[Closed] Are you ready for winter if it turns snowy and doomy?

*orders more beans & shotgun shells*

Are you going to blast the ice off your car windscreen?

This year's ice melt has broken the 2007 record by an an area larger than the state of Texas.

I thought Wales was the SI unit for large areas.

Is Iceland getting warmer?

I have my Ice Spikers at the ready. Bring it on.

Got winter tyres on car. Spikes for mountain bike on the way. Supermarkets are 2 mins walk from flat. I'm set.

No.... I've got plenty of logs for next winter but this winter is looking a bit dodgy as stuff I cut in the spring could be drier 🙁

Are you going to blast the ice off your car windscreen?

I thought Wales was the SI unit for large areas.

texas ~ 90 Wales'

i'm hoping to get some use out of the Ice spike tyres i have. So far cost id around £8/km. I'd like to get at least down to 25p/km. 😉

Rigid bike, ice spike tyres and rohloff. Think I'm set 😉

I'm ready. 😛

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I've got woods behind my house with deer in them. So I'm going to start felling trees for fuel, and laying traps. That's me sorted.

*Wanders off to get an axe and a snipers rifle*

Log supply ..Check
Snow Shovels ..Check
Snow Tyres ..Check
New Ski gear ..Check

Ready .....but

It won't snow now,will it? 😥

Food supply?
Coping with possible power cut supplies?
Standby heating arangements?
Winter car kit?

Mehhhh, 2007 wasn't that bad was it? I rememebr 2009/2010 being really bad though. Having said that Reading does have a perculiar microclimate.

If it get's really bad I'll buy another bottle of de-icer, or maybe take the MTB rather than the road bike for bike commute days. Winter's in this country are a bit pants.

3 decent winters? Dare I dream...?

Let it snow let it snow let it snow...

This year's ice melt has broken the 2007 record by an an area larger than the state of Texas.

I thought Wales was the SI unit for large areas.

Not if you've got Americanist readers - most of them don't realise there's a world beyond America

Bring it on.

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I have a scarf

Think that's all I need!

Ive got thermal underwear, the knickers go up past my tummy and the vest goes over my bum attractive? Not at all LOL, but very very toasty 😆

One key element of my winter preparation is to make sure I start leaving my laptop at the office.

Then, if it snows & I can't get to work, I get a day off rather than having to work from home.

😀

Got the quad bike booked in for MOT on thursday ready for winter. It's a total hoon in the snow 😆 But we probably won't get much, especially in sunny Brizzle 😕

Food supply?

Coping with possible power cut supplies?

Standby heating arangements?

Winter car kit?

what ratio you running on your bike MTG I find 32:16 bloody hard work for just an inch or two of snow.

Despite having pram wheels our dinky car has managed fine last few winters, can walk to the supermarket, riding to work in deep snow is fun for a couple of goes, after that i can get the train, if they get cancelled I won't go in work, chances are they'll be shut anyway 🙂

aside from some remote scottishists in this thread i'm pretty sure a sensible person could do 0 prep and survive.

its only snow. we live in a desperately over populated bit of land. you aren't ever [i]that [/i]far from help.

Yup, I have a 9:Zero:7... 8)

Just bought some snow studs for the bike, so you can all rest easy as it will almost certainly not snow now! 🙂

aside from some remote scottishists in this thread i'm pretty sure a sensible person could do 0 prep and survive.

this. however if the local costa run out of supplies then there will be unrest...

[quote=zilog6128 said]I have my Ice Spikers at the ready. Bring it on.

+1 🙂

just bought 4 season tyres for the car so it isn't going to snow now. bought studded bike tyres last winter and it was super mild.

Well done Woody! We owe you one! 😀

Which tyres did you get? And where from. Might invest. Just in case.

I bloody love riding in snow. Its a right old laugh! As opposed to driving in the snow. Which isn't.

I have a warm coat and a pair of boots. I've yet to experience a winter that defeats this equipment.

😀

Schwalbe snow studs from bike-discount @ ~£18 each

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1040/a11030/snow-stud-120-spikes-19-wire.html

I'll commute on the MTB if it gets lairy, do a mix of off/on road for some giggles 🙂

this. however if the local costa run out of supplies then there will be unrest...

indeed. i still remember being in london for work one year when it snowed for a day.

they shut the tube and everything! AAAAATRRRRRGGGGHHHHH SNOOOWWWWWWW!

Got ice spikes for the bike, ice spikes for my shoes and as I work from home a lot of the time I'm happy for the car to stay on the driveway if the weather turns nasty.

After 2010 I also have a couple of snow shovels and a load of rock salt that has never been used as last winter was quite mild.

So long as the trains are running yes.

If they're not then I've got time for a rideout.

Win.
Win.

Got my ice spikers in 2010. Done 7 miles.
Does any one ride them for 30 miles on tarmac to bed them in as recommended?

Wintrac Xtremes are being fitted to the car today.

Heading up north on Friday....in an expected 12 degrees 🙂

I think everyone who moans about people shutting the trains and roads when it snows should be put in charge of running them.

My ice spikes were bought in 2004 in Finland - they are in surprisingly good nick considering. They only get a few outings a year now of course, that may be why 🙂

MTQG

dont landrover recomend you fit the spikes to the rear 😉

Ive got ice spikes for the commuters - both mines and the mrs

ive got 3 cubic metres of dried logs

a tank full of oil

a sandman fat bike 😀

cars are rolling on winter tires.

Hopefully bruneep will sort me out with a set of new blinds so im not heating the atmosphere.

Shame my landrover is not ready - i have almost all the componants now i just need the time to strip out the old engine and fit the v8 😀

Last year I had to cycle up a local mountain to find some snow to try out the ice spikers... Alfine helped loads too.

I did bed the tyres in by doing my 30mile commute - so much more rolling resistance my legs were like jelly when I got into work 10 minutes later than normal - the ride home was pergatory (and I lost a spike).

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Think people have been watching too much Doomsday Preppers.

Does any one ride them for 30 miles on tarmac to bed them in as recommended?

[s]Despite[/s] Because of having pram wheels our dinky car has managed fine last few winters

I'd heard thinner tyres helped but I'd presumed that was large diameter wheels with thin tyres. Ours are pretty small diameter too.

Look at any of the wrc cars come the snowy events, all run on super skinnys! Fat low profiles = ditch finders in snow!
Therefore it stays on the drive unless I fancy going out for a cheeky play! Said "playtime" once resulted in a 3.5 mph shunt into the trolley area in m a totally deserted focus carpark! 👿
Only other allowance if snownageddon is forecast is keeping the genny in the van to fire up a temp supply at home. I live in Derbyshire this has not been required yet!

This thread has almost certainly broken winter 🙁

Rocks seem to kill studded tyres quickly. I rode a whole winter on snow and ice in Finland, didn't lose any studs. One ride in the beacons on mixed ice and rock and I lost about a dozen studs 🙁

Ice axes and crampons are sharpened.
Van ready for last minute trip to Scotland if conditions are right.
Couldn't feel my feet or hands for last hour of my ride in the lakes on Saturday.
Good endurance levels for cold and discomfort.

Yep, I'm ready.

Log shed full,

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Mud Terrains on Discovery

New stove on order.

No matter how cold it gets here, it will be tropical compared to the Blewett Pass in Washington State last month.

[img] ?v=0[/img]

I used to own an Aygo- even on Eco tyres it was awesome on snow due to its thin tyres.

This time I've got Uniroyal M+S Plus 6 tyres- same width.

Lets rock snow, come and get 'sum

Voice of reason from the Met Office
[url= http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/whats-in-store-this-winter-responding-to-the-headlines/ ]http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/whats-in-store-this-winter-responding-to-the-headlines/[/url]

It seems that it is the time of year for colourful headlines about an impending big freeze.

Ultimately, we’re heading into winter and we expect winter to be colder than the rest of the year – but it’s too early to say exactly what temperatures we can expect or where and when we might see snow

Rocks seem to kill studded tyres quickly. I rode a whole winter on snow and ice in Finland, didn't lose any studs.

emsz - Member

Ive got thermal underwear, the knickers go up past my tummy and the vest goes over my bum attractive?

I'm pretty certain you don't want me to answer that, emsz... 😉

Met office = no idea what we do here but we'll get bonuses all the same.

I live in civilisation so not that concerned tbh.

Did just order winter tyres for the car- not so much for "going driving in the snow" as for "going driving when it might snow".

Its not just 'might' though. Winter tyres are good/better for allround grip when the temp really drops.

I'm driving to Germany this winter as well.

Plus there will be a time when you see a big snow dump and you 'could' get stuck. Why stop riding/going out/go to work if you reasonably can stay mobile and not leave your car and walk home for hours or sit huddled waiting for help?

Does any one ride them for 30 miles on tarmac to bed them in as recommended?
It's only necessary if some of the studs haven't been seated in the tyre properly

I thought I would take my studded tyres for a gentle bedding in ride last winter and lost a helluva lot of studs. I wrote to Schwable to complain/ask what I had done wrong as I had been riding like a pensioner. They said I had done the right thing and you should ideally do at least one bedding in run on all studded tyres. Schwables line is that some stud loss is to be expected. They very kindly sent a pack of replacement studs for me to stick in the tyres.

Studded tyres?

Just ride Swampt'ings 8)

They said I had done the right thing and you should ideally do at least one bedding in run on all studded tyres.

Did they explain what's the difference between a bedding in run, and a non-bedding in run was?

hora - Member

Its not just 'might' though. Winter tyres are good/better for allround grip when the temp really drops.

Yup. I used my icebears on the old car for last winter, and even with the lack of snow they were still well worth it- better in the rain and cold, and also better at driving through fields and ditches and such. (already got the new car stuck in a ditch 😳 )

When it's already snowed, I'll probably still not use it much- just because most other people don't have snow tyres, and can't drive in snow, you're only making as much progress as the person in front.

Plus there will be a time when you see a big snow dump and you 'could' get stuck. Why stop riding/going out/go to work if you reasonably can stay mobile and not leave your car and walk home for hours or sit huddled waiting for help?

We spent all of last winter driving up as far north as we could be bothered on a friday night, dumping the car and heading to the hills. We would often have to dig the car out when we returned on a Sunday - then add on 100+ miles on the A82 if it's still snowing (they are pretty good at clearing the road though).

That was in mrs peterfile's little front wheel drive peashooter with 5cm wide tyres 🙂 This year it will be in a 200bhp rear wheel drive car with 8.5's....so the winters have gone on (smaller alloys fitted too)!

I don't want to miss any winter action as a result of a wee bit of snow....that's what we head up north looking for!!!!

don't forget you often wake up- look out of the window and say 'oh wow, its snowed last night!'

So fit them before..

Plus ever sat in your office at work looking out and saying 'oh wow, its starting to snow'....and hour later 'oh its getting worse/how get home at this rate'?

Its not over-worrying, it can be that fine line between you slipping a bit and driving into a kerb. Those tyres save the geo/walking home priceless bill...

Just ride Swampt'ings

Possibly not the best option for ice covered lanes...

Did they explain what's the difference between a bedding in run, and a non-bedding in run was?

Bedding in seems to involve running the tyres at a 'medium' pressure to make sure all the studs can have force put through them to help them seat more securely in the tread. You also need to ride slowly with no agressive braking or steering. The studs are effectively little rivets that are only half covered by the tread. High tyre pressures on hard surfaces and normal riding can easily rip them out.

It was quite possibly the most boring bike ride of all time although the noise from the studs was fantastic. It sounded like a million pairs of hobnail boots being thrown down the road.

What brand? Apparently Nokians can be poor re. properly seated spikes.

They are Nokian WXC300. After that rocky ride I contacted Nokian and they also sent me a whole bag of spares for free 🙂

Incidentally the tyres are not as good as super studs in soft snow, but ice is when you really need them!

Did they explain what's the difference between a bedding in run, and a non-bedding in run was?

[url= http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp ]http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp[/url]

These for us that run
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I can confirm that they kick butt