Icy :(

[Tony W]

Went for a lovely ride today. But one particular stretch was black ice hell. Suddenly the back wheel
left and I was cuddling icy tarmac. No warning, no suspicion that bit was any worse than anywhere
else -- just Wham!!

No damage (well slight cut on the knee but nothing to worry about).

Walked most of the next couple of miles until I got to a more heavily used bit of road -- and then
took a nice bit of cycle path home.

Lesson -- however bright & sunny beware of the ice

Still -- an enjoyable ride nonetheless.

T

 

[Simon Mason]

"Tony W" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Went for a lovely ride today. But one particular stretch was black ice hell. Suddenly the back
> wheel left and I was cuddling icy tarmac. No warning, no suspicion that bit was any worse than
> anywhere else -- just Wham!!
>
> No damage (well slight cut on the knee but nothing to worry about).
>
> Walked most of the next couple of miles until I got to a more heavily used bit of road -- and then
> took a nice bit of cycle path home.
>
> Lesson -- however bright & sunny beware of the ice
>
> Still -- an enjoyable ride nonetheless.

Glad you're OK Tone. Freezing fog was the problem for me today on the M1, rather than ice.

Simon

 

[Tony W]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Glad you're OK Tone. Freezing fog was the problem for me today on the M1, rather than ice.

In typical fashion I only discovered the two deepest cuts in the shower after I got home. All a bit
stiff & stinging at the moment but hardly life threatening. I hope tomorrow will also be nice enough
for a ride -- though I might make it an off road one where black ice is less of a hazard

T

PS -- you mustn't cycle on the M1. You know it gets the uk.t people wound up

 

[Kirby James]

My sympathies too.

I was caught out 12 months ago riding along the Thames path into Richmond (West London). The weather
had been cold for several days previously but on this day the weather was quite warm (8C or so). To
avoid some walkers I rode through a puddle (which unknown to me had ice on the bottom) - like you I
was on my side before I knew what had happened. I realised that there was a slight mist over the
river - and I guess that this had acted as a blanket - keeping the cold in and the sun out.

Interestingly the walkers just carried on and ignored me (dead cyclists litter London walks).

Regards

Kirby

 

[Tony W]

"Kirby James" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My sympathies too.
>

Thanks

 

[Peter B]

"Tony W" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Went for a lovely ride today. But one particular stretch was black ice hell. Suddenly the back
> wheel left and I was cuddling icy tarmac. No warning, no suspicion that bit was any worse than
> anywhere else -- just Wham!!

I went off-roading as the local trails were well frozen therefore rideable. Off-road was ok, I
expect problems but on one of the country roads linking tracks I broke one of my own rules and
changed course on some packed ex-snow/ice. Wham!! Straight off and sliding, then straight back on
again as I was in sight of a rambler ;-) Luckily in my case minor pain and no lasting injuries,
sorry to hear you must have got my share Tony. Me You :-(

And in response to Pete Biggs I kept my hand out of the way and landed shoulder/elbow/hip, according
to the pain map

Other than that a lovely ride curtailed by a loose saddle rail clamp bolt requiring a direct road
route home, bummer! (Now have suitable sized allen key in saddle pack).

Pete

 

[Tony W]

"Peter B" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> Luckily in my case minor pain and no lasting injuries, sorry to hear you must have got my share
> Tony. Me You :-(

No problems. Not enough to worry about. Knee looks pretty in its multi colours but works fine (after
a gentle warm up). Decided not to cycle today but went for a walk instead -- never as much fun

> And in response to Pete Biggs I kept my hand out of the way and landed shoulder/elbow/hip,
> according to the pain map

Not sure I had any choice on the landing. It was sort of knee/shin, then hands down to break fall,
then hands skid forward on the ice, elbows then chest hit ice -- head held up (no h*lm*t -- so
that's why the back wheel left -- would have been safe in a h*lm*t!!).

Hat and map depart down hill, coming to rest 15 and 40 yards away respectively. Yokel looks over and
continues mucking about with his van. Bike in gutter with chain off.

T

 

[Tony W]

"wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Glad you didn't suffer any serious damage.

Well thank you kind lady. At first I thought maybe the slab fairy had got me -- but my head was
still attached to my shoulders so it must have been black ice

How she could tell given the multiple layers is, of course, a mystery.



T

 

[Tony W]

"Niv" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:qjbU9.69$iX2.34144@newsfep2-gui...
> I also kissed the tarmac today, going thru St Leonards nr Chesham in
Bucks.
> Went thru deep slushy bit just keeping control, then hit the invisible
black
> ice bit - wham.
>
> Oh well, you got to gat out & ride in all that sunshine. Bit kna****ed after morning squash
> though, so only 25 miles.

No sunshine today, no thaw (as promised by our weatherpeople) and knee now stiff & rainbow coloured.

No cycling for me today (((

T

 

[Bob Watkinson]

Tony W <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> >
> > Glad you're OK Tone. Freezing fog was the problem for me today on the
M1,
> > rather than ice.
>
>
> In typical fashion I only discovered the two deepest cuts in the shower after I got home. All a
> bit stiff & stinging at the moment but hardly
life
> threatening. I hope tomorrow will also be nice enough for a ride --
though
> I might make it an off road one where black ice is less of a hazard
>
> T
>
> PS -- you mustn't cycle on the M1. You know it gets the uk.t people wound up
>
>

HA HA HA!

 

[Alex Graham]

Tony W wrote:
> "Niv" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:qjbU9.69$iX2.34144@newsfep2-gui...
>
>>I also kissed the tarmac today, going thru St Leonards nr Chesham in
>
> Bucks.
>
>>Went thru deep slushy bit just keeping control, then hit the invisible
>
> black
>
>>ice bit - wham.
>>
>>Oh well, you got to gat out & ride in all that sunshine. Bit kna****ed after morning squash
>>though, so only 25 miles.
>
>
>
> No sunshine today, no thaw (as promised by our weatherpeople) and knee now stiff & rainbow
> coloured.
>
> No cycling for me today (((
>
> T
>
>
Blimey. Its v sunny here in Ealing. London (but then its always like that but still looks bl**dy
nippy out there with a bit of a rampantly hard frost overnight.

--

-Alex

 

[Andy Welch]

Well you are all a lot more philosophical about these spills than me. I've had a couple of close
encounters with the tarmac over the past two years. Nothing life threatening but I found the bumps,
bruises and lost skin pretty damned unplesant. Unpleasant enough to invest in a trike for this
season. Maybe I'm just a wimp.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Clifford Griffi]

"Niv" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:qjbU9.69$iX2.34144@newsfep2-gui...
> I also kissed the tarmac today, going thru St Leonards nr Chesham in
Bucks.
> Went thru deep slushy bit just keeping control, then hit the invisible
black
> ice bit - wham.
>
snip

What concerns me about ice is the chance of coming off and ending up under the wheels of a car -
though coming off generally doesn't appeal - hence my avoidance of 'techincal' off road routes

Cliff

 

[Tony W]

"Clifford Griffiths" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> What concerns me about ice is the chance of coming off and ending up under the wheels of a car -
> though coming off generally doesn't appeal - hence
my
> avoidance of 'techincal' off road routes

Being creamed by a following car is certainly the worst option. Coming off itself is rarely life
threatening -- though one can be unlucky and suffer a broken collar bone, fractures, cracked
skull or worse.

However, on road, roads with traffic tend to be less prone to bad icing -- partly because of the
movement of traffic and partly due to the greater propensity of local authorities to chuck salt &
grit about.

Generally, as usual, you have to cycle defensively. If black ice is suspected get off & walk. That
was my failure yesterday. I knew it was
icy. I had walked through some sections before my fall. I missed the tell tale signs and ended up
kissing the tarmac. My fault. No damage (thankfully). Less on learned -- till next time

T

 

[Stephen Pridgeo]

Alex Graham <[email protected]> wrote
> >
> Blimey. Its v sunny here in Ealing. London (but then its always like that but still looks
> bl**dy nippy out there with a bit of a rampantly hard frost overnight.

Indeed. Too hard for me to venture out on either Sat or Sunday.

Sat, because I didn't fancy sliding under a truck, Sun because I got a cold on Sat, and because
there was still ice everywhere in Southall at noon. So new gortex jck won't get the proper test for
12 months now.

Haven't found out what's been happening on Club runs though - anyone been out on the Chilterns'
roads last w/end? SteveP

 

[Wafflycathcsdir]

Glad you didn't suffer any serious damage.

Cheers, helen s

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