Advice on Winter Cycling: Lost my back wheel?

Arequipa

Hi! Just looking for a few tips.
Last weekend I was cycling around Howth and turned a corner and my back wheel slid out from under me..I held the bike upright and managed to come to a stop.
At the time I thought I had a blow out.
Two factors; I put an older Bontrager tyre on the bike after a big gash to my original gp 4000's and also I had the pressure up at approx 110psi..

I have since got a new tyre for the back...any other advice on avoiding skids in the winter..

Conditions were cool, dry and just a damp surface on the roads...

Thanks!

A

Congrats on a successful power-slide.

Alek

cool, dry and just a damp surface on the roads

Grippier tyre should sort it out. Unless there is black ice on the road, it should perform almost as good as on a wet summer day.

Perhaps lower your pressure slightly, unless you weight 85kg+.

CramCycle

As Alek sad, lower the pressure on a colder day to improve grip.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'm 76kg and would lower rear tyre pressure to 95psi in winter and 90psi in the front tyre.

07Lapierre

When cornering, avoid Man-hole Covers, Road markings and watch for diesel/oil stains.. If your cycling in the dark, just assume there's an oil spill at every corner.

Arequipa

Hi! Thanks for the replies.. I am about 83-84 kgs so i think i'll defo lower the tyre pressure...
I have got another GP 4000 for the back wheel, which should be grippier...

I have ultegra brakes front & rear ..think i'll have to be more careful...

In very damp/wet weather the brakes dont seem to work very well....

nak

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi! Thanks for the replies.. I am about 83-84 kgs so i think i'll defo lower the tyre pressure...
I have got another GP 4000 for the back wheel, which should be grippier...

I have ultegra brakes front & rear ..think i'll have to be more careful...

In very damp/wet weather the brakes dont seem to work very well....

Maybe check the pads? I have Ultegra brakes and they are great, sometimes work a little too well if I'm not careful.

Brian?

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi! Thanks for the replies.. I am about 83-84 kgs so i think i'll defo lower the tyre pressure...
I have got another GP 4000 for the back wheel, which should be grippier...

I have ultegra brakes front & rear ..think i'll have to be more careful...

In very damp/wet weather the brakes dont seem to work very well....

Be gentle when applying brakes. Try to brake before the corner, not in it. Use your front brake first to cut speed.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

I hit a patch of black ice a couple of years ago and almost killed myself. Bike came out from under me so fast I was suspended in mid air for a moment. Snapped both break levers, handle bars were parallel to the bike, metal flat pedals were bent, tore my saddle etc etc.

When you see frost anywhere, get off your bike and walk a bit, that's the only advice I have for that.

07Lapierre

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi! Thanks for the replies.. I am about 83-84 kgs so i think i'll defo lower the tyre pressure...
I have got another GP 4000 for the back wheel, which should be grippier...

I have ultegra brakes front & rear ..think i'll have to be more careful...

In very damp/wet weather the brakes dont seem to work very well....

What size tyres? 700x23? ... consider fitting 700x25 for winter. there more comfortable and provide a bit more grip.

Arequipa

Hey! Yea, i have 700 x 23 gp 4000 tyres...

I also have a mountain bike: might switch to it in the colder months.. It has schwalbe marathon + tyres ; should be grippier...

padyjoe

I've this problem too lately. I've 700x25 Conti GP rubbers (no 4000, 4Season, etc., simply GP) they're great improvements over the factory Giant tyres. I just can't put the power down I feel them slipping somehow on wet. Especially on smooth surfaces if it's on flat ok but once on descent my instincts kick in and I have to slow down because what crosses my mind is losing the grip on bend and sliding onto the oncoming lane in front of a car. The slip is controllable (most of the grip is still there) but there is just a bit of slip present and it's enough to not let me putting my mind at ease. So would be the solution lower the pressure? There's a problem again: I'm 101 kg 187 cm beast so pinch flats here I come! I've 2 choices left: put the bike into the shed and go swimming plus gym or leave the hill climbing and go for the flats.

07Lapierre

padyjoe wrote: »

I've this problem too lately. I've 700x25 Conti GP rubbers (no 4000, 4Season, etc., simply GP) they're great improvements over the factory Giant tyres. I just can't put the power down I feel them slipping somehow on wet. Especially on smooth surfaces if it's on flat ok but once on descent my instincts kick in and I have to slow down because what crosses my mind is losing the grip on bend and sliding onto the oncoming lane in front of a car. The slip is controllable (most of the grip is still there) but there is just a bit of slip present and it's enough to not let me putting my mind at ease. So would be the solution lower the pressure? There's a problem again: I'm 101 kg 187 cm beast so pinch flats here I come! I've 2 choices left: put the bike into the shed and go swimming plus gym or leave the hill climbing and go for the flats.

Leave the hills until March/April...that's what I'd do if I were you.

iwillhtfu

Wait till you lose the front end that's not so much fun

Lower pressure and assume everything is slippy.

Don't go barrelling into corners. On early morning damp spins expect frost/ice in the shade which is usually everywhere as the sun does be low early on.

Alek

It has schwalbe marathon + tyres; should be grippier...

No! They were the least grippy tyres I ever had.

GP4000 are one of the best.

(I have no experience with bontrager)

Arequipa

I think another issue a couple of weeks ago was the leaf fall... The leaves fell, then it rains and the residue makes the roads quite slippery..

I think most of the leaves have been cleared around my area, but as it gets progressively colder ICE will become the next issue & danger...!


Oh to live in a tropical climate...!

billyhead

Izaiah Old-fashioned Paragraph wrote: »

I hit a patch of black ice a couple of years ago and almost killed myself. Bike came out from under me so fast I was suspended in mid air for a moment. Snapped both break levers, handle bars were parallel to the bike, metal flat pedals were bent, tore my saddle etc etc.

When you see frost anywhere, get off your bike and walk a bit, that's the only advice I have for that.

But it may not be visible. I broke my hip 2 years ago coming down on black ice. If there is frost or ice forecast better of either avoiding cycling altogether, Leaving it later for your spin or sticking to main roads that have a better chance of been treated as some back country roads can be lethal and it does not matter how good of a cyclist you think you are as anyone can lose control when the traction is so poor.