Cycle in snow tips

Type 17

Disconnect the front brakes - if you slip a bit, you'll instinctively grab the brakes, and locking up the front wheel will likely lead to a fall.
In icy conditions, you won't be going fast enough for the front brakes to be missed.

If you need to stop in a hurry, drop a foot whilst performing a speedway skid to swing the back of the bike around to dissipate your speed - you'll be quite stable with your two wheels and foot forming a tripod.

Wishbone Ash

rubadub wrote: »

....-get off the road if cars are going up steep hills....

....and even more importantly, take care at the bottom of descents particularly if there is a bend. Motorists may lose some control involuntarily and slide in your direction.

Thargor

mollser wrote: »

Cycled in this morning on the mtb, it was awesome! Heavy going through the fresh powder and a few slides here and there, but improving the skillz all the time!

Same, left the house at half 6 this morning so was ploughing through virgin snow on the footpaths, best fun Ive ever had on a bike I think, so satisfying.

harringtonp

A few weeks ago on a club spin we got caught in a snow shower near the end. One of the guys got it on camera and posted to FB and there was no end of barking from viewers no matter how may times you mention that it was sunny when starting (folks love a good bitch don't they !)

https://www.facebook.com/227730950621082/videos/1680447222016107/

I immediately let a gap open to the bikes in front, went into soft pedalling mode and unclipped going around a roundabout.

boardbeer

Alek wrote: »

I'm waiting for more snow.
I've seen many people today on their road and hybrid bikes, managing better than me on my Snow Studs.

Do you have the Schwalbe semi-studded tyres? I've these and you just have to get used to the fact they'll fish-tail a bit before the studs bite. You get used to it and its great for the mix of hard-packed snow and slushy tarmac on a typical commute in these conditions. Like you say, let a bit of air out and the studs make contact sooner. The fully studded Nokians are great but noisy and bit uncomfortable on anything but solid ice and snow.

Wishbone Ash

boardbeer wrote: »

Do you have the Schwalbe semi-studded tyres? I've these and you just have to get used to the fact they'll fish-tail a bit before the studs bite. You get used to it and its great for the mix of hard-packed snow and slushy tarmac on a typical commute in these conditions. Like you say, let a bit of air out and the studs make contact sooner. The fully studded Nokians are great but noisy and bit uncomfortable on anything but solid ice and snow.

If you travel on a road with no snow/ice, does it rapidly wear away the studs?

I'm thinking the average commute may contain treated and untreated surfaces. For example proper snow tyres on a car are not supposed to be used on tarmac (Not to be confused with winter tyres which are for both conditions).

Alek

Like you say, let a bit of air out and the studs make contact sooner.

But studs don't help with soft snow, only ice. Letting the air out increases the contact patch (drastically at 30psi!) and this makes them actual snow tyres.

If you travel on a road with no snow/ice, does it rapidly wear away the studs?

If they're made of carbide, like in Schwalbes, not at all.

Wishbone Ash

Alek wrote: »

...If they're made of carbide, like in Schwalbes, not at all.

"Googles 'carbide'"

EDIT: Wiki explanation is way too technical for me - I could never really grasp chemistry. It always seems such a waste of time in our short lives.

the carbon atoms fit into octahedral interstices in a close-packed metal lattice when the metal atom radius is greater than approximately 135 pm

So, in lay man's terms, they're hard as fcuk and don't wear?

Alek

they're hard as fcuk and don't wear?

Exactly. I have 1000km+ mostly on dry (icy) roads and the wear is minimal.


Cheaper Winter tyres (Kenda?) may have steel spikes, these will wear out quickly.

Amprodude

StereoSound wrote: »

Can't drive today so the Hybrid bike is out.... Never cycled in snow before.

Snow cycling super tips needed. What should I do and not do? If I can minimise the embarrassment of falling on my backside in traffic that would be nice.

This is a joke right?

Tenzor07

Cycling at the Sally Gap? Not a problem!!

https://www.facebook.com/cianjournalist/videos/1592985784069992/?hc_ref=ARQJnsW5DVadWZ_aibRkTpD1t9eAV-pT3X4EWTOXKT5SGMtXdZLaT3ChHb7e8aC99bY

magicbastarder

two lads passed our house on bikes at about 11pm last night. there were already cars pirouetting on the road an hour or two before that.

Alek

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

"Googles 'carbide'"

Sorry, its Tungsten Carbide to be exact: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_carbide

Tungsten carbide is extremely hard, ranking about 9 on Mohs scale,

Tungsten carbide is often used in armor-piercing ammunition,

But also

Tungsten carbide is widely used to make the rotating ball in the tips of ballpoint pens

guanciale

Anyone heading out. Was out for a walk earlier. Snow of 6" to 1 foot arout Lucan ut am tempted to cycle to Pheonix Park for a it of a blast.

Wishbone Ash

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Cycling at the Sally Gap? Not a problem!!

https://www.facebook.com/cianjournalist/videos/1592985784069992/?hc_ref=ARQJnsW5DVadWZ_aibRkTpD1t9eAV-pT3X4EWTOXKT5SGMtXdZLaT3ChHb7e8aC99bY

Not a problem for a national MTB champion (see off topic thread).

Type 17

Amprodude wrote: »

This is a joke right?

Not at all, with the right bike/tyres, and suitable care, cycling on snow and ice is no different to driving on it (also with suitable vehicle/tyres/care).

One of my favourite childhood memories was cycling around suburban side streets (shiny, white ice, polished by car tyres) on my BMX (semi-knobby tyres, low centre of gravity, no toeclips) with the front brake disconnected.
Once you went at the correct speed (slowish) and didn't lean to far, or make too-sharp turns it was great fun, and far safer than walking on such surfaces.

However, riding a road bike on smooth 25c tyres with clip-ins would be similar to taking a RWD car with summer tyres up to Sally Gap...

columbus_66

I was out yesterday on the mtb and if the snow is any more than say 3-4 inches deep it's very hard to cycle in. I ended up out on the road which was clear but you have to watch out for the lumps at the side as they throw you off!