CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News

2012 Snowday - Number 1

(70 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by kaputnik
  • Latest reply from wee folding bike

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  1. Uberuce
    Member

    34 here and my first experience of riding slicks on ice was Saturday. Coming back from LaidBack's place with an ICE trike box on the trailer, so I was on the roads until Harrison Park, where my back wheel slipped mightily, although since I was going in a straight line it wasn't a fuss.

    Last year I had the studlies on before the ice came, same as this one. I like it better the Rice Krispie way.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  2. Smudge
    Member

    My viewpoint is that spikies are not just a benefit the few times it snows, they are giving me peace of mind on every morning that the temp is hovering near zero and there is a risk of ice. In that sense, I reap the benefit of them almost all the way through the winter.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  3. Snowy
    Member

    Firstly thanks to @thebikechain - I collected my pair of Marathon Winters on Friday and fitted them last night to the Boardman hardtail. And, am I glad.

    The canal path this morning was slush progressing to ice the further west I went.

    In Wester Hailes, the chap behind me slid and went down heavily at an under-bridge bend. He said he'd already been knocked off his bike earlier, at Tollcross, so he wasn't having the best day. He now thought he had broken his wrist. I suggested he lock his bike up and get a taxi but he said he had an exam to get to, and pedalled off, one-handed! Top marks for perseverance...maybe not so much for common sense. Hope he made it.

    The new tarmac from Edinburgh Park platform down to the underpass was highly treacherous with lots of choppy slush. 3 cyclists walking gingerly down the side. The Schwalbes also seem great in that sort of stuff, if the pace is sensible.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  4. stiltskin
    Member

    Also don't forget that studded tyres can last for several years. My tyres have lasted for four years so far & you need to factor that when you consider cost. I think they are one of the best things I have ever bought for a commuting bike.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  5. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Aye, fair enough if you don't have confidence, experience then they could be useful if you are determined to cycle every day (I'm not, but I know some people are / have to / have no other alternative etc).

    And yes, I'm likely to come a cropper going down the hill at the Barnton Golf course on the way home tonight...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  6. SRD
    Moderator

    hmmm...I consider myself pretty experienced and confident, but I still value the peace of mind that studs bring. No amount of confidence etc will help you if you slide on a bit of ice and break a wrist or ankle. And given the logistics of my family and work, even such a small incident would be a disaster.

    Or maybe I'm just pain-averse. I slipped last year, didn't break anything, but was in pain for weeks.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    "maybe I'm just pain-averse"

    Sensible!

    Posted 11 years ago #
  8. crowriver
    Member

    Was out yesterday evening with my son on the tandem: lots of ice on the path on Bruntsfield Links (avoided on way back), big patches of frozen puddles on the roads in Morningside. North Meadow Walk also very icy. Could dodge most of it, but was glad of the very grippy ballooon tyres.

    Woken by my daughter at 3am and we looked out of the window upon the snow: a light sprinkling as though a very big sieve full of icing sugar had been tapped across Abbeyhill. Gone by the morning.

    Will be fitting the snow tyres wheelset to the Globe hybrid today for their third winter. 47mm means they fit under the mudguards.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  9. chrisfl
    Member

    The route along the canal this morning wasn't too bad, I need to drop my wee boy off at his childminders just after the Aqueduct, but rather than rejoin the canal I took the roads across to Edinburgh Park, and they were fine.

    I'm currently feeling very tempted to get a pair of studded tires.

    Forcast is for the temperature to get up to 5°C today so hopefully the worst of it will have melted.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  10. wingpig
    Member

    I've been extremely cautious since I went off sideways onto my chin on a patch of frosty oil on the Mound eight years ago. Prior to that I was merely very cautious. I went a few days without the (700*23) bike in the big snows two years ago when even the main roads were icily-rutted but shall try with semi-slicks on the 700*35 spare this year, as going for winter tyres would delay being able to Dynamodify the spare for a couple of months. My bare-minimum walk-to-work is only just over three miles so I don't have any alternative transport costs against which to offset the £70 for a set of studs.

    Being on the upright 80psi-35mm-tyred spare in the frost yesterday felt quite secure, possibly aided by an extra 14kg of mostly-sleeping rear wheel grip-pressure, so I'll see what it's like in slush and ice before looking under the mudguards to see if spikes would fit. If need be I can borrow my dad's spare (Stepdoh's old flat-barred semi-slicked thing), which has slightly fatter tyres again.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  11. fimm
    Member

    WRT winter tyres on cars - in some places in Europe (e.g. Austria) they are compulsory during the winter months. They have a lot more snow than we do, of course.

    I saw some photos of winter cycling in Copenhagen (I think) where of course they just get on with it... but then I think they tend to have more snow and less ice if that makes sense and proper snow is more grippy than ice or the wet slush we often get here...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  12. Dave
    Member

    My viewpoint is that spikies are not just a benefit the few times it snows, they are giving me peace of mind on every morning that the temp is hovering near zero and there is a risk of ice. In that sense, I reap the benefit of them almost all the way through the winter.

    +1 from me too. However good you are at handling a bike (and I think I'm reasonably good) it's hard to see more grip as a disadvantage. Could hardly walk out of the estate on Sat to the corner shop, never mind ride.

    Also, it's all well and good riding gingerly until someone *else* does something for which a light feathering of the back brake just won't do.

    Funnily enough the main thing I thought would annoy me (that they are a bit slower) doesn't at all - it's just extra fun overtaking people climbing up into town...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    "it's just extra fun overtaking people climbing up into town"

    I especially like cycling up the top end of Dundas Street/Q. St. Gardens - on ordinary tyres -after a bit of snow when motor vehicles can't manage!

    Posted 11 years ago #
  14. amir
    Member

    I've had enough falls on ice and am plenty old enough not to want to repeat that. I don't yet have spikes, despite commuting in from outside the city. The main reasons are:

    - cost vs benefit: the number of days when they are needed has been low in most years recently. The main road to work is usually well gritted.

    - if the roads are icy, I'd rather not be on then because of the danger from other vehicles that do not have spikes.

    - I'd have to get my old mtb up and running. None of my other bikes have sufficient clearance.

    I have been successfully avoided ice so far this year by being crocked, being away or, as currently, by having the flu (not recommended)

    Posted 11 years ago #
  15. DaveC
    Member

    I have Schwabe Snow tyres (2 rows of spikes instead of the usual 4, on very knobbly tyres) on my CX (700x37). I just swap over and keep them on as I can't be bothered changing weekly depending on the forcast. I just pop them on in November and take them off when the roads start to dry out after winter. They help with the sludge that are leaves in late Autumn, as well as peace of mind on ice, slush. I try to keep off roads as much as possible and use cycle paths instead, as is my personal preference not liking mixing with motor vehicles in town. I've not have any misshaps so far on them and they are just into their 2nd winter. I got them cheap from The Bike Chain in a sale.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  16. deckard112
    Member

    Have been out on the bike all weekend and loved every minute. Down at Glentress on Saturday which had had a few inches of snow, great fun in that lot. Then out on the roadie yesterday although now thinking I need to get winter training tyres after an 'off' on black ice coming through Queensferry. Scary much?

    As for communting I must admit to using main roads in this weather over paths simply due to higher use by other vehicles and salting/gritting which usually means for a far grippier surface.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  17. Nelly
    Member

    I listened to Arellcat and Uberuce reasoning on the Marathon Winters, and used them for the first time in anger today. Fitted to my Genesis Day01 CX, and with some fettling are under the mudguards - they are not coming off until Dave C tells me its Spring !!

    I leave early (6.30ish) which can mean side roads can be icy/slushy.

    I had my hip done last year, and it would be an absolute disaster if I came off and dislocated/broke it.

    So - to me - while the cost is not irrelevant - it is worth it and more.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  18. Darkerside
    Member

    'if the roads are icy, I'd rather not be on then because of the danger from other vehicles that do not have spikes.'

    That was the cause behind the only day two winters ago I ended up walking the bike. Sudden snow fall, and cars sliding all over the place. I was fine, but it's not much consolation when two tonne of metal glides into you.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  19. sallyhinch
    Member

    Someone's just posted the following on my blog http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/11/18/bike-spikes-by-cesar-van-rongen-look-to-add-snow-chains-studs-to-your-ride/

    easily attachable/detachable snow chains for your bike. Thoughts?

    Posted 11 years ago #
  20. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @sally they look like a very elegant solution, if issues of rolling off can be avoided, they would be great. I guess you could let some air out of the tyre, tighten them as best you could then put some more air back in the tyre to really lock them in place.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  21. cc
    Member

    @sallyhinch reminds me of an idea I saw - maybe on copenhagenize? - a year or two ago: if your bike has hub brakes, just tie a cable-tie around the rim & tyre every inch or two all the way round the wheel. Said to be good for snow. Not sure how good it would be for lateral movement on ice though.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  22. Darkerside
    Member

    And really dire news if you had to change the tube...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  23. Bruce
    Member

    Has anyone tried to put zip ties on tires, does it work

    Posted 11 years ago #
  24. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @Bruce not if you want to stop with rim brakes, no ;)

    Posted 11 years ago #
  25. Bruce
    Member

    @kaputnik

    disc brakes here so it might be worth a bash, I need new tyres anyway as current ones are starting to split in places.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  26. Uberuce
    Member

    Pretty sure LaidBack has used cable ties on one of his devices.

    Posted 11 years ago #
  27. crowriver
    Member

    Sorry, the Schwalbe Snow Studs are 700x38, like a cyclocross tyre, not 47. What was I thinking of?

    Anyway I'm now roving around on a bed of rice krispies on my errands...

    Posted 11 years ago #
  28. Smudge
    Member

    Sleet/Snow in Colinton now...

    Edit, now snow proper!

    Posted 11 years ago #
  29. kaputnik
    Moderator

    It was sleeting lightly in Marchmont a while back, so I barred the shutters and drew the curtains, dunno what it's up to now!

    Posted 11 years ago #
  30. steveo
    Member

    Looks like its merely raining now, at least in civilization.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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