Riding on Icy Days

[SimonHutt]

The short days and bad conditions are certainly back. Last week I suffered on some black ice, and came off the bike for the first time this season (couple of tumbles last year).

Short of mountain biking body armour - which as a fifty-something cycle-commuter seems a bit excessive - is there any clothing or equipment out there that can alleviate the impact of body on tarmac?

Haven't seen anything myself, so am currently thinking of keeping an eye on the weather forecast and abandoning the bike on sub-zero days.

Any advice?

 

[eTim]

The short days and bad conditions are certainly back. Last week I suffered on some black ice, and came off the bike for the first time this season (couple of tumbles last year).

Short of mountain biking body armour - which as a fifty-something cycle-commuter seems a bit excessive - is there any clothing or equipment out there that can alleviate the impact of body on tarmac?

Haven't seen anything myself, so am currently thinking of keeping an eye on the weather forecast and abandoning the bike on sub-zero days.

Any advice?

Personally, I would say that abandoning the bike on icy days is a good idea, suffering an injury could put you out of action for weeks and months.

However, as a motorcyclist, I wear textile clothing with built in (lightweight) armour, the armour is removable and exists at impact areas such as knees elbows and back. Both jackets and trousers are usually waterproof and warm with removable thermal liners, not bulky, can be worn over work gear (shirt and trousers) and may have high vis incorporated into the clothing. I wear Rukka gear on the motorbike which is top of the range very expensive goretex etc and would be overkill on a cycle anyway, but there is a lot of choice out there at much cheaper prices so I would have thought that there would be something suitable, go and check out the motorbike shops, then look for it on ebay.

 

[Mussels]

Any advice?

Winter tyres help a huge amount. Last year I got studded tyres after a few falls and I didn't have a single fall after that. This year I've gone for micro studs in the Conti Top Contact winters, they are a much better ride than the normal studs but I have yet to test them on ice as I'm not filled with confidence.

Worked great last winter as I was one of a very few people who were moving after the roads and trains came to a standstill, riding along next to people skiing was a bit surreal.

 

[Northern Irelander]

Good topic of discussion

Something that affects all of us in temperate climates (some more than others)

I don't think it's as simple as leaving the bike at home on icy days,

public transport sucks and is too expensive
taking the car isn't practical and parking charges are extortionate

I have been looking at studded tyres, they're not exactly cheap and very heavy knobbly type.

So I might make some studs on semi slicks, discrete with enough friction for ice and tarmac

 

[Mussels]

Good topic of discussion

Something that affects all of us in temperate climates (some more than others)

I don't think it's as simple as leaving the bike at home on icey days,

public transport sucks and is too expensive
taking the car isn't practical and parking charges are extortionate

I have been looking at studded tyres, they're not exactly cheap and very heavy knobbly type.

So I might make some studs on semi slicks, discrete with enough friction for ice and tarmac

Schwalbe Marathon winters are not knobbly and the TopContact winters I have now feel like normal tyres.

 

[Northern Irelander]

Winter tyres help a huge amount. Last year I got studded tyres after a few falls and I didn't have a single fall after that. This year I've gone for micro studs in the Conti Top Contact winters, they are a much better ride than the normal studs but I have yet to test them on ice as I'm not filled with confidence.

Worked great last winter as I was one of a very few people who were moving after the roads and trains came to a standstill, riding along next to people skiing was a bit surreal.

Have you a link to these, I can only find the standard Conti Top Contact, no studs in them???

 

[Northern Irelander]

Schwalbe Marathon winters are not knobbly and the TopContact winters I have now feel like normal tyres.

The Marathon winters look good, but still expensive for what is only a bicycle tyre...............you can buy a car tyre for that price (wouldn't fit 26" wheel though )

If they had the centre rows of studs just spaced slightly further apart it would mean no road noise at high pressure......but just at the right angle if camber of the wheel starts to slip under icy conditions.

There is also the issue of changing tyres with ease and speed, a ehub doesn't help either of these issues. To use these everyday over the winter would wear the studs in one season, not good value for money IMHO

I have been thinking about snow/ice chains, just fit them when needed over the tyre, remove on milder days

 

[eTim]

I have been thinking about snow/ice chains, just fit them when needed over the tyre, remove on milder days

Snow chains on a bicycle

 

[Northern Irelander]

Snow chains on a bicycle

Yes why not, you can get small gauge stainless steel chain for a reasonable price, lots of marine/boating supplies out there to supply the open/close carabiner type links, tension and clearance around the wheel wouldn't be too bad.

again, these would only be used in the worst weather conditions

 

[Straylight]

Have you a link to these, I can only find the standard Conti Top Contact, no studs in them???

Continental Top Contact Winter | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

 

[Northern Irelander]

Continental Top Contact Winter | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

Thanks, I wonder if they will do me some discount being a local lad

I don't see any studs, but going by the spec it appears to be in the polymer technology.

I would have to try them and test on ice.

Biking on ice..............now there's a reality TV show

 

[Mussels]

Thanks, I wonder if they will do me some discount being a local lad

I don't see any studs, but going by the spec it appears to be in the polymer technology.

I would have to try them and test on ice.

Biking on ice..............now there's a reality TV show

You can't see any of them on a new tyre but after a days riding they show through and look like lots of bits of black glass stuck in the wheel, I picked out loads of them before I realised they weren't pieces of broken beer bottle.

 

[SimonHutt]

Thanks for your responses. I may try and source the Conti's to use as a winter tyre. I think my Agattu is a 700c, which at first Googling seems hard to find in the UK.

Failing that it will be back to sharing the car on bad days!

 

[eddieo]

I posted it on another thread but probably more suited to this one. zip through the boring bits. Chap uses innova snow tyres with interchangeable studs

YouTube - Winter Action Riding on electric bike

 

[barrycoll]

may I just suggest to members NOT to come off on black ice if at all possible...this time last year I did just that, at the end of a 30\= mile run out in Herts,,,a fine day, but cold, with a lot of other ccylist seen....mate and I had had just fifnished a late lunch, and were pushing on back to the car, when around a gentle bend we both go down like synchronised swimmers....I came out badly, landing on the side of my face (no helmet, just a warm beany), broke my specs, knocked myself out for a few minutes...after which I discovered that the handlebar ends had landed on the little finger of my right hand, and broken it...some enormous bloody holes in my 'bodywork' that I have no idea how it happened, and generally pretty broken, with blood everywhere....
my mate didnt have a scratch on him!!

my wife was not best pleased when she saw me!...
as for studded tyres??...

be careful everybody

cheers barry c.

 

[Northern Irelander]

I posted it on another thread but probably more suited to this one. zip through the boring bits. Chap uses innova snow tyres with interchangeable studs

YouTube - Winter Action Riding on electric bike

Nice!

Or should I say awesome!

The tyres looked pretty standard knobblies, but he was going for it, good adrenaline rush.

I used to do a bit of motocross, nice to see he had the leg out when cornering and shifting his weight up front, but 72 V thats gotta be something special.

 

[Northern Irelander]

You can't see any of them on a new tyre but after a days riding they show through and look like lots of bits of black glass stuck in the wheel, I picked out loads of them before I realised they weren't pieces of broken beer bottle.

Interesting, what part of the tread does the grippy stuff appear?

Does it require kneeling over round corners to run in the full tread/sidewall ,

 

[eddieo]

Nice!

Or should I say awesome!

The tyres looked pretty standard knobblies, but he was going for it, good adrenaline rush.

I used to do a bit of motocross, nice to see he had the leg out when cornering and shifting his weight up front, but 72 V thats gotta be something special.

here is another showing the swarbe winter tyre:

YouTube - Winter cycling basics

If you put "cycling in the snow and ice" on you tube you get some interesting stuff. some guys going over a frozen lake that looks very hairy to me..........

 

[jkirkebo]

There is also the issue of changing tyres with ease and speed, a ehub doesn't help either of these issues. To use these everyday over the winter would wear the studs in one season, not good value for money IMHO

No problem with the more heavy duty tyres at least. My Nokian WXC 300's see about 1000 miles each winter, more than half on tarmac. They're still going strong on their 4th year now, studs are still sharp. I'm usually going around 22mph on my modified Ezee Forza and take corners pretty hard.

 

[Northern Irelander]

may I just suggest to members NOT to come off on black ice if at all possible...this time last year I did just that, at the end of a 30\= mile run out in Herts,,,a fine day, but cold, with a lot of other ccylist seen....mate and I had had just fifnished a late lunch, and were pushing on back to the car, when around a gentle bend we both go down like synchronised swimmers....I came out badly, landing on the side of my face (no helmet, just a warm beany), broke my specs, knocked myself out for a few minutes...after which I discovered that the handlebar ends had landed on the little finger of my right hand, and broken it...some enormous bloody holes in my 'bodywork' that I have no idea how it happened, and generally pretty broken, with blood everywhere....
my mate didnt have a scratch on him!!

my wife was not best pleased when she saw me!...
as for studded tyres??...

be careful everybody

cheers barry c.

Sorry to hear of your nasty tumble. It knocks the confidence out of you. But as they say, you dust yourself off and get back up again.
I've never used bar ends myself they can be lethal.

did you have studs on at the time?

For winter cornering, I go easy in and hard out, with saddle well down, but you can never be too careful.