Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site cfa.UUCP
Path: utzoo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!cfa!mink
From: mink@cfa.UUCP (Doug Mink)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Falling On Ice
Message-ID: <186@cfa.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 23-Feb-86 16:15:38 EST
Article-I.D.: cfa.186
Posted: Sun Feb 23 16:15:38 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Feb-86 01:09:41 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Lines: 36

Joe Ludwig writes in <458@tekigm2.UUCP>:
 
> 	I just took my second fall with my bicycle on ice within
> 	the last four months.  Whereas the first was on an uphill
> 	grade with minimal speed, the second was on a downhill
> 	at about 20 MPH...
> 
> 	Now I don't live in an extremely cold area.  What do you
> 	folks who commute year round in colder areas do about
> 	this problem?  I don't want to stop commuting just because
> 	it's below freezing temperature.
 
First, you shouldn't be going 20 on ice, especially if it's not
prefectly smooth.  We had an icestorm in Boston last week, so I got a
chance to practice my ice riding a bit.  The most important thing to
remember is not to make any fast changes of direction; in this sense,
bicycling on ice is not much different than driving on ice.  This also
means that you should take great pains not to do anything that will
cause the automobile drivers with whom you are sharing the road to have
to make any quick maneuvers.
Riding techniques on rough ice are not that much different from those
needed on loose gravel.  The bicycle wheels can be pushed in random
directions unexpectedly; your job is to keep your direction of travel
constant and the wheels turning.  If you go too slow, your lack of
momentum will allow the bike to be too easily diverted; if you go to
fast, the results of a slight slip can be disastrous.  My recommendation
is to find a parking lot or alley with no traffic and awful conditions
and practice on it.
As for special equipment, I ride the same 15-year-old Raleigh Grand Prix
with 1 1/4 inch Specialized touring tires all year, though in bad winter
weather, I replace the toe-clipped pedals with ATB pedals and ride with
hiking boots for traction when I need more surface contact to stop.  On
heavy snow, an ATB has an advantage, but the sport-touring frame's
maneuverability is useful in traffic conditions.
--
				-Doug Mink