When is it too risky to commute by bike?
7elizamae
Posts: 758 Member
I just started bike commuting a few months ago.
I don't mind the rain too much. I don't mind the cold too much. I ride in the dark most days and I'm used to that.
But, the fog is freakin' me out a little. Fog + dark + freezing = scary.
So, those of you who ride a bike in all kinds of weather, when do you skip the ride?
I don't mind the rain too much. I don't mind the cold too much. I ride in the dark most days and I'm used to that.
But, the fog is freakin' me out a little. Fog + dark + freezing = scary.
So, those of you who ride a bike in all kinds of weather, when do you skip the ride?
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Replies
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When I used to cycle year round, the only time I took the bus was when the snow fall was really heavy and they hadn't been out to clear it ... it was even difficult to walk on those few days, with snow up past my knees. Or if it was really icy, like if we had a bit of a thaw and then it froze again.
That's all.
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I won't even ride a bike on a road on a perfect sunny day. Too many kittenhead drivers out there...9
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Christine_72 wrote: »I won't even ride a bike on a road on a perfect sunny day. Too many kittenhead drivers out there...
I'm lucky enough to live close to a pretty nice multi-use trail. So all but two miles of my ride is on the trail.
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When I used to cycle year round, the only time I took the bus was when the snow fall was really heavy and they hadn't been out to clear it ... it was even difficult to walk on those few days, with snow up past my knees. Or if it was really icy, like if we had a bit of a thaw and then it froze again.
That's all.
Well, snow up to my knees would definitely stop me, too!
Where I live, temps tend to hover around freezing on winter mornings so we get black ice. I'm nervous about that.1 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I won't even ride a bike on a road on a perfect sunny day. Too many kittenhead drivers out there...
Same here.
Don't have a bicycle now but when I did I only road it on bike only pathways. Can't count the number of reported bicylist deaths on the roadway that I've heard about on TV or read about in the newspaper or on the Net.1 -
When I used to cycle year round, the only time I took the bus was when the snow fall was really heavy and they hadn't been out to clear it ... it was even difficult to walk on those few days, with snow up past my knees. Or if it was really icy, like if we had a bit of a thaw and then it froze again.
That's all.
Well, snow up to my knees would definitely stop me, too!
Where I live, temps tend to hover around freezing on winter mornings so we get black ice. I'm nervous about that. That was in Winnipeg, Canada.
Where I live now, the distance and terrain (very hill) make the bus much more appealing for a commute.
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Just off your title, always. Jeez, even driving is more risky these days with all these selfish losers that can't stay off their phones while driving.3
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i think it depends where you are. my city is pretty 'mature' as far as bike consciousness goes, so it makes a difference.
fog is freaky though. i did keep riding one surreal winter where we had massive snow followed by an extended period of fog every day until it finally all sublimated. but it's one of the few things i've looked back on and realised it was probably actively selfish and dumb for me to be out on the road. regular city side streets, okay . . . but not in the area i was in which was more highwayesque and much faster traffic with non-specific types of shoulders.
so i'm not sure if i would do it again. reflective gear to the max, if for any reason i ever did. not saying that even that will do much for you, but it's better than relying on nothing but lights.1 -
So, those of you who ride a bike in all kinds of weather, when do you skip the ride?
To an extent it depends if it's a simple commute, ten miles to my local office, or a multimodal commute; London by train.
Locally I'll use my CX bike so deep enough snow to make that untenable.
In London I'm on my Brompton, so heavy rain or snow. At least on the Brommie I can fold it up and take it on the bus in London.
Riding defensively; dominating the roadspace, exploiting shelter and taking opportunities at junctions help a lot. Don't cower in the gutters.
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Massively depends on the route. My dad occasionally cycled to work alongside a canal - and I got the impression that the toughest time was spring, because the towpath got very overgrown very quickly and it wasn't that easy to see the edge of the path. He never did end up swimming, thankfully, but he did stop doing it!2
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When the weather people say "travel ban- do not go outside unless you absolutely need to!"
My friend's father cycles all year round- and we live in upstate NY so it's darn snowy. He has a ton of reflector on his bike, as well as the flashy light, and he wears the reflective vest. I think he may even have reflective strips on his helmet.3 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »So, those of you who ride a bike in all kinds of weather, when do you skip the ride?
To an extent it depends if it's a simple commute, ten miles to my local office, or a multimodal commute; London by train.
Locally I'll use my CX bike so deep enough snow to make that untenable.
In London I'm on my Brompton, so heavy rain or snow. At least on the Brommie I can fold it up and take it on the bus in London.
Riding defensively; dominating the roadspace, exploiting shelter and taking opportunities at junctions help a lot. Don't cower in the gutters.
+1
And like running, there isn't bad weather, just bad clothing.
I've already put my road bike away, and I'm riding 1.65 miles to the train station on a mtb. Lobster gloves work better on a mtb vs drop bars for me.
When it gets snowy enough to stop a mtb, the governor has probably shut down the state
. it's happened twice in the past few years when we got 40" of snow in a day. 1 -
Another Londoner here. I skip in fog or torrential rain. I'd also skip if very icy (but unusual here). Any time my safety might be compromised by visibility. It's just not worth the risk, especially as I'm riding on roads. But my preference is to be out there on the bike!1
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Once the snow arrives my bike stays on the trainer. I'm also lucky that much of my commute is on multi-use paths but they don't get cleared in winter and I've never been hardcore crazy enough to ride on the roads in the snow (we do have quite a few people that ride all year 'round, one of my friends has suggested that I get a fat bike for winter riding....) FWIW I run outside all year long.....1
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NEVER! I go in anything!3
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I cycle a lot in the spring, summer, and fall...I can't really bike commute unfortunately because 3x per week I work in an office that is 32 miles away...2x per week I work in an office that is about 10 miles away and I'd love to commute, but those are also the days when I'm tasked with taking the boys to school and picking them up afterwards.
In the winter I'm pretty much relegated to my bike trainer save for nicer weekend days. We do have some nice trails around town, but I do most of my riding on the road in bike lanes and I won't ride in the dark...so mornings are out and so are evenings. I'm also not a huge fan of cold...if it's below about 40* F I pretty much won't ride.
In the winter I typically spend more time in the gym...usually get in a weekend ride and one or two quick interval sessions on my indoor trainer.2 -
Country and country roads with no shoulders.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »I won't even ride a bike on a road on a perfect sunny day. Too many kittenhead drivers out there...
I don't commute, but I do ride my bike after work 2-3x a week. I will ride in anything except driving rain and high winds.
I live in a rural farming/ranching area. I ride on lonely "farm-to-market" roads. My only competition most days are farm dogs that run with me for a couple 100 yards and an occasional tractor or combine.
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I'm doing my first full winter cycle commuting this year and have already done it in -30 temperatures with snow and dark, even though I'm a big baby about cold usually.
However, I am urban (so there are streetlights and other people around), I wear my ski gear (including ski pants, mask, and goggles), I have my bike lit up like a Christmas tree (front and back lights, those LED wheel lights that make colour patterns, LED bracelets so my hand signals are seen), I have a bike with wider grippy tires (and I want to buy some studded ones!), and my city has some bike paths and lanes for about half my commute as well so I'm separated from traffic. I also wear neon and a helmet, and my city is a winter city and good about ploughing/salting/sanding/grading within 24 hrs so the roads themselves are usually not piled with snow or covered with ice with no sand or anything.
I am very, very careful to use less-congested roads and ride with caution.
It was scary for about a week, but I'm already accustomed to it and I am so happy I'm pushing myself to do it this year. It's 40 minutes of moderate exercise every weekday I wouldn't be getting and it's saving me money and time (since it's actually faster than my public transit option and parking at my office is like $400/month).2 -
It's too risky when there are other cars and cyclists on the road. Otherwise it's golden. People are dumb when in charge of any kind of vehicle. Some nice isolated trails or steep inclines would eliminate most of the rabble.2
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You are not messing around! You'd probably laugh if you saw me biking.MeanderingMammal wrote: »So, those of you who ride a bike in all kinds of weather, when do you skip the ride?
To an extent it depends if it's a simple commute, ten miles to my local office, or a multimodal commute; London by train.
Locally I'll use my CX bike so deep enough snow to make that untenable.
In London I'm on my Brompton, so heavy rain or snow. At least on the Brommie I can fold it up and take it on the bus in London.
Riding defensively; dominating the roadspace, exploiting shelter and taking opportunities at junctions help a lot. Don't cower in the gutters. I don't even know what those things ("exploiting shelter," etc) mean! I commute on a multi-use trail, avoiding the roads at every opportunity. I'm only on the roads for about 2.5 of 9 miles. So, I'm a pansy. A happy pansy content to move along at 15 mph. And the freezing, dark fog still spooks me.
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Okay, I'm inspired. I went in the dark frost this morning and it was fine. I slowed down on the bridges where it looked frostiest. I'm still a little nervous about freezing weather, but I really want to stick with the bike commute.
Several of you said you avoid driving rain. I've done plenty of that. It's not really a problem if I have the right clothes. My face is wet. I put my mascara on after I ride. But rain isn't anything that would stop me.
Heavy wind is impressive, but wouldn't stop me.
It's the fog I don't like. But I'm going to try to stick with it.1 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »Riding defensively; dominating the roadspace, exploiting shelter and taking opportunities at junctions help a lot. Don't cower in the gutters.
I rode motorcycles for about 50 years. As with motorcycling, it pays to be vigilant and vary your tactics depending on the situation but, just like motorcycles, bicycles will NEVER win a battle w/a car or truck and "discretion is the better part of valor" when it comes to "sharing" the roadway w/4 to 18 wheeled vehicles.
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You are not messing around! You'd probably laugh if you saw me biking.MeanderingMammal wrote: »So, those of you who ride a bike in all kinds of weather, when do you skip the ride?
To an extent it depends if it's a simple commute, ten miles to my local office, or a multimodal commute; London by train.
Locally I'll use my CX bike so deep enough snow to make that untenable.
In London I'm on my Brompton, so heavy rain or snow. At least on the Brommie I can fold it up and take it on the bus in London.
Riding defensively; dominating the roadspace, exploiting shelter and taking opportunities at junctions help a lot. Don't cower in the gutters. I don't even know what those things ("exploiting shelter," etc) mean! I commute on a multi-use trail, avoiding the roads at every opportunity. I'm only on the roads for about 2.5 of 9 miles. So, I'm a pansy. A happy pansy content to move along at 15 mph. And the freezing, dark fog still spooks me.
And meanwhile, I try to avoid multi-use trails. Scary places with all the peds and kids and dogs on them!
That said, we've got a couple nearby I do use, but most of my riding is on the road. Can't ride 100+ miles on trails around here!
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I'm still a little nervous about freezing weather, but I really want to stick with the bike commute.
that's really a sensible thing to be nervous about. i did have a black-ice fall once and all i can say is: it was unlike any other bike crash that i've ever had. so if you can track down studded tires and afford them, then absolutely do it. my favourite so far has been the schwalbe snow stud, but i think my current set are winter marathons which have also been pretty okay.
they feel sort of like riding on a zip-tie on bare ground, and they need a little more leg to work with, plus the studs do wear out faster on pavement. it's still seriously worth it if black ice is any kind of concern. i'm saying all this as someone who hasn't set up her own winter bike yet, but still you should listen to me imo. it's one of those things that you might need for only four feet out of an entire commute - but when you hit those four feet you might really need them.
and for fog i'm going to reiterate: get one of those dork-flavoured safety vests with the giant reflective xes on them.0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »Riding defensively; dominating the roadspace, exploiting shelter and taking opportunities at junctions help a lot. Don't cower in the gutters.
I rode motorcycles for about 50 years. As with motorcycling, it pays to be vigilant and vary your tactics depending on the situation but, just like motorcycles, bicycles will NEVER win a battle w/a car or truck and "discretion is the better part of valor" when it comes to "sharing" the roadway w/4 to 18 wheeled vehicles.
Fwiw I'm trained in pursuit driving and motorcycling. If you apply similar principles on a pedal cycle you're going to be ok. It helps to be very aware of how other vehicles move, and what that means for the cyclist.0 -
I'm a pansy compared to you folks. I'm from the Deep South, so my cut off parameters are temps below 40degC, over 110degC, headwind greater than 15mph, and most importantly flooding.
Also access to trails. My office just moved where I have no access to trails, so my bike commuting days are over. I've been hit by a car once, and don't really want to experience it twice. I live in a large urban city that is completely bike unfriendly.0 -
I only ride because it give me a valid excuse to wear skin tight spandex without having to explain myself to the police.
.... again.4 -
I just started bike commuting a few months ago.
I don't mind the rain too much. I don't mind the cold too much. I ride in the dark most days and I'm used to that.
But, the fog is freakin' me out a little. Fog + dark + freezing = scary.
So, those of you who ride a bike in all kinds of weather, when do you skip the ride?
At least in Buffalo, there are way too many people who don't bother to buy and swap to snow tires in the winter. I really, really don't want to share an icy road with them without being encased in a large pile of steel myself.0
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