Cycling madness?

[Stradageek]

Riding a recumbent lowracer through the winter obviates the winter gales and on slippy roads means a fall of 12" maximum and a seat that absorbs the hit.

When icy I use a recumbent trike, 'drifting" round corners is serious fun.

[Carlton green]

In snowy or icy weather there was a time when I’d either walk to work (rather than cycle) or take a day’s leave; when you’re dependent on good health you literally can’t afford to risk it. These days I might fit different tyres, but then I didn’t know of any (better tyres) or otherwise better ways of doing things.

Indeed. Once you have a couple of chronic illnesses, if you are having a good health day, you've got to go into work, because you don't know how many more you will have. Life is too short not to cycle because of some frozen water. Studded tyres rock!

I’ve added a salient bit to my quoted text that somehow got edited out.

Studded tyres almost deserve a thread of their own. Something covering their availability, costs, and usage. Maybe having a set of spare wheels with them on or a second bike equipped with them. UK winter weather is quite variable, sometimes there’s ice and sometimes there’s not, and then there’s differences within the local areas.

Riding a recumbent lowracer through the winter obviates the winter gales and on slippy roads means a fall of 12" maximum and a seat that absorbs the hit.

When icy I use a recumbent trike, 'drifting" round corners is serious fun.

If the weather is that bad then whilst drifting around corners might be fun on the recumbent trike surely there’s also the hazard of a ton or two of motorised metal drifting uncontrollably towards you. Even somebody who’s driving their vehicle slowly and sensibly can find it drifting uncontrollably on ice - seen it and (as a driver and fortunately without consequence) have had it happen to me.

[Stradageek]

I bought the trike after being grounded by ice on the Northamptonshire lanes many years back, ice that lasted for nearly 6 weeks.

When I venture out on the trike on icy days I'm generally alone but I did once encounter a drifting car descending sideways down a hill towards me. I had time to dismount and drag the trike onto the grass verge and watch the car slide by.

I accept it's a risk, but cars travelling at high speed on obviously icy country lanes are pretty rare and the views across the frosty countryside are too special to miss