Icy roads, beware!!

wonderboysam

first time cycling on icy roads on my road bike today and holy crap is it dangerous! fell off twice and almost another 5-10 times going to have to get new means of transport I reckon
maybe better tyres might help?

careful dudes!!

EDIT: ROADS* I MEANT ROADS!!

07Lapierre

North County Dublin was fine this morning.

wonderboysam

07Lapierre wrote: »

What part of the world are you in? North County Dublin was fine this morning.

Cork citaay!

07Lapierre

wonderboysam wrote: »

Cork citaay!

Move to Dublin so!

rollingscone

07Lapierre wrote: »

Move to Dublin so!

Buy a CX bike!

joxerjohn

Came off last week on black ice on road markings and cracked my ribs, so no cycing for 3/4 weeks, very painful. You just have no chance the bike goes from under you and bang you're on the deck. Another cyclist also came off just behind me and banged his head off the ground, luckily his helmet did its job.

I don't think different tyres would help much, so my advice is it is best avoided.

wonderboysam

joxerjohn wrote: »

I don't think different tyres would help much, so my advice is it is best avoided.

I'm gonna get so fat

rollingscone

CX bike with ice tyres

Lumen

I've ridden through several winters (in Dublin admittedly) on ordinary 23mm slick tyres with no difficulty.

You just have to ride sensitively and avoid routes with downhill bends.

wonderboysam

Lumen wrote: »

I've ridden through several winters (in Dublin admittedly) on ordinary 23mm slick tyres with no difficulty.

You just have to ride sensitively and avoid routes with downhill bends.

Was absolutely unavoidable where I was, had to get off the bike and walk the rest of my journey towards the end. I'll be taking the bus tomorrow!

07Lapierre

wonderboysam wrote: »

Was absolutely unavoidable where I was, had to get off the bike and walk the rest of my journey towards the end. I'll be taking the bus tomorrow!

I'd say the ice will be gone by then..tomorrow's another day.

bambergbike

joxerjohn wrote: »

I don't think different tyres would help much, so my advice is it is best avoided.

Studded tyres help. So much so that you're likely to forget that it's icy and put your foot down on a patch of black ice...

Pinch Flat

I nearly got caught out badly on Sunday morning. Was heading out the old N3 to Rathoath when I missed the roundabout for rathoath - still alspee as it was 8am! The temperature was around 2 degrees, so ice was a possibility and on my mind.

As I turned to go back, the opposite side of the road was completely different - sheet ice everywhere and If I'd taken the turn quicker, it could have ended worse.

Beasty

07Lapierre wrote: »

North County Dublin was fine this morning.

There was ice on the windscreen this morning, which is my signal to give it a miss nowadays - don't mind sub-zero temperatures, but not if there's been recent rain and the roads are still damp/wet

ghogie91

Came off on black Ice 2 weeks ago going fast

Bruised ribs which are ok now

Alot of scarring on my leg now from the deep cuts

Also have been getting a dead leg after it as if the muscle got damaged or something, finding it difficult to press the clutch in when changing gear in the car now and its spreading to my lower back

Seems ok while cycling which is weird

Wishbone Ash

Beasty wrote: »

There was ice on the windscreen this morning, which is my signal to give it a miss nowadays - don't mind sub-zero temperatures, but not if there's been recent rain and the roads are still damp/wet

I did 55km this morning in NCD/South Meath but the possibility of ice was constantly on my mind in sheltered areas and it certainly concentrates the mind on the descents of Naul and Snowtown.

elnino23

I came off today and it really hurt. sat on the sofa now in pain. Bike is hurting too, Broken shifter, bust gear cable and lots os scratching all over the bike. as well as ripped castelli shoe covers on their first outing! Road was fine everywhere then suddenly bike gone from under me and went about 50 feet on my hip on ice, had to crawl to the ditch cos it was so thick. Bike ended up in ditch 20 feet behind me! Thank god there was no traffic.

07Lapierre

Beasty wrote: »

There was ice on the windscreen this morning, which is my signal to give it a miss nowadays - don't mind sub-zero temperatures, but not if there's been recent rain and the roads are still damp/wet

If I'd noticed ice on my car, I'd have done the same. Guess i was just lucky so.

Beasty

07Lapierre wrote: »

If I'd noticed ice on my car, I'd have done the same. Guess i was just lucky so.

I'm just enough inland and slightly elevated (and sheltered) to notice it. We can have ice where I am when there's no sign at all in Skerries. By the time you get to Swords the ambient temperature of the town is usually sufficient to avoid ice forming, but I'm a bit more nervous on the roads between

07Lapierre

-1 degrees according to my Garmin on the way home this evening....I suspect I'll be driving in tomorrow

nomdeboardie

Never mind frost, I managed to come off about a month ago on a merely damp road going through a small roundabout (single lane, island diameter ~15m). No obvious mud or oil, almost flat, and I approached it carefully at a very moderate speed. I was already paranoid about slipping in damp or frosty conditions and was cycling really conservatively on downhills and bends, to the extent that I was thinking I must look ridiculous sometimes. :pac: Now it's even more of the time... :P There is no hope!

Dermot Illogical

Just arrived home in NCD and the commute was frosty towards the end. I'll need to come up with a Plan B for tomorrow if it sticks.

Beasty

Don't worry guys - the rain's going to wash all the ice away (in NCD anyway) - weather should be getting milder overnight

Rambling Man

Beasty wrote: »

Don't worry guys - the rain's going to wash all the ice away (in NCD anyway) - weather should be getting milder overnight

True. Frost and ice in my neck of the woods (Donabate) earlier but a 6 or 7 degrees improvement overnight. Take care anyway guys.

Leroy42

nomdeboardie wrote: »

Never mind frost, I managed to come off about a month ago on a merely damp road going through a small roundabout (single lane, island diameter ~15m). No obvious mud or oil, almost flat, and I approached it carefully at a very moderate speed. I was already paranoid about slipping in damp or frosty conditions and was cycling really conservatively on downhills and bends, to the extent that I was thinking I must look ridiculous sometimes. :pac: Now it's even more of the time... :P There is no hope!

Contrary to what you are saying, your apprehension is probably a factor. You need to be relaxed and in control so that if something starts to go wrong there is some chance to fix it. If you are already thinking about crashing that effects not only your thinking but translates to your ability on the bike.

Not easy to get confidence back, especially if you the conditions are a bit iffy, but otherwise every cycle becomes a battle just to survive.

godtabh

mild around south dublin this morning but very windy

aFlabbyPanda

Cork was fine.

rollingscone

Dublin City Council were so worried about my welfare on my way back from a class last night that they sent a truck to drive in front of me spraying salt under my wheels for the first quarter of my journey home!

Pinch Flat

rollingscone wrote: »

Dublin City Council were so worried about my welfare on my way back from a class last night that they sent a truck to drive in front of me spraying salt under my wheels for the first quarter of my journey home!

Yeah same here in Fingal, nearly skidded on the stuff a few times. Oh the irony.

billyhead

Folks, When their is forecasted to be frost or ice possibly on the roads in the morning for a training spin is it best to stick to a coastal route. I understand most of the time crashes can be unavoided no matter what but I was led to belive that coastal roads clear quicker(is it to do with the sea breeze):rolleyes:

07Lapierre

billyhead wrote: »

Folks, When their is forecasted to be frost or ice possibly on the roads in the morning for a training spin is it best to stick to a coastal route. I understand most of the time crashes can be unavoided no matter what but I was led to belive that coastal roads clear quicker(is it to do with the sea breeze):rolleyes:

I'd say its best to avoid hills and head out on your spin later in the day. I would imagine Frost/ice can develop anywhere given the right conditions.

cdaly_

billyhead wrote: »

Folks, When their is forecasted to be frost or ice possibly on the roads in the morning for a training spin is it best to stick to a coastal route. I understand most of the time crashes can be unavoided no matter what but I was led to belive that coastal roads clear quicker(is it to do with the sea breeze):rolleyes:

It's not the sea breeze (that's a summertime thing) but the fact that the sea cools (and warms) much slower than the land and so rarely gets cold enough for frost. The warmer sea warms the air over it and by diffusion, the land nearby.

Wishbone Ash

billyhead wrote: »

..... it best to stick to a coastal route.

That will be most comforting to those living in Monaghan, Westmeath, Laois, Offaly etc......:pac:

rollingscone

Should I be safe enough setting out for Trim on the N3 tomorrow around 1000?

Skrynesaver

rollingscone wrote: »

Should I be safe enough setting out for Trim on the N3 tomorrow around 1000?

Not due to freeze overnight and set to be quite warm (for relative values of warm) tomorrow

nomdeboardie

Leroy42 wrote: »

Contrary to what you are saying, your apprehension is probably a factor. You need to be relaxed and in control so that if something starts to go wrong there is some chance to fix it. If you are already thinking about crashing that effects not only your thinking but translates to your ability on the bike.

Not easy to get confidence back, especially if you the conditions are a bit iffy, but otherwise every cycle becomes a battle just to survive.

True, though I have been aware of that, in my even-paranoider post-fall state - thinking myself into very wobbly, can't-turn states! Trying to avoid the wrong thoughts is a bit like trying to sleep

12 sprocket

nomdeboardie wrote: »

True, though I have been aware of that, in my even-paranoider post-fall state - thinking myself into very wobbly, can't-turn states! Trying to avoid the wrong thoughts is a bit like trying to sleep

That's a normal reaction to falling, what you might find useful is to look up visualisation for sports training just google visualisation and you should find plenty...
you described it very well, "trying to avoid the wrong thoughts" its a matter of changing the negative / frightening pictures in your mind to positive relaxed pictures.. for riders who have a real difficulty with this a sports psychologist can help a lot. I have seen this work successfully a number of times with riders who are nervous following crashes. Usually it fixes with time anyway but visualisation will speed it up if done correctly.