Registered for road sportive tomorrow.  Forecast to be -3°C at 8 am tomorrow.  The cold doesn’t bother me, but icy roads tend to suck the fun out of road riding.  In these conditions I’d usually go out on the MTB instead and enjoy the mud being frozen over.

So, should I MTFU and go anyway, or be boring/sensible and avoid the roads?

-5*c this morning, I set off on road bike and turned round at bottom of road. I was like Bradley Wiggins at the Giro. “My grandmother could have rode faster”. Death on a stick if you ask me.

I sack off road riding if there is going to be ice , I know a couple of people who’ve had big injuries ( broken hips) when taking it easy and been on one club run where we had six crashes on icy roads, not worth the risk for me anymore

When was the last time you fell off onto tarmac? Its as hard as and hurts like……

I came off on black ice two weeks before Christmas. My shoulder still hurts…

However, if it’s been dry, like it is round here, there’s nothing to freeze so the roads are generally okay (with a bit of care)

I know my road bike will be firmly staying on the turbo for the next week or so, my fatbike has had 700x38mm 45Nrth Gravdal (252 studs) winter tyres on it for the last few weeks, but I will be dropping the pressures down to ~40/60PSI for the commute in tomorrow morning… -3C feels like -8C at 0600! 😮

have you been training for the last six months to win this sportive or is it just a bike ride? do your own risk assessment based on this

(in similar position, road ride half-booked for tomorrow but cold conditions and non-muddy off-road seem to be gaining the upper-hand)

Just turn up dressed appropriately.

Depends if it’s been wet or dry prior to the cold snap, cold doesn’t necessarily mean ice.I think I’d probably go for it if the roads looked dry and then just be cautious of bends, breaking areas etc.

Probably a bit late to get some of these, which I have on my commuter:-

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/technical-guide/continental-top-contact-winter-tyre-review

I wouldn’t in -4C, it’s not just the hard hurty tarmac and other stationary objects, it’s the thought of sliding into a passing car…Personal risk assessment required.

Bugger that. If the local mud’s frozen and fast, why are you even asking the question? 😆

No Excuses sportive tomorrow, starting at 8am, forecast is about -1C.

If I don’t show up, I have to pay the entry fee!

I think I’ll take the commuter with the big fat tyres and run them quite low pressure.

I wouldn’t risk fitness and maybe a couple of months riding for the sake of a sportive, there will be plenty more thoughout the summer.

So, should I MTFU and go anyway, or be boring/sensible and avoid the roads?

It’s not about manning up, riding on ice is horrible.  My commute goes across a moor so the temps drop pretty low, I can leave home where there’s no ice then get to the highest point and it’s like Narnia. Riding on ice is stressful, dangerous and you slide a long way when you fall – which is even worse if you happen to land on a stone and it s;ides along with you – I still have the scars.  Honestly it’s not worth it.

If it is a decently run \ organised sportive, they will check the course and cancel if it is icy \ they believe it to be too dangerous.

The Wiggle sportive down at Amberley was cancelled both road (Saturday) and offroad (Sunday) a few weeks back as the roads were icy and after all the rain, the offroad route was too muddy. Having ridden it the offroad sportive in previous years it has also been a claggy mudfest, but this year somehow managed to be even worse.

Ultimately though, as an adult you have to make up your own mind as to whether it is worth riding it if not cancelled. Only you know whether you are able to read the road and react to the conditions as they occur in front of you or you are happy to risk coming off and being fine, hitting a concrete post or going under a car etc etc

‘have you been training for the last six months to win this sportive or is it just a bike ride? do your own risk assessment based on this’

Very much just a bike ride.  I’ve come off on black ice before and been off the bike for weeks, hence my caution.

It was -6 on my way to work this morning and was fine.

But, that was on gritted main roads, I’d imagine a sportive would be off the beaten track to an extent so probably not gritted. That being said, as others have said with the dry weather we’ve had it wasn’t icy on the untreated bits, so it might be ok. I’d decide based on how much I wanted to do it along with how much it cost me.

This is one of the reasons that I’m no longer a fan of organised events.

Plan your own rides and, if the weather is awful, you’re free to ride elsewhere or not at all – without any thought for lost fees.

i went out for a quick 40km on quiet country lanes last night, coming back at 9ish. That was on 23mm tyres. It was -3c for the last hour. It was fine (toes were a little cold…), no ice at all. It’s been dry for a few days (here at least), so I’d do another cycle tomorrow easily.

It’s a different type of cold to normal (more continental, less damp). So give it a go.

Cost not an issue.  Goes to charity if I don’t turn up.

It’s just icy roads that suck the fun out of road riding? Thought road riding itself sucked the fun out of road riding.

Sack it off, get on the MTB.

i went out for a quick 40km on quiet country lanes last night, coming back at 9ish. It was -3c for the last hour

It was -2 on my commute home last night at 6pm and it was fine, but after a night of those temperatures there would be some icy patches no matter how dry it it.

-3 this morning on my commute this morning, but bone dry, so no problem at all on my road bike. Only bad news if it’s been wet.

We were supposed to do a UK Cycling Events sportive from Amberley a couple of weeks ago. On the start line for 8am, they delayed for an hour & then cancelled due to sheet ice on some of the roads.

I came off on black ice a week ago. My right thigh is still mostly purple, painfully swollen, my elbow still hasn’t healed up and I’m walking with a limp. I’d want to be very sure that the roads are perfectly dry before doing an organized ride in sub zero temperatures.

I rode about 9 miles back from the pub last night, getting home about 12:30 and all the parked cars were heavily iced up.

Being pissed as a fart meant I was oblivious to the danger and stayed upright.

But the danger isn’t just you sliding off and hurting your hip.  It’s that out of control van sliding sideways towards you.

Earlier this week – it was a bit ‘crispy’ at -25C in northern Finland. Smarts a bit when the hairs in your nose freeze and ice forms on your face.

Seriously, it’s been pretty dry this week so expect the roads to be dry / non-icy and icy spots are easier to spot when it’s been dry. I’ll be out the road bike tomorrow, just mindful of shiney patches and shady areas.

Is there actually a Met Office ice warning out for the sportive route? We have a club policy that club rides get cancelled for an ice warning, as do the social rides I run, not because it is below zero. Sub zero but dry does not always equal ice.

6.30 am club ride is on tomorrow morning – forecast -3 with -6 windchill, but all club riders are reporting rides today have been on dry roads.

I’ve got a social ride planned for Sunday with a similar forecast and unless we have rain/sleet/snow and get an ice warning then we’ll be riding.

My commute is on ungritted tarmac cycle paths – done it in a dry -6 with no problems this winter, but missed a couple of days when it’s been wet and just below freezing.

Appreciate everyone has their own mental “meh!” limit though. Wouldn’t criticise people who decide those conditions are not for them. Do wonder about some people I know who have been unable to get out for a ride since October apparently due to snow/ice/rain/dark. Really? 24/7 since October?

Having badly crashed may years ago on ice, I take no chances.  I bought Schwalbe Snow Studs for my 26″ MTB about 8 years ago and used to use them in the ice to get to work.  I’ve got a set of Ice Spiker Pro Evo ready for the FS 27.5 bike. Might get a chance to use them in the next week or so.  A mate is off the bike having come off his MTB a few weeks ago on  small road section.

Ice spike tyres are something else.

It’s been bone dry it’ll be fine.

+1 for Ice Spikers on an MTB – only had mine out for a couple of snowy days this year, but the look on people’s faces as you ride across frozen compressed snow is a joy to behold.

The noise they make on tarmac, less so….

Even the old snow studs on a vintage 90’s MTB outran friends on modern bikes on a icy descent, and they only have 120 spikes, not over 300.  I just shot off riding over and through every bit of ice.

Waiting to try out the ice spikers though. They need running in, so tomorrow will be more off road flat rather than anything that needs heavy braking until the studs bed in.  Picked them up for £41 each from bike discount.de and ordered a set of spare studs.  My older snow studs haven’t dropped one in 8 years.

Ultimately though, as an adult you have to make up your own mind as to whether it is worth riding it if not cancelled. Only you know whether you are able to read the road and react to the conditions as they occur in front of you or you are happy to risk coming off and being fine, hitting a concrete post or going under a car etc etc

Lighten up FFS.

Little chance of being wet, so I think I’ll keep my fingers crossed and just watch out for the shady sections.  Cheers all.

My last icy road crash cost me a collar bone, mech, shifter, bruises and several weeks. I now have a sticky set of Nokian studded tyres for such riding which is probably overkill in the UK and would seriously suck for anything like a sportive but as above, it’s up to you.

Wake up, check road conditions, have a stamp on your garden and see how frozen the ground is, then choose which ride will be more fun. I guess if there is a lot of cash involved in the sportive or it’s something particularly unique it could sway me. But generally I would run the fun option.

Enjoy whichever you choose buddy 😀

Lighten up FFS.

You asked the stupid question 🙂

I Should have added a smiley.  It wasn’t a particularly serious questions, I guess that wasn’t clear to you.

But….it’s people like you that make this a really dour place sometimes.  You could apply ‘you are an adult, make you own decisions’ to about 90% of posts on here.  Seriously, lighten up FFS.  Maybe a sense of humour transplant?

Most stealth troll ever?

Might take the trike out first thing instead 😉 Three wheels good…

<div class=”bbp-reply-author”>therealthing
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I Should have added a smiley.  It wasn’t a particularly serious questions, I guess that wasn’t clear to you.

But….it’s people like you that make this a really dour place sometimes.  You could apply ‘you are an adult, make you own decisions’ to about 90% of posts on here.  Seriously, lighten up FFS.  Maybe a sense of humour transplant?

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Pipe down son. You did in fact ask a serious question, and got serious answers – so have the courtesy of saying thanks very much and think about what’s been said.

Fact is that cycling is a MTFU sport in almost every aspect but road riding on ice is an exception. Outwith your control and too much at stake – the hardest of roadmen will park it up if there’s ice on the tarmac meaning you should too.