Author Topic: The snowy commute thread (Read 21426 times)

nuttycyclist · « **Reply #25 on:** 02 February, 2009, 12:05:20 pm »

Quote from: Charlotte on 02 February, 2009, 10:11:17 am

... I'm going to stick it out until lunchtime then probably push off home on the basis that there's going to be more snow this afternoon and everyone and his Mum's going to be on the road again.
...

Because I'm anticipating the manic rush home mid-afternoon by the scared public, I'm probably going to stay at work until the usual time, or later. That may give me a quieter and safer ride home.

Paul D · « **Reply #26 on:** 02 February, 2009, 12:16:24 pm »

Less snow than you Larndoners down here in Dorset, but enough to mean half the Weymouth lot aren't here today. On the MTB, with a couple of offroad shortcuts and a tailwind, I suprised myself by arriving at work in about the same time as normal on the road bike, but with a much larger grin.

Luckily Jo made it in...mmm birthday cakes.

nuttycyclist · « **Reply #27 on:** 02 February, 2009, 12:17:46 pm »

Quote from: rower40 on 02 February, 2009, 12:02:43 pm

... And I got some good tail-slides in! ...

That's how I rolled mine last month

Too much traction under the snow once I was motoring sideways.

jane · « **Reply #28 on:** 02 February, 2009, 12:25:29 pm »

Quote from: Goldcrank on 02 February, 2009, 11:11:36 am

I cycled in, much to Mrs GC's chagrin, and found that only those without cars had made it.

Same here- me and the headteacher both cyclists and one other teacher walked in- school had to close so I came home eventually. Coming in was fun until I hit roads where the cars had started to churn up the lovely deep clean snow. Because it was still really early- 6ish there wasn't enough traffic to push it right out of the way so I kept skidding- then some car decided to go for a slide in front of me on the Brockley roundabout. I walked up over Telegraph hill- magical in the still dark snow glow. Just got back via Telegraph Hill, now full of tobaggoners, one couple on an ironing board! Then rode through the cemetery and recreation park behind Honor Oak- snow still soft and deep- no cars to muck it up. One Tree hill to finish off. Super- didn't ride back back down the hill- quite a few cars slipping all over the place and on my way up, some 4x4 showing off cos he can still do 30 in this weather (but not without churning up the most revolting brown slush and dousing me and several pedestrians with the vile stuff in the process. On the plus side, even that didn't dampen the lovely warm glow romping about in the snow still brings me as I sit here now sipping my hot cocoa, watching more of it come down and wondering whether to go out for another play after lunch.

PaulR · « **Reply #29 on:** 02 February, 2009, 01:01:59 pm »

I took a slightly different route in today as I thought Brockley might be a bit iffy. Ended up following the slushy south circular to West Dulwich and then in through Herne Hill (one unplanned off-road moment after hitting some bumpy compacted snow) and up to Ephelant and Castille, where there started to be some better surafe.

I'm now watching the snow piling up even more and wondering how the ride home is going to be. I will not be riding over Telegraph Hill!

diapsaon0 · « **Reply #30 on:** 02 February, 2009, 01:09:22 pm »

Great pictures, Charlotte. No snow at all here

N

RJ · « **Reply #31 on:** 02 February, 2009, 01:47:14 pm »

A little more than a light dusting of snow in Embra this morning, but quite wet and slushy. Just enough to be interesting and to dock a couple of mph from average speed. Could be a bit naasty if it freezes ...

BornAgainCyclist · « **Reply #32 on:** 02 February, 2009, 02:05:13 pm »

I was looking forward to my commute this morning, Got the old MTB down from it's hook last night, sprayed the chain, let some air out of the knobblies and changed the SPDs for plain pedals.

We had about 5 inches of snow during the night. I started off alright, but it soon became clear "it was the wrong sort of snow". It was wet and cleggy, filling the tread and sticking like Sh*t to a blanket. The tyres became like slicks and I couldn't find any grip at all. Ended up walking most of the way back home.

No point in getting the car out as traffic's at a standstill, so I'm having the day off.

rower40 · « **Reply #33 on:** 02 February, 2009, 03:44:59 pm »

Quote from: Company-wide E-mail

In view of the current and forecast weather conditions employees should consider the journey they need to make home from work this afternoon and may leave early if necessary to ensure they travel safely.

Do I ride home now in the slush and the busy traffic, or wait here till 7ish, when it should have frozen nice-n-hard?

andygates · « **Reply #34 on:** 02 February, 2009, 03:55:31 pm »

An excuse to man up and ride! time to fit the cross tyres to the fixie...

fuzzy · « **Reply #35 on:** 02 February, 2009, 04:26:31 pm »

I am on the mid day start part of my rota so missed the unbroken snow part of rthe day

All the A roads and the busier B roads were clear of snow apart from the margins and the middle strip when I left. The side roads were all packe snow though.

I only saw one 'moment' on my ride in, a cyclist on the pavement, out of the saddle and honking hard towards me for all he was worth. His front wheel started to wash out as he negotiated a slope for a dropped kerb. He kept it upright with judicious dabbing but was in the middle of the road before he got it under control

I generously gave him some advice 'Safer on the road mate' to which he smiled and rolled his eyes before continuing his journey- on the road.

gordon taylor · « **Reply #36 on:** 02 February, 2009, 05:30:49 pm »

I was looking forward to today's commute - 24 miles on the trike... Yippeee!

But the wind was vile, and tonight I've been slogging for an hour straight into seemingly horizontal snowflakes. Yuk.

Kathy · « **Reply #37 on:** 02 February, 2009, 05:56:02 pm »

Woken up this morning by a van which had become wedged in our road. Lay there in bed until the alarm went off, listening to the sounds of frantic revving and shovelling, whereupon we got up.

We waded down to the Bike Stable, and Tim found the snow was so deep that he was able to stand his bike up in the snow - the snow was over the bottom bracket, and we couldn't cycle in it!

We got out to the road, where there were tyre track we could ride in, and Tim's chain snapped so we went back and grabbed his old tourer (currently cyclocross-stylee).

We headed out for the off-road route, but found drifts of up to 18" blocking the route, so decided to stick to the roads. The A24 was completely blocked with a jacknifed lorry and abandoned cars, so we had to walk past most of the cars, pushing our bikes through the drifts.

Once we got onto Headley Road there were no more cars (well, only a couple of abandoned ones), but it was slippery. We found that fat MTB tyres were best on hard-packed deep snow, and cyclocross tyres were best on deep sludge. We stopped to talk to lots of passers-by, helped move one car that was slipping everywhere and blocking a junction, chatted to a cyclist on his way to Headley Court, and eventually got to work at about 10:30 where we had to wade through deep snow to get to the office.

Hardly anyone else had made it into work, and those who had driven from a long way where there was less snow were booking into local B&Bs rather than try and get out of the snowdrifts. Most things were closed at work (the canteen, the coffee shop, the gym and swimming pool...) so we had lunch and there was an announcement that the office would be closed.

So we headed home, via the bike shop for a new chain. Muchly encountering of more abandoned cars, local entrepreneurs charging £20 per tow, and extreme muppetry of driving. Got to the bike shop and it was closed.

So we went to Sainsbury's, and found that there had been extreme panic-buying of milk so we're drinking wine instead of tea.

Took lots of pictures - I'll try and post some later.

Charlotte · « **Reply #38 on:** 02 February, 2009, 06:00:55 pm »

Quote from: Kathy on 02 February, 2009, 05:56:02 pm

...so we're drinking wine instead of tea.

The privations you have to endure out there in the country

rower40 · « **Reply #39 on:** 02 February, 2009, 06:08:43 pm »

The ride home was grim. Headwind, big sticky flakes splatting into my face. The worst bit was having to walk up some of the hills - there's so little weight on the back wheel of the Windcheetah that it just span to a halt on any gradient. And it's a particularly cumbersome beast to walk/drag/carry.

Cyclops · « **Reply #40 on:** 02 February, 2009, 06:09:21 pm »

There was an awful lot more snow coming home than going in this morning but the 30mph headwind had become a tail wind

The snow was a few inches deep but quite wet and the studded tyres cut through it quite well. The snow tended to stick to and clog up my rear mech and cassette so the chain was jumping everywhere calling for a quick roadside remedy that soon had me going again (note to self - don't go to the toilet before you leave work and you'll have a bigger supply of cassette thawing fluid) but had to stop every couple of miles and pee on my cassette again. However instead of cars shooting past at 60mph I was able to keep up with traffic the whole way home as cars were having considerably more traction problems than me.

More snow is forecast overnight so I reckon the cars will be holding me up in the morning

nuttycyclist · « **Reply #41 on:** 02 February, 2009, 06:41:17 pm »

Clear empty roads on the way home. The only slippery road was mine (an ungritted rat run) so I rode the whole length of it a couple of times just for fun.

As nobody seemed to be driving or out it was lovely and quiet.

Am now at home, also drinking wine (must be a family thing), and wondering when this slippery snowy stuff might arrive.

Charlotte · « **Reply #42 on:** 02 February, 2009, 07:18:42 pm »

Boris says he commuted in by bike this morning.

Top work there

bikesdontfloat · « **Reply #43 on:** 02 February, 2009, 07:46:54 pm »

Wahey! First chance to use the Schwalbe Marathon Winters in anger. Absolutely fantastic on the hard-packed snow, probably giving me way to much confidence.

The only problem so far has been numpty drivers. They're happily driving along at a sensible 10mph up/down the icy roads until they see me approaching in their rearview mirror. All of a sudden their tyres gain more traction, the driver suddenly gains confidence in their leet alpine driving skills and they put their foot down to keep ahead of the cyclist. Watching them sliding and spinning their wheels in a bid to keep ahead would be funnier if it wasn't so sad.

cc93 · « **Reply #44 on:** 02 February, 2009, 08:03:51 pm »

Quote from: bikesdontfloat on 02 February, 2009, 07:46:54 pm

Wahey! First chance to use the Schwalbe Marathon Winters in anger. Absolutely fantastic on the hard-packed snow, probably giving me way to much confidence.

They are good aren't they! (I have last years model, Snow Studs, on the MTB)

Be careful tomorrow though - on ice they aren't infallible, though they grip far better than your shoes will!

On the ride home tonight I passed 2 Land Rovers who failed to make much headway on the local 16% hairpin (The Crong) and were turning round to try Plan B.

More sympathy for the lady in a Golf who had also admitted defeat a few miles further on - she had no Plan B other than walking home!

Tomorrow will be interesting!

cometworm · « **Reply #45 on:** 02 February, 2009, 08:14:06 pm »

Quote from: bikesdontfloat on 02 February, 2009, 07:46:54 pm

The only problem so far has been numpty drivers. They're happily driving along at a sensible 10mph up/down the icy roads until they see me approaching in their rearview mirror. All of a sudden their tyres gain more traction, the driver suddenly gains confidence in their leet alpine driving skills and they put their foot down to keep ahead of the cyclist. Watching them sliding and spinning their wheels in a bid to keep ahead would be funnier if it wasn't so sad.

I don't usually overtake cars on the way to work, but on Abbey Rd today it was moron central. Not really that worrying - I'd rather they drive slowly in the knowledge that they're useless. More worrying was the Somerfields articulated lorry trying to get up the hill at the end of Belsize Rd, failing, and then sliding five or ten metres backwards!!! Or the cabby who thought he could spin his way through the ice to the tarmac below...

JonBuoy · « **Reply #46 on:** 02 February, 2009, 08:15:23 pm »

The sight of this morning's snow rekindled my commuting enthusiasm as I reckoned that driving to work would be a pain. The long queues of cars that I passed showed that I was correct.

The trip home was not quite as enjoyable as the traffic was flowing fairly freely and the flurries of snow were sticking to me. The passing truck that launched a wall of slush at me didn't help either !

Can't wait to see what tomorrow morning brings..

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #47 on:** 02 February, 2009, 09:12:53 pm »

Going home was not fun. 15-22mph headwind, driving wet sleet into me. My eyes are sore from the snow being driven into them.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #48 on:** 02 February, 2009, 09:16:14 pm »

Rode in today without too much of a problem although there was a bit on the lanes I walked as it was like the Cresta Run.... compacted snow.

No way I'm riding in tommorrow with tonight's sub-zero temperatures it'll be an ice-fest

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #49 on:** 02 February, 2009, 09:21:50 pm »

I'm glad it's not just me that's a woose:
         Helen Pidd: Quiet little backstreets and cycle lanes were a slippery disaster today. Is there a special knack to navigating white-covered roads? |
            Comment is free |
            guardian.co.uk

Author Topic: The snowy commute thread (Read 21426 times)

fuzzy

gordon taylor

cc93

cometworm