So its snowing..

[miss.metallica]

...hoping it wont get any worse but since I now have about 20 or so miles to ride to work in the early morning, have you guys got any advice for riding in the snow? Ive only done it once before, got caught in it coming home, only a few miles from my house so it wasn't so bad, but apart from the obvious taking it easy etc, anything else I should know about?

cheers all

[haroman666]

Do what this guy does.
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[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Don't do what this bloke did
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[yaigi]

Seriously, if you can avoid it, then do. Not worth trying to be a hero.
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[Teflon-Mike]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

TM this time tomorrow:

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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Clanger]

[miss.metallica]

Its usually more very bad frost & ice i get concerned about but since ive not had any experience riding in snow yet im a little unsure. Im on a cbr 125, so small enough, just dont want to be going arse over tit. Well my dad said he would help me with lifts as much as he could if it gets very bad so we'll see!

Roll on the summer....

[Raffles]

[Supermoto_Fan]

Arrange a lift/public transport if it has snowed when you wake up tomorrow morning. Not worth the risk
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Yamaha MT-09 - Triple powerrrr

[P.addy]

[Clanger]

[Acemastr]

Above youtube says otherwise!
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
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[Raffles]

[covent.gardens]

I will ride in the snow, when/if it comes, having long legs helps though, I can get two feet flat down to steady the bike if I have to, wouldn't fancy riding in snow if I couldn't do that.

[kawakid]

Tbh Even though I have ridden in the snow i would not risk it.

I came off last year in the snow, what happens is your front wheel goes very very light, as if it is in the air, the next you are on then floor.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Louise]

Where I park my bike at home, if it snows it takes weeks for the snow/ice to go - I end up shovling myself out like last year.
I work 10 miles away, in a small Village - and when Ice sets in there I know im in shyte because that place freeze's like a mofo...
Were due snow tonight, Im prepared to get the bus Lets pray public transport dont screw up due to 1 inch of snow

[Spudly]

I find that GoNorthEast, who run the buses round here can manage to completely fuck things up in the middle of a dry spell in June. I'm not prepared to take a chance on them miraculously or accidentally managing to put a bus within half an hour of its advertised time, so if I have to paddle the bike to work tomorrow, that's what I'll do.
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The Old Apprentice

[CaNsA]

[ClydeGhost]

Ah, I'm in the same situation as you. I only have a motorbike for commuting to work and Uni. I. Am. Boned.
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Honda CBF125 : Suzuki GS500

[sidewinder]

I look at it this way probably cheaper to loose a days pay than repairing a dropped bike
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[Pigeon]

[Teflon-Mike]

Just looked out the window... it looks like its settling..... well.... there's this sort of badly done paint job mottling of white..... Hmmm Snowie got to go do calls in this in the am I wonder if she'll be in her element

Advice:-
Its roads. You have a 'road' vehicle. If cars are moving on it... so can you on a bike. You just have to be careful.... like you would in a car.

Sure you can fall over; but you can do that ANY time on a bike. Nothing special about bad weather!

So get the "Oh My God I'm Going to Crash" head off, or you will.

Its negative thinking and tount-amount to willing desaster, and a form of target fixation.

Yes you have good cause to be concerned, and good reason to be careful, but not THAT much more than any other time of year.

Do you aproach every corner in the summer thinking "Oh my gawd! There might be diesel round that bend! I'm going to fall off!"?

So, get a grip and put the risks into perspective. dont let your fears rule your reason.

If cars can move on it, so can a bike.

Its going to be hard work.
Its going to be COLD
You will probably be uncomfortable
Do you HAVE to go out in it? Do you WANT to go out in it?

You don't have to if you don't want to, and no shame in saying 'no'.

OK, so if you do.

Its bad weather, reduced grip, reduced visibility conditions, with increased chances of variable road surface.

Clear black tarmac; swept by passage of vehicles and gritted; grip could be as good as on any other day, give or take a bit.

Tyres will be colder, which may mean they aren't as sticky; but unless you are running super-sticky sports-compound rubber, unlikely to make a discernible difference.

Will likely be 'wet' on the surface though; phenomenon of the chyrstal structure of solid H2O is that it melts under pressure, like when a car wheel rolls over it. That and municipal road-salting will see damp surface. But tyres have tread, to dispell water from under them, and give you grip....

So for the most part shouldn't be any different to riding on any other damp road.

Moderate your speed, give yourself good braking distances, change braking balence a little, more rear, less front, but still front applied before back, and ALWAYS applied smoothly and progressively.

Which is watchword for everything in poor weather; smooth and progressive. Least acceleration, least braking, least steering, least lean; keep it minimal, keep it smooth. Worst thing you can do is be panicky, snatchy and jerky.

And again, like any other day; Hazard awareness, forward planning, and 'predictive' riding.

Risks of poor weather, aren't a lot different to any other day. Only difference is what you are looking for and what changes you make for it.

On a wet day, on a country road; sweeping corners with over hanging trees. Trees shelter the road, you are less likely to have standing water under them, but, more likely that 'drip' from the trees sees the tarmac more broken up. So you err away from the kerb incase its an area of poor surface.

Tomorrow? Same shelter will as like mean that snow is on the trees, not on the road. BUt by same token, any 'melt' will drip there, and shade will also save sun from keeping melt water melted, you may find 're-freeze' ice.

You watch for low lying portions of the road, the gutter zone, dips, bottoms of hills, same as you would on a rainy day; thats where melt water will collect.

You watch hedge lines, for shaddow, that shades frost or snow from melt, and you 'err' like a soldier for the 'high-ground', the crest between wheel-tracks or the upper slope of road camber, remembering that these less wheel-swept zones tend to have more crap and road detritus in them, so better grip, but not necessarily great, and take it careful, and smooth.

Lightweight verses heavyweight?

Personally I think it makes little odds. Bigger bikes tend to be more stable, and in reduced grip conditions, extra mass putting extra load on the road can find them more grip before they do anything skittish. Take that further, driving a car with even more weight, they will tend to have an easier time as long as they can find some grip, and take it up to my two tone all wheel drive Range-Rover... yeah.. fantastic.... up to a point... that point being when they do 'let go'. 200Kg of motorcycle and rider doesn't have very much 'momentum' so only needs a small force to get it heading back in the right direction..... 2000Kg of Range-Rover and passengers? well when that starts sliding? It has a LOT of momentum, takes a LOT of force to make it do something different... as bludy great dent I have in a Rangie bonnet is reminder of! At least on a bike you can stick a boot on the deck in an attempt to effect a change, AND its likely to accomplish something!

Trials; its an all year sport, always in 'reduced grip' situations. They don't cancel events because of bad weather. We ride tricky obsticle strewn sections, you would think twice about walking over, in ice, and snow, or baking sun, and everything in between. Rain. Usually rain. We find grip and we don't even have tarmac beneath us. YET we can ride these seemingly impossible 'sections'. Admitedly slowly. And even in teh best of them, I am pleased as punch if I get a 'clean' having negotiated one without putting a foot down.

But point is, its almost NEVER completely 'unrideable'.

Bad. Difficult. Nasty. Uncomfortable. Hard-Work. YES.

But, if you have some common sense, and take some reasonable precautions, keep your wits about you, as you ought to ALL the time, apply the same basic skills you ought to ALL the time, but MOST of all, dont let fear rule your reason...... it CAN be done!

Remember.... excluding that bourish bloke from the colonies... WE'RE BRITISH! Didn't conquer a third the world, being afraid of a little weather now did we! Think of Drake! Livingston! Shackleston!.... well maybe that last ones not so good.... but you get my drift! Stiff upper-lip and the bulldog spirit, man!... miss! mizz... or any other gender for that matter!

Whoops... sorry.... little bit of the Melchets there, I'm afraid! Damn you Blackadder!

Yup.... bottom line is if you have any sense; you'd be warm and snug in bed... maybe wrapping kids up in warm coats and scarves and suggesting finding a hill to go toboggan or have a snow-ball fight on, maybe make a snowman..... this is what snow is best for.

No kids? Well... probably too late to suggest making a couple..... wouldn't be here in time.... you can often borrow some though..... borrowed ones I find are even better than your own..... they tend to be more polite, more grateful.... and you can GIVE THEM BACK! (one of the few perks of being a grandad!)

At a push, you don't really NEED the kids, you can just pretend you are one..... but I tend to find people are a bit less perturbed if you have a real one or two knocking around, when you are 'playing'.

Anyhow, slightly less sensible; if you have to get up and go out and do normal everyday chore like stuff, like make a living..... you'd best do it the boring chore like way in a car.... and at least have radio 2 and a heater.

BUT if you absolutely MUST.... unless its completely impassable, deep, drifting snow storms you couldn't get a car through.... you CAN ride a bike. You JUST have to be careful, and USE YOUR HEAD.... same as any other day.
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[CaNsA]

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[dave666]

Get a bicycle, fatty.