Snowflakes ?

[aidan.f]

I'm sitting in the carpark on my own half an hour before an event that had 100 entries. I have double checked I'm at the right place, right time  Forecast is -1 to +2 light winds and maybe snow showers. Although the  advisory route is partly on untreated roads there is a treated alternative for +5k on distance. Judging by the amount of salt on the roads the biggest risk will be skidding on it! Hope I'm not Billy no mates today!

[Nick Firth]

Reminds me of Winter Solstice 200 in 2010, only me turned up so I did the ride in -12 conditions, I had to piss on my brake calipers to make them work, have a good day Aidan.

[Deano]

It's a bit easier onna trike. Have a good ride, hope you get some company.

[Flite]

According to the met office, there has been a bit less snow in N'land than Co. Durham?
Should be a good, if chilly, ride, hope you enjoy it.

[Wycombewheeler]

good luck

a fall now on ice, and it only takes one patch, could write off events for some weeks, including my planned ski trip. when I can just ride on sunday in significantly better weather.

Group think probably played into my decision.

*snip* never mind

[Deano]

Aidan's riding a 200 in Northumberland

[Wycombewheeler]

Aidan's riding a 200 in Northumberland

ah, there was a lot of talk yesterday about the Dean and -3C start

[He’s off again]

Not sure about ‘snowflakes’ but you wouldn’t have got me out today.

-1 to +2 so significant risk of frost on at least some of the route.

But mostly though, i know I just wouldn’t enjoy those conditions!  And that’s why i ride - not to prove im tougher than my next door neighbour or mate in the club.

Sporting events are often cancelled for weather conditions.  Audax isn’t really a group or competitive thing so we can all decide for ourselves whether we want to ride in the conditions of a given day.

[De Sisti]

Not sure about ‘snowflakes’ but you wouldn’t have got me out today.

-1 to +2 so significant risk of frost on at least some of the route.

But mostly though, i know I just wouldn’t enjoy those conditions!  And that’s why i ride - not to prove im tougher than my next door neighbour or mate in the club.

Sporting events are often cancelled for weather conditions.  Audax isn’t really a group or competitive thing so we can all decide for ourselves whether we want to ride in the conditions of a given day.

+1.
As a precaution, all of our club rides were cancelled today.

[Lightning Phil]

We will have to wait for Aidan to report back if there were any more riders.

[Socks]

We will have to wait for Aidan to report back if there were any more riders.

And hopefully all got round safely.

[aidan.f]

Eleven started, ten finished. It was hard...
I fully accept that decision to/not ride is personal.

[Socks]

Chapeau Aidan

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I'm much more circumspect now than I used to be, after I encountered black ice and ended up off the bike for four weeks, thinking that (a) injuries could have been worse and (b) without access to excellent physiotherapy, recovery times could be longer.   I will ride in subzero but only if its been dry and on roads I am confident have been treated.  In the past I wasn't so worried - remembering a after Dinner Dart from York to Stafford where the temperature never got above a balmy -1C.  But our judgement of risk is hugely coloured by experience.

Old and less bold cyclist. 

[Kim]

Quite.  As I've said before, mostly in the context of pushing through injuries, I enjoy riding my bike too much to injure myself by riding my bike.

In the last couple of years, my tolerance for cold has plummeted.  It used to be that breathing was the limiting factor, with asthma being increasingly problematic below about 5C.  I barely have to worry about that any more, the circulation in my hands and feet has become so rubbish that a couple of hours is my limit, and it gets really sketchy if I have to take the gloves off to deal with a mechanical.  I'm also wearing a waterproof jacket up to about 12C, which I never had to before.