I'm a wimp!

knucklehead6 · 04-12-2020 1:31pm #1

Today is the first day in almost 5 months, since getting my IBT, that I've taken the car to work.

There was too much frosty stuff on the car this morning to contemplate taking the bike

Sonics2k · 04-12-2020 1:50pm

Typically it's just not worth taking the bike out on a bad day, especially on ice. I'm sure it's not so bad if you live directly in the city, but where I live I have to go down a few back roads to get to the city and they're often iced over.

Better to be safe than sorry.

knucklehead6 · 04-12-2020 1:56pm

Sonics2k wrote: »

Typically it's just not worth taking the bike out on a bad day, especially on ice. I'm sure it's not so bad if you live directly in the city, but where I live I have to go down a few back roads to get to the city and they're often iced over.

Better to be safe than sorry.

I'm 17 miles from work and in an estate, so once out onto the main roads its normally not too bad, but I leave the house at 6 am and the roads are normally not that well travelled at that stage. It means the wife has to walk the kids to school but them walking 3/4 of a mile in this weather is character building!!

LLewellen Farquarson · 04-12-2020 1:58pm

You've a wife and young kids. That's maturity , sense, and caring for your impact on the ones you love.

zubair · 04-12-2020 2:03pm

knucklehead6 wrote: »

I'm 17 miles from work and in an estate, so once out onto the main roads its normally not too bad, but I leave the house at 6 am and the roads are normally not that well travelled at that stage. It means the wife has to walk the kids to school but them walking 3/4 of a mile in this weather is character building!!

Everyone's different when it comes to this. I have a couple of 100 metres to reach the main road which can get quite frosty and after that it's usually plain sailing but I have also come off the bike on ice in the estate too, despite this I still used to take the bike bar terrible conditions. I used to go mad at myself when I'd take the car and get to the end of the road and it would be clear. With traffic being so light now a days its hard not to just jump in the car on a badish morning.

steamsey · 04-12-2020 2:16pm

My IBT instructor's advice always stuck with me - "The correct speed for driving in icy, frosty condition is zero".

zubair · 04-12-2020 2:46pm

I posted a video on here before when I hit black ice and somehow didn't go down, that was in an evening at around 6 or 7 on a main road, heavily used and temp was about 4 degrees, so ice or frost wasn't even in my head at the time.

Trigger Happy · 04-12-2020 3:05pm

I would not call that wimpy, more common sensible.
The younger me would have tried it and likely ended up on my arse. Older me is a bit wiser.

Blanchy90 · 04-12-2020 3:07pm

Better safe than sorry.

I only have a few 100 meters through the estate before i get to busy roads so I usually chance it but I've had some close calls even going at walking speed

Breezin · 04-12-2020 3:10pm

Since we're on the topic of ice, does anyone know if local authorities these days put actual salt on roads, or is it just grit?

It was always said that bikes in Britain had a harder time because of salting, whereas we didn't do it, but I'm not sure that's still the case.

MrMusician18 · 04-12-2020 3:14pm

Breezin wrote: »

Since we're on the topic of ice, does anyone know if local authorities these days put actual salt on roads, or is it just grit?

It was always said that bikes in Britain had a harder time because of salting, whereas we didn't do it, but I'm not sure that's still the case.

We salt and grit.

I remember the winter of the big freeze and the gritters ran out of salt. The media was reporting every move of a bulk carrier of road salt as it made it's way up the east coast!

zubair · 04-12-2020 3:27pm

Breezin wrote: »

Since we're on the topic of ice, does anyone know if local authorities these days put actual salt on roads, or is it just grit?

It was always said that bikes in Britain had a harder time because of salting, whereas we didn't do it, but I'm not sure that's still the case.

They tend to salt and grit more frequently than us, probably due to better resources and slightly different weather conditions. But I have noticed since the season we ran out of salt that the gritters are out the night before as soon as 0 degrees is forecast, it wasn't as regular as that before.

Breezin · 04-12-2020 4:47pm

OK then. I'd better to get used to using the hose more so.

And the blow dryer, of course!

macplaxton · 04-12-2020 5:17pm

I rode back 27 miles to home at 3am. It was a wee bit chilly that's all.

The Mrs has been mocking me all week calling me an old man for wearing long johns.

blade1 · 04-12-2020 6:06pm

MrMusician18 wrote: »

We salt and grit.

I remember the winter of the big freeze and the gritters ran out of salt. The media was reporting every move of a bulk carrier of road salt as it made it's way up the east coast!

I was out for a walk last night as they were salting the road.
Truck passed and gave me a face full.
F*CK you I yelled back through gritted teeth!

Zascar · 05-12-2020 3:37pm

If anyone remembers the huge snow we had about 5 years ago or so. I remember on biker.ie there were loads of hard lads talking about how they can ride in any conditions, followed by loads of stories of crashes and broken arms the next few days. There's no point for being a hero and putting your safety at risk, it's just stupid.

Nabidana · 05-12-2020 5:35pm

blade1 wrote: »

I was out for a walk last night as they were salting the road.
Truck passed and gave me a face full.
F*CK you I yelled back through gritted teeth!

That is awful, Blade.

I love it!

MrMusician18 · 05-12-2020 5:46pm

blade1 wrote: »

I was out for a walk last night as they were salting the road.
Truck passed and gave me a face full.
F*CK you I yelled back through gritted teeth!

Don't be so salty

blade1 · 05-12-2020 5:55pm

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Don't be so salty

I'm just well seasoned at this stage!

Skill Magill · 05-12-2020 9:28pm

blade1 wrote: »

I was out for a walk last night as they were salting the road.
Truck passed and gave me a face full.
F*CK you I yelled back through gritted teeth!

Christ, you been opening the crackers early?

Skill Magill · 05-12-2020 9:34pm

They have saddle warmers too, Tucano Urbano Coolwarm Heated seat Cover €53.00 , I'm tempted

CJhaughey · 05-12-2020 10:22pm

Skill Magill wrote: »

They have saddle warmers too, Tucano Urbano Coolwarm Heated seat Cover €53.00 , I'm tempted

There is no end to the amount of heated stuff these days, between vests, gloves, grips, seatwarmers, modern bikes must have serious battery and alternator setups now.
I'm waiting for the heated ballbag bags to be released.:D

blade1 · 06-12-2020 9:12am

CJhaughey wrote: »

There is no end to the amount of heated stuff these days, between vests, gloves, grips, seatwarmers, modern bikes must have serious battery and alternator setups now.
I'm waiting for the heated ballbag bags to be released.:D

listermint · 06-12-2020 1:56pm

CJhaughey wrote: »

There is no end to the amount of heated stuff these days, between vests, gloves, grips, seatwarmers, modern bikes must have serious battery and alternator setups now.
I'm waiting for the heated ballbag bags to be released.:D

I don't know, I've a upgraded MOSFET regulator , brand new stator (alternator) and the Battery was new Also and still bike struggles with the KEIS heated jacket full blast and Oxford heated grips full blast.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've to keep turning the grips down or off when the warning light comes on.

blade1 · 06-12-2020 2:37pm

listermint wrote: »

I don't know, I've a upgraded MOSFET regulator , brand new stator (alternator) and the Battery was new Also and still bike struggles with the KEIS heated jacket full blast and Oxford heated grips full blast.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've to keep turning the grips down or off when the warning light comes on.

How many Ah is your battery?

I don't use utilities so I sacrifice some Ah for CCA.

Richard tea · 06-12-2020 11:05pm

In the same position as the OP with one car in the house so it would take lying snow to make me leave the bike at home. I have often left at -3 temperatures on my 40 mile commute. As mentioned I nurse the bike out of the estate until I get to the main road where I pick up the pace a little. Its only when I join the motorway ill increase speed again. I just try and keep everything smooth. The Honda NC I commute on is ideal for this type of riding. 54HP comes into its own here. Im not foolish to think that some day I will go down on a patch of ice but hopefully it will be in the estate at low speed.

listermint · 06-12-2020 11:36pm

blade1 wrote: »

How many Ah is your battery?

I don't use utilities so I sacrifice some Ah for CCA.

You know something I never bothered checking. Which looking back was stupid. It was replaced with like for like. Which thinking back. I should have upped it for an optimate or something

listermint · 06-12-2020 11:36pm

Richard tea wrote: »

In the same position as the OP with one car in the house so it would take lying snow to make me leave the bike at home. I have often left at -3 temperatures on my 40 mile commute. As mentioned I nurse the bike out of the estate until I get to the main road where I pick up the pace a little. Its only when I join the motorway ill increase speed again. I just try and keep everything smooth. The Honda NC I commute on is ideal for this type of riding. 54HP comes into its own here. Im not foolish to think that some day I will go down on a patch of ice but hopefully it will be in the estate at low speed.

Same here. Luckily no commuting presently due to wfh.

CJhaughey · 07-12-2020 10:52am

listermint wrote: »

I don't know, I've a upgraded MOSFET regulator , brand new stator (alternator) and the Battery was new Also and still bike struggles with the KEIS heated jacket full blast and Oxford heated grips full blast.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've to keep turning the grips down or off when the warning light comes on.

What wattage are the jacket and grips?
Are you running the RR direct to the Battery?
If not its worth doing.

ED E · 07-12-2020 10:53am

Yesterday was viable, today was a no no.

listermint · 07-12-2020 2:50pm

CJhaughey wrote: »

What wattage are the jacket and grips?
Are you running the RR direct to the Battery?
If not its worth doing.

Jacket is direct to battery via fuse.

Grips are via a Switched Relay for ignition.

Grips

The technical data included in the instructions states that typical running voltage is between 13.5 and 14.3 volts.

Each grip requires 2.1 amps or 28 to 30 Watts, so practically speaking the total draw should be around 60 Watts.

Jacket

The vest will draw about 1.5 Amps, power is 18 Watts

CJhaughey · 07-12-2020 4:59pm

listermint wrote: »

Jacket is direct to battery via fuse.

Grips are via a Switched Relay for ignition.

Grips

Jacket

The Alternator will have three wires that come out of the case, those three wires will go to the R/R and they come out as two wires supplying regulated power, these two wires should go straight to the Battery as a fused supply, many bikes take the power all around the bike first then to the Battery which results in a lot of power loss.
Worth doing this as the gains can be substantial.

listermint · 07-12-2020 6:25pm

CJhaughey wrote: »

The Alternator will have three wires that come out of the case, those three wires will go to the R/R and they come out as two wires supplying regulated power, these two wires should go straight to the Battery as a fused supply, many bikes take the power all around the bike first then to the Battery which results in a lot of power loss.
Worth doing this as the gains can be substantial.

Cheers, il take a look at that.

Zebbedee · 07-12-2020 7:16pm

OP you're not a wimp at all.
Very sensible I'd say.

You can never rely on the roads being salted.
Saturday night the council in a Leinster area didn't salt the roads till 9 am Sunday morning.

The roundabouts were like skating rinks.

You can be as careful and as skilled as you like on a bike on ice but all it takes is someone in a car, truck or bus to slide into you on a roundabout, corner or junction and wipe you out.

galwaytt · 08-12-2020 5:48pm

Years ago, around the time of a big snow/freeze, I was looking forward to the idea of 'speedway riding' my Funduro to work.

10 metres I got, max, from the gate. And slid gracefully. -ish. You have no idea how heavy an F650 is when it's on it's side......and there's so little grip you can't stand.

That cured me for life that did.

zubair · 08-12-2020 6:30pm

galwaytt wrote: »

Years ago, around the time of a big snow/freeze, I was looking forward to the idea of 'speedway riding' my Funduro to work.

10 metres I got, max, from the gate. And slid gracefully. -ish. You have no idea how heavy an F650 is when it's on it's side......and there's so little grip you can't stand.

That cured me for life that did.

LOL, been there.

One people might not think of... my first encounter with ice on a bike, probably within my first year riding. I was at a stop sign, went to put my foot down and it was pure ice, luckily I didn't go over it with the tyres, just when I copped my foot was sliding I gave it a little juice to find somewhere else to put the foot down. Pure luck or instinct, I'm not sure which but probably the former. I've always been conscious of where I go to put my foot down since.

knucklehead6 · 08-12-2020 8:34pm

zubair wrote: »

LOL, been there.

One people might not think of... my first encounter with ice on a bike, probably within my first year riding. I was at a stop sign, went to put my foot down and it was pure ice, luckily I didn't go over it with the tyres, just when I copped my foot was sliding I gave it a little juice to find somewhere else to put the foot down. Pure luck or instinct, I'm not sure which but probably the former. I've always been conscious of where I go to put my foot down since.

That’s not something I’d even have considered. Thanks for the tip!

For what it’s worth, the cold doesn’t bother me, just add on an extra layer to the clothes beneath the outer gear, it’s the ice and stuff where I’d be concerned.

Kaybaykwah · 08-12-2020 8:48pm

knucklehead6 wrote: »

That’s not something I’d even have considered. Thanks for the tip!

For what it’s worth, the cold doesn’t bother me, just add on an extra layer to the clothes beneath the outer gear, it’s the ice and stuff where I’d be concerned.

You can get some good winter tires as well. I don't have them, I just have a lower tire pressure on 2 inch tires. I was out yesterday and came upon a coupla guys in their sixties, stopped because one fell when sliding on some icy leaves on a footbridge. One should definitely avoid slick tires at below freezing temps.

It was minus 4, and minus 9 with the windchill yesterday, and with good outerwear, it was pretty nice. There are fewer folks on the cycling paths, and when I get off the paths onto dirt roads, the usually muddy roads are frozen now, so provide a.better ride.

Chambly, Quebec, Canada.

Jimmy Bottlehead · 09-12-2020 6:00pm

zubair wrote: »

LOL, been there.

One people might not think of... my first encounter with ice on a bike, probably within my first year riding. I was at a stop sign, went to put my foot down and it was pure ice, luckily I didn't go over it with the tyres, just when I copped my foot was sliding I gave it a little juice to find somewhere else to put the foot down. Pure luck or instinct, I'm not sure which but probably the former. I've always been conscious of where I go to put my foot down since.

Also noted an important tip over the summer... I always put my foot down parallel to the bike. However, it's less likely to slip if you position your food more perpendicular to the bike. Small change, but it did seem to make a difference.

Hotblack Desiato · 09-12-2020 9:09pm

Kaybaykwah wrote: »

You can get some good winter tires as well. I don't have them, I just have a lower tire pressure on 2 inch tires.

Cycling forum >>>> :rolleyes:

Hotblack Desiato · 09-12-2020 9:10pm

zubair wrote: »

They tend to salt and grit more frequently than us, probably due to better resources and slightly different weather conditions. But I have noticed since the season we ran out of salt that the gritters are out the night before as soon as 0 degrees is forecast, it wasn't as regular as that before.

They've gone way overboard in some councils IMHO since that winter.

Most of my work commute is (was!) on DCC roads, it'd always be noticeable when crossing the 'border' into SDCC with the amount of crap they'd spread on the road

Usually on nights with the temp barely hitting zero or not even reaching it. Also done way too early in the evening when the rush hour traffic would disperse it before the temps dropped.

Complete waste of money, pollutes the environment and corrodes the shít out of bikes! :mad:

omerin · 30-12-2020 6:12pm

This youtuber was linked on a playlist for new/returning bikers, he runs bike training in the UK. So it can happen to anyone, useful vid on what to do and how to pick up the bike if she does go over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOeCM5OMeoU

listermint · 31-12-2020 1:03am

omerin wrote: »

This youtuber was linked on a playlist for new/returning bikers, he runs bike training in the UK. So it can happen to anyone, useful vid on what to do and how to pick up the bike if she does go over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOeCM5OMeoU

Tbh. Looking at his vid it's an extremely amateur manevour by what's supposed to be an instructor. He turned in to hard with the steering. Almost looked like he over corrected for speed . Very hard left. Wheel was always going down with that stupidity.

Extremely robotic zero fluidity.

He put less rubber on the road with that action. Inevitable

Hotblack Desiato · 31-12-2020 1:27am

Under those conditions I was surprised how fast he went into that corner, always much more chance of frost on a side road than a main one.

L-plate on the bike, too! :rolleyes:

If it's one his pupils use he should take it off when he's riding it.

No point L-plates existing if every second vehicle has one. Some particularly stupid cagers have both L and N plates, making their car illegal no matter who is driving it!

Also fuel injection bikes have rollover switches so the engine will cut out when the bike falls. Ye olde carbs don't work on their sides...

Richard tea · 31-12-2020 1:31am

listermint wrote: »

Tbh. Looking at his vid it's an extremely amateur manevour by what's supposed to be an instructor. He turned in to hard with the steering. Almost looked like he over corrected for speed . Very hard left. Wheel was always going down with that stupidity.

Extremely robotic zero fluidity.

He put less rubber on the road with that action. Inevitable

I would like to see the video unedited. IMHO he took the corner at a slow enough speed. Its hard to tell when he pauses it.. Strange as it sounds I tend to ride on the frosted surface getting out of the housing estate in the morning. So my tyre is the first contact of that surface. Make sense?

Skill Magill · 31-12-2020 8:07am

When I arrive home in the evening, I turn the bike so that its nose is facing out toward the road, nearly slipped off trying to reverse it out onto the road shuffling backwards, lesson learnt

zubair · 01-01-2021 7:00pm

He took it pretty slow and there's barely any lean on the bike, you have to get around the corner somehow thiugh. But even if you're going straight and upright on ice the odds are against you on a bike.

I'm a wimp!

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