Discussion
I'm planning a longish trip to visit some friends in the run up to Christmas.
My strong preference is to take the bike and as long as overnight temps are above zero and there's no snow etc, I will do so.
If the weather remains similar to yesterday / today (sub-zero but dry) at the time I'm planning to travel, I'm not at all sure whether travelling on the bike is perfectly sensible or incredibly foolhardy.
Some extra info for context:
I'll be taking B roads as much as possible, some / most of which won't have been gritted.
Assume 'sensible' riding style and awareness of importance of smoothness in lower grip conditions etc
Taking the car is an option, taking the bike would be out of choice rather than necessity
What are your experiences of riding cross-country when the weather's like this - absolutely fine as long as you're sensible or avoid like the plague, you'll definitely die?
Thanks
My strong preference is to take the bike and as long as overnight temps are above zero and there's no snow etc, I will do so.
If the weather remains similar to yesterday / today (sub-zero but dry) at the time I'm planning to travel, I'm not at all sure whether travelling on the bike is perfectly sensible or incredibly foolhardy.
Some extra info for context:
I'll be taking B roads as much as possible, some / most of which won't have been gritted.
Assume 'sensible' riding style and awareness of importance of smoothness in lower grip conditions etc
Taking the car is an option, taking the bike would be out of choice rather than necessity
What are your experiences of riding cross-country when the weather's like this - absolutely fine as long as you're sensible or avoid like the plague, you'll definitely die?
Thanks
Fullook said:
I'll be taking B roads as much as possible, some / most of which won't have been gritted.
Ice and bikes don't mix. I used to cycle in all weathers and had quite a few crashes on ice that was invisible and I thought shouldn't even be there.If there is ice on car windscreens in the morning I wouldn't volunteer to go out on two wheels.
Fair weather rider here, so from my perspective, I think you're mad! Even if it's above freezing overnight, there's no 100% reliable way to be sure the conditions will stay favourable. You could say that at any time of year, but when it's already close to zero, it only takes a small change for the worse and you might find yourself stranded. Couple that with train strikes and I'd be taking the car.
I used to be an all weather biker and it's perfectly doable in most conditions.
My advice would be not to stick to B roads because they're unlikely to have been gritted. Even when temperatures are above freezing there can still be patches that are frozen. When I was commuting, I road out of my house and in less than a mile the temperature consistently dropped 2 degrees. Another 3 miles further on and the temperature was consistently 2 degrees warmer than home. That's a 4 degree variation in less than 4 miles.
If it's not snowing/sleeting then riding in sub zero temperatures on gritted roads is pretty straight forward with no significant increase in risk.
All that said, I'd now take the car!
My advice would be not to stick to B roads because they're unlikely to have been gritted. Even when temperatures are above freezing there can still be patches that are frozen. When I was commuting, I road out of my house and in less than a mile the temperature consistently dropped 2 degrees. Another 3 miles further on and the temperature was consistently 2 degrees warmer than home. That's a 4 degree variation in less than 4 miles.
If it's not snowing/sleeting then riding in sub zero temperatures on gritted roads is pretty straight forward with no significant increase in risk.
All that said, I'd now take the car!
I'm an all weather, all conditions biker - but at this time of year I'd avoid ungritted B roads as much as possible as there are just too many invisible ice patches, slippy leaves, and general winter crud all over the place to be anywhere near enjoyable.
Even some large A roads are grim this time of year so you do need to keep your eyes open. If you're geared up and capable of winter riding then it could be fun on the right route, even avoiding the B roads. But if you dont have decent warm gear, or confidence in s
tty conditions I'd say take the car.
You also don't mention roughly where you are and where you are riding to: winter conditions in the south east are very different than those for our haggis eating chums up north or wind blasted chaps in the south west!
Even some large A roads are grim this time of year so you do need to keep your eyes open. If you're geared up and capable of winter riding then it could be fun on the right route, even avoiding the B roads. But if you dont have decent warm gear, or confidence in s
tty conditions I'd say take the car.You also don't mention roughly where you are and where you are riding to: winter conditions in the south east are very different than those for our haggis eating chums up north or wind blasted chaps in the south west!
perfectly sensible with the right kit and acceptance that it is tiring and its worth adding a bit on journey time to stop for refreshment
though id avoid lots of coffee as it can go straight through and you just constantly need a slash
plus that purple brand and the green brand taste crap particularly from forecourt vending machines
why anyone wants that crap is beyond me
though id avoid lots of coffee as it can go straight through and you just constantly need a slash
plus that purple brand and the green brand taste crap particularly from forecourt vending machines
why anyone wants that crap is beyond me
Mate, if its a B roads trip, not on your nelly, I regularly commute through winter and once temps get below about 4-5 degrees then its a main roads commute, heated gloves and layers, its c45 minutes each way, but regularly a 90 minute journey once a week out of London back to Reading ....
Former all-weather biker here. Nowadays anything below 10 degrees or so I wouldn’t bother unless I absolutely have to. Heated clothing is great, but even with a good textile suit it’s still unpleasant.
The B roads won’t be gritted, so highly likely to be frosty and icy, and the A roads will be covered in that slimy gritty smeary crap that covers you in dirt and erodes anything metal on your bike.
The B roads won’t be gritted, so highly likely to be frosty and icy, and the A roads will be covered in that slimy gritty smeary crap that covers you in dirt and erodes anything metal on your bike.
I agree with the others, if it's icy it's an unnecessary risk
That said every year we do an Icebreaker run with my off-road group
Didn't think much of it when I agreed to go but in the morning the roads between the green lanes were white with heavy frost
Shockingly none of us came off, I'm not sure how knobbly tyres and frosty tarmac wasn't a disaster
That said every year we do an Icebreaker run with my off-road group
Didn't think much of it when I agreed to go but in the morning the roads between the green lanes were white with heavy frost
Shockingly none of us came off, I'm not sure how knobbly tyres and frosty tarmac wasn't a disaster
Steve_H80 said:
Ungritted roads might have black ice early in the day and any water on the road is likely to be frozen solid all day.
I wouldn't be riding in that.
Pretty much this. I used to ride in all weathers when I was younger. For years. My favourite trip was around 2003 when the M1 froze because they couldn’t get the gritters out in time. Riding in the middle lane in top gear at 30mph, couldn’t accelerate without the back wheel spinning, couldn’t brake or change direction or I would have been off. I was terrified and if I had come off I would have been run over. I got to within 100 yds of my house I came off on black ice, smashed my fairing and sprained my wrist. I almost walked home and left it there in the road. Some kind soul stopped and helped me pick it up from the road which was like glass. There’s no way you’ll stay up on ice, and there will be no warning. Very different if it’s been gritted of course. To be honest, I’d take the car.I wouldn't be riding in that.
No way. The roads are so dangerous today after sleet and snow freezing. I drove to nursery to collect my son because the pavements are like sheet ice and the roads were hardly better.
I’m not sure I’ve of made it on the bike (obviously wouldn’t put my two year old on) without coming off.
I’m not sure I’ve of made it on the bike (obviously wouldn’t put my two year old on) without coming off.
Everything will be great right up until the point your sliding your arse down the road. It’s not just ice or snow though , even if you get a good sunny day the sun is so low in the sky at this time of year it not only blinds you but drivers exiting junctions or even that blinding you get from behind in wing mirrors. Horrible time of year for driving a car let alone jumping on a bike. Roll on spring and summer I fking hate winter.
king hate winter. I agree with everything else said in this thread. Personally, I’m happy to ride on main roads which have been treated, but I’d stay away from untreated B roads.
In sub zero temps, salt on its own isn’t enough, it needs traffic to drive over it & squish it into a brine mix with the frozen moisture on the road surface, so a freshly salted road can be just as risky as an unsalted one. Look for a wet-looking sheen across the whole road & it should be ok.
It’s worth noting a couple of other points. Firstly, salt does nothing to frozen puddles (black ice), so avoid anything that looks like a puddle or standing water & stay out of areas close to the nearside. Secondly, salt works by reducing the freezing point of water, but it’s only effective down to about -7°C. If temperatures are lower than -7, the salt is unlikely to be effective. Any dashboard temperature guages will measure air temperature, but the road temperature can be 2-3 degrees colder, so always subtract a couple of degrees before deciding whether to ride.
In sub zero temps, salt on its own isn’t enough, it needs traffic to drive over it & squish it into a brine mix with the frozen moisture on the road surface, so a freshly salted road can be just as risky as an unsalted one. Look for a wet-looking sheen across the whole road & it should be ok.
It’s worth noting a couple of other points. Firstly, salt does nothing to frozen puddles (black ice), so avoid anything that looks like a puddle or standing water & stay out of areas close to the nearside. Secondly, salt works by reducing the freezing point of water, but it’s only effective down to about -7°C. If temperatures are lower than -7, the salt is unlikely to be effective. Any dashboard temperature guages will measure air temperature, but the road temperature can be 2-3 degrees colder, so always subtract a couple of degrees before deciding whether to ride.
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