colleague who walks along the canal said it was fairly slippy underfoot & she too had spotted the howling child.
Posted 8 years ago # -
A lot of frozen puddles in Livingston
Posted 8 years ago # -
All the decent showers broken at my work today and I was looking forward to heating up in one too.
As I never broke sweat I never bothered using the weak electric one as you practically have to run around to get wet.
Posted 8 years ago # -
It was the fog that made it feel so cold this morning. I was wearing my waterproof cap with the ear flaps deployed, but my forehead got frozen.
Not long out of the door and my front brake froze up, almost jammed on but not quite. I had to ride most of my commute with just the back brake, and with the front wheel rubbing. Hopefully my bike will have defrosted by this evening.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I was wearing a reluctant second layer this morning and didn't start overheating until the second mile.
Posted 8 years ago # -
cycled for 20 mits today my fingers were cold cycling down the road sucking my thumb! Does any one really know what this winter is mainly going to be like weather wise? Any websites for long range forecasts. thanks
Posted 8 years ago # -
@mercury
The Met Office has issued its three monthly forecast which provides an indication of possible temperature and rainfall conditions from now until the end of January.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/37841365
Very cold...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Probably a combination of leaf-gloop and poor surface (or bus-oil) rather than ice, but be very wary of the right-handed right-angled turn on Horse Wynd (heading hillwards) as it was extremely skiddy at quite low speed this evening.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"
EdinburghTravelNews (@edintravel)
22/11/2016, 16:48
Planned gritting 22nd Nov – overnight patrols and treating as required; priority roads & footways treated from 5pm tonight.#edintravel
"
Posted 8 years ago # -
Canal iced over at Polwarth.
Leamington walk had a few patches - especially on the bend - that looked icy.
Definite ice/puddle where Meadow Place meets SMW/LW
MMW well gritted.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"MMW well gritted."
But LW not as well gritted or not at all?
Posted 8 years ago # -
It looked like cat ice on much of the canal this morning despite the lack of cats testing it out. The towpath was frosty with a chance of ice here and there, but manageable with normal tyres.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Iced puddles on Leith Links and no grit, except for a heap of salt outside St Mary's. Frost in Inverleith Park and no grit. There appears to have been a removal of excess leaves on the Roseburn path yesterday, reducing the number of on-path puddles caused by miniature impromptu leaf-dams, though there were still some frozen puddles at the edge.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Came off on black ice this morning at junction of B980 / King Malcolm Drive Ferrytoll southbound.
Dunfermline salmon should pay special attention here later today.
Have asked for extra salt / grit for this new road surface.
Anyone got any suggestions for patching hole in roubaix tights around the knee area? I'm thinking some kind of iron-on fabric, inside?
Posted 8 years ago # -
I don't think the Barnton path was gritted at all today :(
Posted 8 years ago # -
Sorry to read this Bax. I have a near identical pair of semi winter tights with hole in the knee. I bought a new pair, I'm afraid.
Frosty this morning but happily not to much ice. I avoided the Blackhall path after a couple of large sheets of ice early on, in favour of Ferry Road. I had a late ride in, so missed most of the traffic.
I see the NEPN was devoid of any gritting.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Colleague of mine came down on her way in today too. no injuries, luckily.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I slept in this morning so needed to get the train in otherwise I would have ridden. Looked like a day for black ice and reports on here seem to confirm that. It's days like this I use Queensferry Road to get into town from Cramond as ironically, it's safer than risking untreated paths.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Funnily enough, I rode in this morning expecting the worst, and was surprised how ice-free it was. Yes, there was frost, but this was relatively grippy and nothing like the glaze/black ice that sometimes appears on the A90 path or around Cramond/Barnton that is so treacherous, as I know to my cost from previous winters. Even though the NEPN hadn't been gritted, I didn't experience even a hint of a slip.
I've now tempted fate for the return journey, of course :)
I wonder if the Marathon Supremes I've been running this year are significantly grippier than the Marathon Pluses I've used in previous winters, and this is enough to make the difference. I have a pair of 30mm studded tyres ready to go on, but am umming and ahhing about whether to fit them as they will add 1kg to my rotating mass and will not roll as well either. What would the CCE hive mind do?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@panyagua
I have a spare wheelset from an old bike with marathon winters already fitted.
Front wheel is readily swapped, but when I tried rear wheel swap on Monday, found the cassette limited me to 7th and 8th gears which made the hills a struggle.
Today have winter spikes on front wheel only and I was OK heading in Via Kirky/Newbridge. Think I will do that until it gets really icy.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Similarly my spikes are fitted to an old MTB which is rarely used for anything else. The downside is the panic at the first use of the season when the results of no maintenance are revealed. But it does give me the freedom to make the decision on the day.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@paddyirish
A spare wheelset probably would be the ideal solution. I do have a spare front but as that's the non-dynamo wheel the bike came with, I'd need to use battery lights. If I make it home unscathed today, I think I'll stick with the slicks tomorrow as conditions are likely to be similar. Otherwise I could try the front wheel compromise like yourself, unless it gets really icy.
@amir
I did use that solution last year and the year before, but unfortunately I found that shoving my MTB back in the shed without washing it down (excuse: dark and cold) tended to cause the entire salty drivetrain to seize up over the following week or so of non-use. When I saw the 700x30 spikes (to fit my normal commuter) at half price, I made an impulse buy...
Posted 8 years ago #
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