When is wintery weather TOO wintery?

[Flying Half-Dutchman]

I used to ride in all weather's when I only had a bike, but's it's no fum. These days if there is any ice or snow, I just take the care. It's just not worth trashing the bike.

[Jon_W]

Is positively tropical at the moment... have even reduced the number of layers of clothing from seven to five....

Let's hope it stays this way....

[Nooj]

Snow claws would be all right on long stretches of snow, but here in winter it's mostly wet roads with a few patches of snow and ice, I'd bet a few miles of normal British winter road use and they'd be wrecked, maybe your tyres as well. I don't think they'd do my Missus's tyres any favours riding up and down the M4 every day. Interesting concept though.

[ro]

On the couple of occasions we've had long-lasting snow and ice, the problem has only been the side roads at the start and end of the journey. The main roads are clear within a day, but I've still not been able to get the bike out because of the 200m of ungritted road between me and them. Assuming they are reasonably easy to put on and take off, I'm thinking that snow-claws might be a way to get over that.

[Scotty]

Ro, the answer is a dirt bike with knobblies! [smiley=thumbsup.gif] Snow is no problem and can actually be fun 8-)

[Jon_W]

However, they don't cut it on Ice....

[ro]

Ro, the answer is a dirt bike with knobblies! [smiley=thumbsup.gif] Snow is no problem and can actually be fun 8-)

At the beginning of the cold spell, I did ride a short distance on fresh snow and it was OK—although I was being careful. The problem is not knowing what's underneath: if snow has been packed down, or had any chance to melt and re-freeze as ice, it's too much of a gamble.

A dirt bike is a good plan for many reasons—particularly if you can get off-road without having too much on-road riding first—but do you agree with Jon W that it still can't cope with ice on tarmac? Do you think snow claws or tyre chains would cope any better?

[Loops]

On the couple of occasions we've had long-lasting snow and ice, the problem has only been the side roads at the start and end of the journey. The main roads are clear within a day, but I've still not been able to get the bike out because of the 200m of ungritted road between me and them. Assuming they are reasonably easy to put on and take off, I'm thinking that snow-claws might be a way to get over that.

That was my problem one day - so much snow had got thrown up across my driveway and over my road that I just couldn't get the bike out...

Had to just go for it and treat it like sand the following day once the road had be cleared by some traffic - made it out with a bit of squirming from the back ;D