Too cold for riding?

Greg Masters · Jan 8, 2003

With the mercury in Enfield currently at -1C (and forecast to drop today to -8C), I noticed that there were far fewer bikes on the road this morning on my commute to central London.

Who's been out and about on 2 wheels today?

:moped:

Greg

LivNorway · Jan 8, 2003

Not me!!
Liv, Norway.

Timolgra · Jan 8, 2003

There's not a heated jacket on the market that would temp me onto the roads today. I try to ride for pleasure, not pain.
Tim

notadrop · Jan 8, 2003

hey Mr Snowman.........

Certainly not! On our way in in the car one brave soul went past looking like a snowman as the snow was falling fast and settling..... I just turned up the heated seat and luxuriated inside a controlled 22C enviroment. Heated grips? Not enough to tempt me!!

roger miles · Jan 8, 2003

Me - but on my "urban steed". Easy enough today but did you notice the gridlock south and west of Enfield at the slightest dusting of snow yesterday!!!

Must go and strap the huskies on...............

Greg Masters · Jan 8, 2003

roger miles said:
Me - but on my "urban steed". Easy enough today but did you notice the gridlock south and west of Enfield at the slightest dusting of snow yesterday!!!

Must go and strap the huskies on...............

Well done that man!

I was actually in the car yesterday as I had to go to Warminster. However, I'm in central London now and, since I posted the first item, the snow has arrived and is settling nicely on the pavements and roads. The journey home on 'my other bike' could get interesting!

Greg

THE PICT · Jan 8, 2003

Ive been out everyday this winter(-14 on monday).Not through choice but got to goto work and go the shopping.My main problem is that I start at between 05.00-05.30 on early shifts and finish anywhere between 00.30 and 04.00 on lateshift.At those times its a lot colder than daytime.Next year Im going to buy a car for the winter.For the last 10 years Ive rode through winter including working as a despatcher and instructor and Im getting a bit fed up of it.

Popenbangenfarten · Jan 8, 2003

I was out this am. for my daily Great Missenden - Waterloo commute. Not too bad didn't bother with the long johns today, just leathers and overtrousers.

Heated grips were on full most of the time though......

judge · Jan 8, 2003

Arctic Condtions

And living at the end of a mile long no through road means for me rolling my bike backwards down a steep drive stright out onto a road with compacted snow/ice - our road will remain untreated for up to a week before it's priority for gritting comes about for gritting and then there's salt all over the fekkin place!!!

Spanish Bob · Jan 8, 2003

Popenbangenfarten said:
I was out this am. for my daily Great Missenden - Waterloo commute. Not too bad didn't bother with the long johns today, just leathers and overtrousers.

Heated grips were on full most of the time though......

Mr P judging by your name you probably already have the heated trousers sorted?!

Spanish Bob · Jan 8, 2003

sorry I have been out, but in Barcelona its only 8ºc - the locals think this is arctic weather, but its fine. A few miles up the coast it was snowing even onto the sea and the border with France was shut for 4 hours due to the snow.´ When in London I rode whatever the weather - not sure I´d repeat that now though.

Popenbangenfarten · Jan 8, 2003

Popenbangenfarten refers to the bike which pops, bangs, farts and spits flames on the overrun...

PeterNicholson · Jan 8, 2003

Too cold to ride?

Dunno about too cold - I 've been out and about on the bike in lower temperatures than this, but it's bloody dangerous out there!
My road is like a sheet of ice, and Kent is submerged in a micro-blizzard.
Having said that, I have seen 5 oilheads out around Swanley and Sidcu this morning, whilst trying to get the kids to school in the kids taxi!
Braver than me

Bike Bear · Jan 8, 2003

GS went to dealers for new clutch Monday. Nice loaner - a R850R ('52). Wonderfully smooth gear box - but no accessory socket (so no heated jacket) and no crash bars.
Used the girlfriends car (Subaru AWD) to go to work (in Enfield) yesterday for the first time in 3 years - not too cold for the bike, just a little too icy here in Kent to be riding someonelse's bike with no crash bars and a £500 excess.
Today I am sitting at home - too icy for the car at 07:00 this morning, and still snowing. Loose snow on top of ice? Time to get the DT out - only I have just watched a Fiesta T-bone a pirouetting ('52) Audi A6 outside me house - so maybe not.

judge · Jan 8, 2003

Micro-Blizzard in Kent

In eight years I've only known snow like this once and I was trying to get home on my bike then!! Got a mile and a half away then I had to get up a hill - a car turned out from a side road and I had to slow up - fatal lost traction and started sliding backwards, managed to ditch it the gutter, rather than the lorry behind

So cold isn't a problem for me but snow/ice is not bike territory for me, no sirry. Mind I still get majorly pissed off how this country continually grinds to a halt when we get a bit of weather, I don't like being the laughing stock of Europe

simonm · Jan 8, 2003

Still Riding

Yup,

I'm out. Got to get to work - no other transport options.
We had a fresh fall of what I can only call "polystyrene" packing stuff this morning. Tiny little balls of snow\ice, OK to negotiate if you're careful.
I got a Widder vest for crimbo I don't know how I got by without it. Conditions are bearable if it stays cold and the snow doesn't melt, it's more scary when you get into a freeze\thaw cycle.

waterhouse · Jan 8, 2003

cold weather

Having come back from Stockholm last night (not a bike to be seen) I think there are conditions where it just doesn't make sense to go out on a bike.

Other traffic and ice don't mix well with two wheels. Cold's got nothing to do with it - I find it scary sliding on four wheels at 2 mph on an icy slope...

bashplate · Jan 8, 2003

Slip slidin' away

The bike fishtailed for quite some distance on ice coming thru the backlanes to work on Monday morning, so I've used my 30 year old Beetle yesterday and today. I'll probably use it for the rest of the week or until the nighttime frost stop turning the run off from the fields into slippery stuff.

Phil

Spanish Bob · Jan 8, 2003

Jud9e

no the UK is not the laughing stock - last year when we had snow in Barcelona, all the street lights failed, all the traffic lights failed, 700 cars remained stranded in a motorway just outside of the city for a day, ......

....ha ha ha.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE PLEASE!!!

LivNorway · Jan 8, 2003

Tyres with nails, studded tires = piggdekk.
That's todays Norwegian lesson.

Liv, in winterland. (Brrrr!)

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