Black Ice, nasty stuff

[rapidfire72]

Black Ice, a really nasty piece of work, worst than snow. Cycling home late from a 10 hour shift last night, taking the normal back roads to avoid the main roads and the minority of speeding cars.

Took a corner, maybe a bit too sharp and felt the bike going down and me with it, could not do a thing and hit the deck, hitting my left side of face. Resulted with a cut lip, grazed upper cheek and chin, I was in shocked and laid there for a minute, but I had to get up in case a car came around the corner, otherwise I would of been dead meat. I felt pretty shook up, this is not the first time, but the first time I've had a face injury.

Lucky I worn a helmet and after a check-up at the A&E, I'm now licking my wounds and thinking it could of been a lot worst

[Hector's House]

Sorry to hear that. that's rubbish. Glad that you're ok though - and will be back on the bike asap.


I tend to avoid the back roads on mornings like this one: i always figure the main ones are safer as the traffic will have got rid of the worst of the ice. Traffic I can deal with; ice, not so much. The one time I've hit black ice on my bike was right outside my house going about 1mph.

[reohn2]

Sorry to read of your fall,hope you get well soon.
I/we used to be a bit cavalier about cold frosty weather but as I've got older and on one occassion broke my wrist due to black ice,we now don't ride if its as cold as its been these last two days.

[The Mechanic]

Hope you recover soon. I had a similar problem a couple of years ago whilst passing through a local park. Went down like the proverbial ton of bricks. Banged my head so hard I was seeing stars for about a minute. Fortunately I was wearing a helmet. If not I am certain I would have had a few stitches in my head. No helmet debate please.

[Si]

Spikey tyres* is what you want. I'd almost given up winter cycling when there was even the merest hint of ice, then got the winter tyres and winter riding is a delight again. Sure they are a bit slower but they add less onto your ride time than a trip to A&E.

Thing about ice, compared to say damp roads, is that the bike goes from under you and you go straight down without a chance to correct the skid, whereas on a wet rod you are likely to slid along the road a bit. Thus falling on ice tends to hurt a lot more. Chap from my club is currently recovering from a fractured hip that he got just before Christmas...nasty.

*assuming you can't get an extra wheel!

[[XAP]Bob]

Not enough wheels, that's your problem

Three wheels with studs at the back - nice and secure on the slippy stuff.

[Guy951]

Not enough wheels, that's your problem

Three wheels with studs at the back - nice and secure on the slippy stuff.

Three studded wheels at the back?

What sort of machine do you ride?

[Mick F]

Poor you!
Speedy recovery is required.
How's the bike?

Hopefully we'll be out riding in the warm sunshine soon - sod that ice stuff!

I was planning on a ride this morning, but we had frost!
First time this winter.

I decided to do some hacking and slashing in the garden instead. Brambles/overgrown hedgerows cut and shoved into the incinerator. I was much warmer than I would have been if I was cycling.

2:20pm now. Sun gone down and the temp is dropping like a stone out there. I'm back in with the (livingroom) fire lit.
Cosy.

[thelawnet]

Hope you recover soon. I had a similar problem a couple of years ago whilst passing through a local park. Went down like the proverbial ton of bricks. Banged my head so hard I was seeing stars for about a minute. Fortunately I was wearing a helmet. If not I am certain I would have had a few stitches in my head. No helmet debate please.

So why mention it???????

[Ant]

Don't let it put you off, just one of those things...

I got a used mtb before xmas and decided to take the canal route to work on it as it was really cold but I also wanted to give it a gentle shakedown. There is a section near Leeds which advises you to come off the towpath and on to a parallel tarmac road for about 1/2 mile, which after merrily crunching along the frozen towpath for 8 miles or so I did. A split second later I was on my backside, and actually felt like I picked up speed sliding along the floor! Happily the road is pretty much unused by traffic so no-one saw my mishap...

Lesson - knobblies are even more useless than slick road tyres on icy tarmac

Also +1 what Si said - the way you fall causes the classic mechanism of injury likely to lead to a "broken hip" (laymans term for fractured neck of femur) if you are a little advanced in years, or possibly just a damn big bruise if your not...

[rapidfire72]

Don't let it put you off, just one of those things...

Don't worry, it won't. It's not the first time, this has caught me out unaware. I will still take the same route, if I don't, then I've lost the plot.

I've cycled this road many a winter, even in snow, but black ice is a class of it's own, you can't see it until it's too late, least with snow you can have a soft fall.

Yes, Mick, bike is all right. I'm going to put the cross terrain tyres on later this week.

Don't worry, the human body is a remarkable piece of equipment. I've been hit by a car twice, had a cracked rib.

[eileithyia]

Sorry to hear of your fall and speedy recovery.

If this is a route you take regularly it is always good idea to be well aware of the back ice 'black spots' lol. One of my old routes had a slight bend and kerbing where water often remained, I always kept well out to avoid on frosty mornings. Similarly on my next commute route there was steepish little lane where water could run off a field and freeze... I often walked those 100yds.... get to know your route.

[rapidfire72]

Normally I keep a close eye on any black-spots and take note of any in my mind, but this one spot on a t-junction caught me out.
There is another way I can take in icy conditions, which is fairly quiet and well gritted. lesson learned.

I knew someone who slipped on some oil, that's just as bad.

[reohn2]

...........Thing about ice, compared to say damp roads, is that the bike goes from under you and you go straight down without a chance to correct the skid............ Thus falling on ice tends to hurt a lot more.

Yes it hurts it can happen at slow speed but due to the wheel(s) going from under the rider in an instant and without warning the fall tends to be like the proverdial sack o spuds and it usually hip,knee or head that contacts the ground first,its a sickening feeling .
Safe is better than sorry everytime IMO.

[rapidfire72]

...........Thing about ice, compared to say damp roads, is that the bike goes from under you and you go straight down without a chance to correct the skid............ Thus falling on ice tends to hurt a lot more.

Yes it hurts it can happen at slow speed but due to the wheel(s) going from under the rider in an instant and without warning the fall tends to be like the proverdial sack o spuds and it usually hip,knee or head that contacts the ground first,its a sickening feeling .
Safe is better than sorry everytime IMO.

Yes, it was a horrible feeling going down and hitting the deck. All I remember is the bike slipping away, lose control and could not do a thing, but to go down crashing. I was laid there, dazed and thinking if I was ok. Funny thing also, is a woman looking out of the window and staring at me. I had to get up slowly and limp away, but cars never entered my head and this is a side road. I still utter to think if there had been a car coming along and not seeing me.