I came off this morning on ice at the bottom of the Roseburn. Very odd - I was convinced it must have been diesel but close inspection revealed frozen water to be the culprit.
Careful folks!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
Ice! (Mon 7th)
(45 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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"bottom of the Roseburn"
Where?
Posted 13 years ago # -
Is your bike okay? Were you hurt? (note order)
Posted 13 years ago # -
@chdot - literally at the bottom. I came down about two feet after leaving the path (you turn left onto Lindsay rd T junction, then I turn right on the main road to go to Ocean Terminal). My handlebars went left but the wheels went right.
@amir - it was no big deal. At least my battered hardtail is good at hitting the ground!
Is making me think a little harder about those studded tyres though. Hmm...
Posted 13 years ago # -
Pedestrians on the high ground the meadows/bruntsfield links paths were definitely watching their feet carefully. I felt okay on the bike.
(no evidence of gritting)
Posted 13 years ago # -
I tip-toed most of the way. I seem to have developed an incredibly cautious style as soon as the roads are anything but bone-dry. Not sure if it's for the best or not.
Strangely on Thursday night heading home I turned out of a junction after being stopped and just as I put the power down the back wheel went over some wet leaves - cue massive fishtail. Somehow stayed upright and moving forwards and rode away thinking 'I wish there had been a rider behind with a headcam'.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I was riding west from Dunfermline yesterday and there was a very heavy frost even by midday.
My commute's usual frost hollow was in action today so I walked my bike. Be nice if Yaktrax could be made compatible with SPDs.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Innocent was very icy. I only have one studded tyre on (at the front, I was going to run in first one then the other but I might just go ahead and fit the other on the back now) but it still made me feel a bit more secure. There was ice on the Silverknowes section of the north Ed bike path yesterday morning too.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I'm skint just now, and will be for another two weeks - hoping TBC still has some studded tyres and white 'guards by the time I can afford it. Wonder if they'll put aside for me...
Posted 13 years ago # -
Try Anth, they might.
I bought some Schwabe Snow Tyres last week and put them on last night when I rode to the pub. I'm glad now as I rode in this morning and it was quite cold. In a few exposed places where the sun had not yet shone on and where it was wet and exposed it was frozen. I must have called out to 6-7 people about various sections.
Barnton Ave on Route 1 at the top of the hill is frozen.
Cycle path, north Edinburgh cirlce line behind old BAE Systems - just north of the red bridge has ice.
5 ways junction north of TBC & Tesco is icy.
Generally any where not covered by trees, high up and sheilded from the Sun and wet can be icy.
Strangley the metal surface on the FRB is either icy (with non slip paint) or covered in chunks of white salt.Take care out there folks. Please warn other cyclists where appropriate.
Dave C
Posted 13 years ago # -
I had coxwean in tow so was being fairly careful but from leith to stockbridge was okay then on the road the rest of the way was fine. RBS salt their paths in recognition of a lot of people walking from Ingliston P&R, couldn't tell if bits were wet shiny or slidy shiny, was the former though thankfully.
Gorgeous, gorgeous morning though.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Shadows of roundabouts felt a bit slippy. I'd forgotten Abbeyhill was going to be closed on weekdays from the 4th (and hadn't yet checked out how closed closed is) so tried Regent Road, where it felt like the shadowed side of all the little ruts where the buses park were a bit slidey.
Posted 13 years ago # -
By contrast tomorrow!
http://m.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Scotland/Edinburgh/hour_by_hour_tomorrow.html
Posted 13 years ago # -
Plenty frost on the roundabouts at South Gyle and on path/road at South Gyle station. Scotrail don't bother salting / gritting here.
Posted 13 years ago # -
They do the ramps to and the platforms, but not sure about the roads passing the stations.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I went along the Innocent at about 9 and there was no proper ice but still a very thick frost. This morning was the first time it's been so cold in the morning that I could see my breath. Clearly neither me nor the bike liked it - my commute to work usually takes less than 15 minutes but it was over 18 today.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I was out at 0330 for work
I was taking the turns quite gingerly
My commute is Duddingston to the Gyle
Am I taking my life in my hands with the Gatorskins?Posted 13 years ago # -
What are Gatorskins? Are they snow/ice tyres? or slicks?
Posted 13 years ago # -
yeah nothing winterised
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-ultra-gatorskin-mountain-bike-tyre/
Posted 13 years ago # -
"Am I taking my life in my hands with the Gatorskins?"
Probably depends more on the ice than the tyres.
Smooth sheet ice will do for most studless rubber.
Some icyness esp. crushed snow (not the polished by over-revved cars version) can be reasonably grippy (it's all relative).
Paradoxically thin high pressure tyres can be better on thin layers of ice on tarmac.
Smooth riding in a straight line without leaning helps, but...
But black ice on a sharp bend in the early hours before the gritters are out, hard to beat.
Perhaps you need a person with a red flag and a bucket of grit in front of you.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Blimey, they are slick.....
Posted 13 years ago # -
What are Gatorskins?
Slicks with a vectran breaker belt, by Continental. Come in a range of flavours (Gatorksin Ultra, Gatorskin Hardshell). Fairly lightweight and aimed at people doing commuting or winter training or other long-distance, on-road cycling on skinny-ish tyres. They are fairly ubiquitous as winter tyres with road cyclists.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I'm in 'oldManMood' when I go round bends on the bike atm. I have studs but still haven't built up enough confidence. Hoping it doesn't freeze this evening on the way home.
Posted 13 years ago # -
By the way the freezing fog is very thick at the Gyle, can hardly see the street below from the 2nd floor. Is it like that in town?
Posted 13 years ago # -
Nup. I can see chimbley-pots on Shandwickplatz and the pointy bits of that big church/cathedral thing through the windows to the north-east.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Nah we can see a mile or so from St Andrew Sq, above the bus st.
Posted 13 years ago # -
This was a few minutes ago
Hills no longer visible.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Passed someone on our stairs taking pictures of mist creeping in from south earlier. Quite pretty. Now just ugly grey bank of fog.
Posted 13 years ago # -
@chdot, nice photo, were you levitating ??
Posted 13 years ago #
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