Are the roads really oily where other people are just now too? Seems like there’s a trail of oil up about 50% of the roads in Manchester at the moment, wondering if there is something about this time of year that causes cars/lorries to leak more.

Could just be red car syndrome or could be that the roads have been wet for the past week when I’ve been cycling in and it’s more visible!

No, not oil IME, it’s always like this at this time of year, salt from grit, leaf debris and cold tyres slightly hardening giving less grip.

Could be diesel oil from a bus or truck, I remember not long after id passed my test taking a bus to do a private hire and as i left the yardthere was a trail of diesel pouring out the fuel tank. The filler was closed, but the neck of the tank was split open.
We had to get the council out to clean it up, its a real danger for motorcycles.

Really greasy roads round here at the moment. Mostly just rotted leaves and debris but some oil on the usual places like bends and roundabouts. Pretty typical of this time of year.

Yep. Manchester too. Especially bad around centre and out towards Oldham.

It’s usually worst in the mornings after truck and van drivers have filled up then headed to work.

It’s molasses in the salt. It’s a sugar and is used to help bond the road salt to the surface longer. The down side is it’s greasy when wet.

really? I always thought it was from the water on the road spraying up underneath the cars then dripping off the dirty underside of the cars and back on to the road.

really greasy, yes, specifically due to oil, no. Loads of crap from farms, construction sites (which seem to be everywhere in Oxfordshire at the moment) etc getting driven onto the roads, add to that tree fall, and then it all getting lifted by rain (and worst of all light rain/drizzle/dew which just leaves a damp greasy film rather than wash it away). If there is any diesel spill then this also lifts and spreads with the damp.

I had a rear wheel slide on my bike exiting a roundabout last night even though I’d pre-empted it, slowed down and taken a wide line.

It’s molasses in the salt

They haven’t gritted the roads darn sarf yet and many of the roads here are horrible at the moment. As nobeer says this seems to be the worst time of year for road conditions – in proper winter gritting takes care of ice, and then you get the odd really cold days where it’s a dry freeze and the roads are as grippy as in the summer.

Spotted a gritter in Berkshire while out riding Sunday night. Curiously Monday was the least greasy it’s been in a while. Is definitely to do with overnight mist and dampness.

Outer Manchester for me too, and yes it does seem particularly bad for leaky diesels at the minute. Had one the other week go on for about 5 miles through Bredbury, Marple and Stockport. Had a full on slide in the car, not grit/salt they haven’t started that yet.