It’s the worst winter in 25 odd years apparently, with temperatures going down to -22c in some parts of the UK. As far as I can see around me people are walking in the road as the pavements are unusable, many road surfaces have black-ice on and yet I still see couriers out on their bikes. I’ve given up and am using the Tube.
I’ve ridden through snow before, even raced around Brand Hatch whilst it’s been snowing, but this ice is too much for me!
Same here. I’ve only missed a few days from the bike over the past 3 years, but after my PITA journey home a week or so back, I’m just not taking the risk while there’s snow and ice about.
Tbh, if I can make it the 30 metres or so to the busier road, I’d probably be fine, but each day it’s saying more snow is coming, so I’ve just not taken the risk and used public transport (Finchley to the West End)
Work is a one-stop tube ride for me, and I live one minute from the station, so it’s a no-brainer, but I know you’re hardcore Matt I never doubted you!
i’m sitting back and relaxing on the highspeed train into St. Pancras.
It’s warm, fast and run on time while all the other services from Kent have been decimated.
i’ll leave the bike for when the the suns got warmth in it…
Given the short commute (5 miles) and the availability of a cage - have been on 4 wheels for the past few weeks. Took about 15 mins to warm up the car this morning:w00t: but a lot safer than two wheels in this weather
I’ve not been riding but that is for different reasons. But considering the 400 metres of ice that I would have to negotiate to get to the main road, I very much doubt I could get the TDM down there.
had to take a cab to work on tuesday and wednesday mornings as my road has been a sheet of ice and because my work place is 20 miles from my home i decided to stay overnight and slept on a sofa in the office. No way I would waste time and money trying to get home by public transport (from Wandsworth Bridge to Enfield) just to get a couple of hours of sleep then try to make my way back again to get to work at 4a.m.:w00t: spent two nights at work while helpin out the night shift by driving around colleagues who had no car licence and couldn’t use the work bikes in these conditions;)
HAving dropped my baby in the first bad snow we had this year, I decided enough is enough. She has been under wraps whilst the ice is down, and is now getting a make-over from the MOT/service boys at SBK… I’m trying to get some custom faring parts made up to make her look like she isn’t 10 years old!
The drop was at the princely speed of 0.45 of a mile an hour. Which was lucky, and dropping her on a cushion of snow meant the only damage was to the stickers on the faring, didn’t even scrape through a mil of sticker PHEW however, watching the truck slide towards me, then listening to her scream from 350rpm all the way up to 18 thou as she span out and round underneath me then slid towards the approaching SIDEWAYS truck did have me kakin it for a few seconds!
But all’s well. Not ridin in this crap now though. With the amount of salt down on the roads, you can actually watch as it eats through your engine casing if you’re patient enough…
My confidence has been shaken because of an off and I don’t expect to get it back while conditions are like this.
When it has been really bad and there has been a sheet of ice on the ramp from my car park to the road, the bike has stayed in the garage, but I am moving soon and intend to get back to commuting on the bike next week - until the gods decree otherwise.
(Finchley to the West End)
