View Full Version : Hardcore... Snow riders
So who rode in to work in the snow...
Oh and if you want your bike minging, snows the best way to get it filthy.
Im hardcore.
HEated handgrips did come on today though. And im sitting with my feet under my butt trying to warm my toes :lol: Even with 2 pairs of socks on.
News said it wasn't gonna snow today :evil: But still, first time i've seen snow on my new house, so can't complain.
Big respect for the bloke on the Ducati I saw filtering onto the A2 today. Bit more posh than my SV :lol:
Might have a muckabout on the tiddly-x if there's some more snow at the weekend.
Have commuted in the snow in the past, can't say I enjoyed it much so I used the car today.
the_runt69
24-01-07, 09:26 AM
Where's the "I'm not at work till next week so the bikes staying in the front garden button."
The bikes dirty enough as it is and would have been used this morning if I wasnt on leave.
H
wyntrblue
24-01-07, 09:28 AM
i nearly phoned in "sick" this morning when i saw the snow. but decided i had better go in.. the snow itself isnt an issue its the hidden ice under it i had trouble with!
needless to say i will be assessing the ride back here in the morning very carefully and may d3ecide to take the day off... i would rather be alive than splat ;)
First time in the snow on the SV for me. Thought i'd have a little "spin up fun" on the drive up to the main road..
The SV is certainly heavier than my old bike, don't think i'll do that again :lol: The weight makes so much difference :shock:
skidmarx
24-01-07, 09:32 AM
Quite thick round these parts, very impressed with the VFR filtering through the slush, and a bit concerned about the old guy on the CG who lost it down a side road wearing trainers and an anorak.
It aint worth it surely? CATCH THE BUS
wheres the " i was lovely & warm in the cage with just a t-shirt on, the heaters on full blast, cup of coffee & iron maiden CD.
although i have a day off....
Samnooshka
24-01-07, 09:50 AM
I phoned in at 7.30 this morning when i looked out the window and couldn't see the road. Decided figure skating motorbike style wasn't a sport for me so decided to stay home, boss understood as he was a biker "in his day" and would rather have me at home safely rather than go into work.
It wouldn't be so bad but the estate where i live is never gritted so even getting out to the main road is a nightmare. The tracks that the cars left has now turned to ice too.
On the other hand Lupo is absolutely loving it:
http://upload5.postimage.org/340872/_MG_0824.jpg (http://upload5.postimage.org/340872/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload5.postimage.org/340888/_MG_0819.jpg (http://upload5.postimage.org/340888/photo_hosting.html)
Of course, in leathers, and summer gloves. Bloody wimps not going out!
ok....ok I got the train! :lol: :lol:
Im hardcore.
HEated handgrips did come on today though. And im sitting with my feet under my butt trying to warm my toes :lol: Even with 2 pairs of socks on.
News said it wasn't gonna snow today :evil: But still, first time i've seen snow on my new house, so can't complain.
Big respect for the bloke on the Ducati I saw filtering onto the A2 today. Bit more posh than my SV :lol:Self heating insoles!! £1 from poundland, worth every penny, even if they only work for about an hour!!
I voted yes coz the snow has meletd and I'm not going in until 3.
Does that count?
Marshall
24-01-07, 10:40 AM
it snowed last night, but had melted and frozen by the morning, so i rode in with icy patches on ungritted roads, NOT FUN AT ALL!!
and i had a proper sideways moment on the car park at work which is a ice rink.
heated grips are ace though
Self heating insoles!! £1 from poundland, worth every penny, even if they only work for about an hour!!
£1 for a pair? Re-usable?
Cheers for the pointer, good idea for those extra cold days!!! Poundland, here i come :lol:
The evenings im usually fine, its just the mornings my tooties suffer :lol:
PsychoCannon
24-01-07, 10:52 AM
Luton as usual didn't put a jot of grit down so my local roads, well I have a test, Steped off the curb and almost landed on my **** as my foot went shooting off for the opposite side of the road.
Snow I don't mind, the fact that I have to go down a half dozen ice covered hills to get to a decent road surface then come back well after dark means I don't bother :(
Cost me £7.50 to get into work today on a smelly crowded bus and it's going to cost me the same to get back *Sigh* bring on the sun,
Ave it!! :D
Maybe summer gloves weren't such a good idea though. I did find myself looking at scooter riders with muffs (easy now) thinking "hmmmm, might be a good idea!"
northwind
24-01-07, 11:01 AM
No snow here, but when it comes I'll probably be riding in it- I'll make alternative arrangements when I have the option, but it doesn't always work out. Most of the roads from my house to my work get gritted reasonably well, but getting out of the garage and driveway is a hassle :) I've had to leave it at the bottom of the street a few times as the hill up to my house was basically impassable on road tyres... Likewise at my work, the last few hundred metres doesn't get gritted and can be icy doom. I'm not that daft ;)
Ie is worse than snow, but snow's more intimidating to most folks i reckon. Certainly there's more terrifyingly incompetent driving when there's snow on the ground :roll:
Self heating insoles!! £1 from poundland, worth every penny, even if they only work for about an hour!!
£1 for a pair? Re-usable?
Cheers for the pointer, good idea for those extra cold days!!! Poundland, here i come :lol:
The evenings im usually fine, its just the mornings my tooties suffer :lol:Sadly not, use once and throw away.
Alpinestarhero
24-01-07, 11:27 AM
I got COLD last night when riding, and spent alot of time thinking "maybe i should get heated grips..."
But tehres the hassle of fitting them...
...so, does anyone have those bar muff things fitted to their curvy 650s? I might get some but i dont want to be the only one looking like a plonker :oops:
Matt
gettin2dizzy
24-01-07, 12:10 PM
my ankles were freeeezing after this morning! i've got no issues with the snow when i'm on gritted roads, but apparently most councils in the country have spent too much money on other projects to afford to grit everywhere properly. And the main reason for overspending.....the annual competition for the roundabouts with flowers on :shock: hmmmmz. Wish oxford would hurry up and send me my new hotgrips controller! Does anyone ride any distance on ungritted roads?
northwind
24-01-07, 12:28 PM
Yeah, sometimes... Or sometimes you end up just riding on snow as there's a thick layer on top of the grit, can't be helped that. Be smoooooooth, and don't freak out at small slides, is how I do it. Also, I ride like a coward :)
SVeeedy Gonzales
24-01-07, 12:29 PM
Cars had already turned the snow to slush on the way in this morning, enabling me to filter past them and get to work with no fear of sliding about. See, cars are good for something after all.
Most of the time I've been at work and then it snow, great heavy wafts of the stuff. Back then it was stay at work or travel 65 miles home, so I got on the bike (the GT750 its was). I looked like the abominable snow man when I got home, it was a frozen jacket and trousers of snow.
muffles
24-01-07, 01:01 PM
Ie is worse than snow, but snow's more intimidating to most folks i reckon. Certainly there's more terrifyingly incompetent driving when there's snow on the ground :roll:
i prefer black ice; what i don't know can't hurt me :lol:
I got COLD last night when riding, and spent alot of time thinking "maybe i should get heated grips..."
But tehres the hassle of fitting them...
...so, does anyone have those bar muff things fitted to their curvy 650s? I might get some but i dont want to be the only one looking like a plonker :oops:
Matt
you can get wrap around grips, called hot hands, lot easier to fit than the grips..i know im going to be fitting some.[/code]
Dave The Rave
24-01-07, 01:24 PM
I did have a small escapade yesterday, trying to go to Sheffield. 2 hrs on the bike with summer gloves on! Roads full of snow and ice - I'd rather give birth than do this again! It hurt when my finger eventually came back to life. Last time that happened was when I did some winter climbing in Alps. So it was in a car trip today - climate control set to 22C, radio on and queuing almost all the way to work. 25 minutes trip took me almost 1 hr.
I'm a hardcore train rider...
8)
Well, I braved the snow today on the commute to London. I've only been riding a month and when a van driver leaned out his window and said 'you're mad' I must admit I did wonder if maybe he had a point. Filtering through the slush and occasionally feeling the front wheel lose grip was a bit scary. If conditions get worse I may have to lame out and get the train :(
Yep, commuted to work this morning. Hands were ok (thank the Lord for heated grips) but my toes were a little chilly by the time I arrived.
The side roads were snowy / icy but once I got onto the main roads and A2 it was fine. I have to admit I've ridden in worse :shock: .
Apparantly, we're in for some more tonight.
andyaikido
24-01-07, 02:51 PM
Do you think a set of heated grips could be modified and put in both wheel rims?
Hey presto, self-warming tyres!
:lol:
I got COLD last night when riding, and spent alot of time thinking "maybe i should get heated grips..."
But tehres the hassle of fitting them...
...so, does anyone have those bar muff things fitted to their curvy 650s? I might get some but i dont want to be the only one looking like a plonker :oops:
Matt
I have heated grips, but even with them in temps lower than 5C ish after about 30 mins on the road fingertips get very cold. So Bought some muffs last November, hadn't used them until Tuesday morning. No Snow but bloody cold 1C ish. They are not much fun to use but they do what they are supposed to, with using the heated grips on inside the muffs about 1/4 to 1/2 setting my hands were toasty warm for the full 90min commute. So I could feel my fingers when I got there :D
socommk23
24-01-07, 05:13 PM
hell yeah!
but no snow here!
lol
Tim in Belgium
24-01-07, 06:35 PM
Snow here for the last two days on the edge of the moors.
Thought the scooby's 4wd would keep me out of trouble, but just means 280 hp spins all 4 wheels at once! Got very crossed up this morning on a completely white mini roundabout, the kerb kept the rear end in check, so that's what they're for!
Keep safe all you crazy riders! If mt SV was registered I'd be out there, or may be not...
Rode in snow once when I was a student, couldn't afford a car and had an exam.
Now that I have a car as well as a bike I would never do it.
Just plain stupid and not worth ending up dead or disabled over.
Snow here for the last two days on the edge of the moors.
Thought the scooby's 4wd would keep me out of trouble, but just means 280 hp spins all 4 wheels at once! Got very crossed up this morning on a completely white mini roundabout, the kerb kept the rear end in check, so that's what they're for!
Keep safe all you crazy riders! If mt SV was registered I'd be out there, or may be not...
Yours does not have traction ctrl? You can get it added if you want, its not that expensive.
Tim in Belgium
24-01-07, 07:01 PM
It's a mid nineties model, so no traction control, but does have an LSD at the rear and limited slip viscous coupling between the front and rear. Great in the dry as it means you can still get the back out, but in the snow if one starts spinning at the back there's a bit of a transfer to the other as the LSD kicks in, causing it to break traction too.
But basically the simple laws of physics on a tight round about mean tha I was just going too fast!
Red ones
24-01-07, 07:43 PM
Luton as usual didn't put a jot of grit down so my local roads, well I have a test, Steped off the curb and almost landed on my @rse as my foot went shooting off for the opposite side of the road.
Snow I don't mind, the fact that I have to go down a half dozen ice covered hills to get to a decent road surface then come back well after dark means I don't bother :(
Cost me £7.50 to get into work today on a smelly crowded bus and it's going to cost me the same to get back *Sigh* bring on the sun,
What part of Luton was that? I was in Luton at 530 this mrning and the roads were fine. I rode all the way to work - just a little colder than normal, but the UnderArmour did it's job!
thedonal
24-01-07, 08:55 PM
It's a mid nineties model, so no traction control, but does have an LSD at the rear and limited slip viscous coupling between the front and rear. Great in the dry as it means you can still get the back out, but in the snow if one starts spinning at the back there's a bit of a transfer to the other as the LSD kicks in, causing it to break traction too.
But basically the simple laws of physics on a tight round about mean tha I was just going too fast!
So, you're saying that the LSD in the rear affected the way the back end tripped out? :D
Well, an update on Hand guards - they're not as warm as muffs, but nowhere as inconvenient as muffs (which I find press the levers at speed).
I reckon with either heated grips or winter gloves they would be perfect.
Had the short ride on snow to a main road, then was fine. Just kept the speed down by about 20 mph which has ruined my fuel experiment on 97RON :evil:
Samnooshka
24-01-07, 10:30 PM
Well, an update on Hand guards - they're not as warm as muffs, but nowhere as inconvenient as muffs (which I find press the levers at speed).
I reckon with either heated grips or winter gloves they would be perfect.
Had the short ride on snow to a main road, then was fine. Just kept the speed down by about 20 mph which has ruined my fuel experiment on 97RON :evil:
No you didn't liar :P you passed Rigor again this morning filtering at 50!! ;)
kwak zzr
24-01-07, 10:32 PM
my bike doesnt know what snow and rain looks like :roll:
Well, an update on Hand guards - they're not as warm as muffs, but nowhere as inconvenient as muffs (which I find press the levers at speed).
I reckon with either heated grips or winter gloves they would be perfect.
Had the short ride on snow to a main road, then was fine. Just kept the speed down by about 20 mph which has ruined my fuel experiment on 97RON :evil:
No you didn't liar :P you passed Rigor again this morning filtering at 50!! ;)
And your point is :oops:
Ceri JC
25-01-07, 11:34 AM
I was away with work when snow fell, so didn't have much choice but to ride home in it. Wasn't really on the road (although there were the odd bits of ice). It has to be really bad before I won't ride.
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