To Ride Or Not To Ride? Slippy Snow Commute?

The snow killed my bike.

I came off on a descent and snapped a seat stay.

Now need new hack bike as a matter of priority.

PM'd

Yep, underneath the railway bridge at the Old St/Hackney Rd/Kingsland Rd junction. I was stuck in traffic at the lights, as was the gritter lorry, so I was gritted repeatedly.

It is quite worrying in a way, but the grit is spread horizontally at about knee height so gritted legs (if exposed) are probably the only negative outcome - not sure how you got it in your face se1derful?! I was glad of my Swrve trousers anyway.

Didn't get the main grit, that hit my knees too, but there was a cloud of dusty salt mess from the hopper about face level! Didn't help that the lorry passed about 2 feet from me I suppose...

There's something quite satisfying about rolling on huge tyres though, even in the dry. Takes effort to get going but then it's like riding a Volvo estate.

if that were true you'd have Dammit jumping up into your lap then start fiddling with your transmission so to speak.

I think that is my old frame I never built up and sold on. Bought from someone off here about 2/3 years ago

I imagine so. It's done the rounds, I think I was the first person to build it up. Nice frame, but for some reason the front fork ends are not true, meaning that when you put a wheel in you have to space out the dropout with a little ball bearing to get the wheel centred.
Very odd, considering the dropouts are all campy...
Does the job though, clearances for 37s, and smooth as fuck.

Commuted today after the hell yesterday and it was fine. The couple of miles from me to Peckham down ungritted back roads was actually pretty good fun with fixed 37s, felt like I was stuck to the road.

Managed to have an altercation with a van driver who was VERY annoyed (I assume, he wasn't making much sense) that I was in primary position. Logged a complaint with his company when I got in though and received a very nice email back within 10 minutes, apologising profusely and ensuring me that he would be spoken to. Which was nice.

Also got a few streets away from work and noticed two of the links on my chain had splayed and were just about hanging on, thankfully it hadn't come apart going across Marylebone Road at rush hour.
Ended up taking the train home though as I forgot my fucking chain tool.

TL;DR - I rode to work in the snow, it had its highs and lows.

I've ridden 7 miles each way (South to Central) every day since Friday and it's been fine. The only hairy bit is riding across Clapham Common which hasn't been gritted. The snow on the paths has been compacted, melted and refrozen to a one-inch ice death sheet so I've been walking through that bit. Today I was faster doing that than another bloke who was doing a foot of wobbly cycling at a time before putting his foot down.

It's not even that cold.

Oh and I'm on Schwalbe Durano Plus, 25c.

Yep, agree on the bit about central being fine. The back roads around Nunhead/Honor Oak/Peckham are deadly/massive fun though.
Conti contact 37s, even hard have amazing traction. Made me really glad to be fixed this morning, though being clipped in was a bit sketchy. Rode most of the ice rink bits unclipped with my heels on the pedals, but didn't slide at all.

Well the greenway (walkers/cyclists only) turned into a veritable icerink on some areas with as added bonus snow with tracks that froze over...

...The 26" schwable marathon winters studs however cut straight through not derailing me one bit (that's what I always HATE about snow tracks they force you to following the track) and I went right on like there was nothing.

With some crunchy sounds of course ;)

Glad the roads were clear, no way I am going to play with White Van Man who will not have done anything about his tires!

I've ridden 7 miles each way (South to Central) every day since Friday and it's been fine. The only hairy bit is riding across Clapham Common which hasn't been gritted. The snow on the paths has been compacted, melted and refrozen to a one-inch ice death sheet so I've been walking through that bit. Today I was faster doing that than another bloke who was doing a foot of wobbly cycling at a time before putting his foot down.

It's not even that cold.

What was Clapham like today? Thawed or still a rink? I avoided that route as I couldn't be arsed to deal with the ice there...

Went for a little roll around SE1 this afternoon, on 23mm Gatorskins. Main roads not too bad, side roads generally okay under the snow.

I saw you taking this picture. I was heading back from the Goldsmith's pub over the other side of that park with one of my workmates and noted "look! There's a guy taking a picture of his sweet fixeh in the snow" and he was all "how can you tell it's a fixeh? You can only see the top half of the bike" and I was like "I can tell by the hipster handlebars"

I know the snow is gone now, but last night I was waiting at the lights behind a guy on a disc brake equipped hybrid. He had put zip ties around the tire and rim all the way round his wheels. He claimed to have great grip on the remaining snow and ice. Cheap and cheerful solution (until you get a puncture and have to cut off 36 zip ties)

That works on snow, but not on ice.

Spacycles and Wiggle sales are the way to go nearer November time to get winter tires in...