CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

dig out your snow tyres and your wooly vests

(429 posts)
  • Started 14 years ago by kaputnik
  • Latest reply from Arellcat

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  1. cb
    Member

    I was out in the car this morning - drove to my car share's house where we decided it wasn't worth it so I'm working at home again.

    Quite enjoy the challenge of driving in the snow, it was very slidy this morning (just after 7), especially with heavy hail and -3 temperatures.

    Followed a car for a while who had the usual pile of snow on the roof and hadn't even cleared the back window.

    Coming up Murieston Cres to turn right onto Dalry Road was interesting. A car had got stuck on the speed cushion so I hung well back until they had pushed it off to give myself space. When the road was clear I went, but the car behind me followed close behind. When I pulled out I looked back and saw that they were stuck.

    Got up Ardmillan and Harrison hills OK, but not a lot of traction.

    BMW blocking Colinton Road was dropping Watson's kids off. I was stuck behind him the rest of the way home, going very slowly. BMWs must be the worst cars in the world for driving on snow and ice.

    There was a cyclist behind us on Balcarres St who looked like he could have done with going faster than our 15mph.

    As I approached my house he was still behind me; I was going to need a bit of space to reverse into my drive past the snow mountains and didn't want to force him around me so, as the road was quiet, I pulled across to the other side and let him undertake me.

    Car back on the drive where it should probably stay.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    From Twitter

    @GdnEdinburgh retweeting @service13Edin

    "

    Sorry folks, the 13 bus has had to go home. It's too dangerous to keep the buses going along the side roads we travel along :(

    "

    (Not operated by LB)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. wee folding bike
    Member

    Cycled from Airdrie into Glasgow only to find that schools are all shut. I got there 5 mins after the decision had been made.

    Cycled back to Airdrie. Traffic was at a standstill in Coatbridge- Airdrie except me.

    Been to Morrisons for messages.

    Many waves, toots and thumbs up from people in cars.

    There was a guy at the end of the street with one of those silly 4x4 Porches last night. He was trying to get round the corner into his street and failing. Wee things like keeping wheels straight till you get moving, not using too much power and "Do you have a diff lock" didn't seem to work for him but he was complaining about how it was a 4 wheel drive and it should be able to do this.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Smudge
    Member

    Well yesterdays trip into work was a success but the trip home was a nightmare :-(
    I left work in plenty of time to get to the station in daylight, only to find that in the words of the Haymarket announcer they were running an "ad hoc service" and that if they were unable to get you where you were trying to get then "you're on your own"!!
    Can't fault him for honesty I suppose :-/

    Turns out "ad hoc" means random running/cancelled and only 3 car trains from Edinburgh to Glasgow (I can understand most of the problems, but 3 car trains are inexcusable, (as verified by a close friend who understands railway stuff;-)) they were turning away foot passengers let alone bicycles :-( it looked like film of the Japanese underground, I'm sure it's not a safe way to load trains :-<
    Anyway, this meant my only option apart from going back to work and sleeping there (not if I can help it!) was to cycle out to relatives near Currie, at least kingsknowe hill keeps you warm!
    Some time digging out their 4x4 to borrow followed ultimately (after a tricky journey) by digging a parking place to put it into here, meant a journey time of just over 4 hours...
    I'm not at work today...! (and not impressed by Scotrail!)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. spitfire
    Member

    we need a new poll, daily, how many made it in by bike

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. kaputnik
    Moderator

    how it was a 4 wheel drive and it should be able to do this.

    They have silly low-profile alloy wheels and road-legal slicks on, I take it?

    No point in all that power if you can't transmit it to the road and don't know how best to apply it.

    The 1/4hp cyclist succeeding where the 300hp porsches and BMWs fail demonstrate this beautifully.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. kaputnik
    Moderator

    "Motorists hit by more winter travel chaos" - It's like the whole "I'm in traffic" vs. "I am traffic" semantics. They aren't "hit by chaos", they "are the chaos".

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. wee folding bike
    Member

    The Porsche tyres had grooves running round the tread but no chunks. I suspect the tyres on my Volvo would do a better job. This happened here last year. If it's a regular thing I'm going to look for an old Defender.

    Do we have to have poll on who uses a bike for getting to work? I did cycle there but not by bike. Work was shut.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Well, Autosocks = awesome. We need a bike version...

    Fitted in two minutes, looked like they were squint, but true to the instructions they self-straightened. Took a quick trip round the block, set off slowly, but minimal slippage through DEEP snow (was scraping the underside of the car) tried one (quiet) corner faster than I would normally in those conditions (i.e. a little above walking pace) and it held, then did a wee brake test and the ABS felt no need to kick in.

    Very very impressed. Still, obviously, requires you not to drive like a loon, but means there should be less likelihood of getting stuck, and making it up hills etc.

    I desperately want to try them out on a hill and go sailing past a stuck Porsche Cayenne with its four wheel drive. I think I'l offer to pick Mel up from work... ;)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. cb
    Member

    Only trouble is the autosocks won't help if you get caught in stationary traffic...
    Good to here that they're working well though.

    Smudge, did he really say "you're on your own"?!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "Only trouble is the autosocks won't help if you get caught in stationary traffic..."

    In what way? If you have to fit them? True, but if it's stationary for long enough for the snow to build up around us then I'm not going anywhere fast anyway.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Should say as well, the way you put them on the top first then roll forward, the fabric catches pretty quickly, so you've only really got to be able to move about 3 inches before they start having an effect and you can then secure them all the way round.

    Obviously depends on the car as well I guess.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. Kirst
    Member

    Years ago my mum had a sticky blue rubbery fabric thing for providing extra grip for getting lids off jars. No idea what it was made of but I often think of it in slidey conditions.

    It's called dycem matting. I have a whole roll of it on a shelf in the stock room. Mwahahahahaha.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "I did cycle there but not by bike."

    See poll.

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1794

    "Work was shut."

    Apparently Glasgow decided/announced at 8.30 AM!!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. cb
    Member

    "In what way? If you have to fit them?"

    I was really just making the point that, it doesn't matter how good your car is and how good you are, there is still a risk that you'll get stuck due to traffic coming to a stand still.
    Happened to us on Sunday night approx here

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Min
    Member

    "In what way? If you have to fit them? True, but if it's stationary for long enough for the snow to build up around us then I'm not going anywhere fast anyway. "

    I think he means that if everyone else is stuck in front of you then you are stuck too, socks or no socks. Glad they worked well though and weren't too difficult to fit.

    Edit-and I was right!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. Smudge
    Member

    @cb
    Yup, that's a direct quote. I was quite impressed, much more honest than the usual bland non-statements :-)

    Just been out in the back garden, snow thigh deep :-o
    Time for lunch then I'll go back out and guy my radio antenna that I had to put up before it was crushed by the weight of the snow :-/
    Our pussycat is not impressed by current weather!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. steveo
    Member

    hehe, my cat was fine till i threw some bread out for the birds... She doesn't like birds even the little ones. When she sees the big crows i think in her head she seesa t-rex

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    From Twitter

    "
    Here's why the bridge is shut. Would you drive over that? RT @forthroadbridge:

    http://twitpic.com/3bvfec

    "

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. wee folding bike
    Member

    I was there before 0830 and the memsahib said she heard it just after 0800. There were a few kids but not more than half a dozen.

    North Lanarkshire had declared earlier, the guy next door told me when he was looking at his car in the snow.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Would you drive over that?

    Some people did. And crashed. And blocked the gritters and ploughs from clearing it...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    From Twitter

    "
    Edinburgh_CC: We've up to 300 staff working on salting and snow clearing, and significant numbers of extra staff are to be allocated soon
    "

    SOON??!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    Forth Road Bridge reopens.

    'Closed for first time in living memory'.

    'Fife Police criticised motorists who ignored road closed signs and tries to get onto crossing'.

    "M8 traffic crawling all the way from Hermiston Gate to Newhouse."

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "I was really just making the point that, it doesn't matter how good your car is and how good you are, there is still a risk that you'll get stuck due to traffic coming to a stand still."

    Ah, gotcha.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. PS
    Member

    'Closed for first time in living memory'.

    Wasn't it built within living memory? So they could just say "it's the first time it's been shut by snow"...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. kaputnik
    Moderator

    We've up to 300 staff

    up to? That could mean 5 staff...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. chdot
    Admin

    From Twitter

    "
    @BCCletts:

    Check out

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Widget
    .
    - especially 00.25 and 00.31 to see how Danish clear fresh fallen snow fast to stop it packing solid
    "
    Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/BCCletts/status/10009697893486592

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. gembo
    Member

    Forth Road Bridge closed loads of times due to wind, this is first time closed by snow

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. chdot
    Admin

    "Scotland gripped by the worst winter in 45 years"

    http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Scotland-gripped-by-the-worst.6647107.jp

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    Lothian and Borders

    "
    Heavy Snow 1000 Thu 2 1800 Thu 2
    Snow showers will continue today with still some on the heavy side. This will give further accumulations of 2 to 5cm with up to 10cm over high ground.

    The public are advised to take extra care and refer to Traffic Scotland for further advice on road conditions.

    Issued at: 0801 Thu 2 Dec

    "

    http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/dg/dg_forecast_warnings.html

    Posted 13 years ago #

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