Originally Posted by
FBinNY
For those who've never encountered black ice, or even visible wet ice, here's a short description of the experience.
First of all think back to that trick wherein somebody yanks the table cloth out from the full service and nothing is knocked over.
Except that, in contrast with your comparison, *you* get knocked over.
Originally Posted by
FBinNY
That's just about what happens with black ice. With zero friction your wheels shoot out from under you as fast as a cartoon banana out of it's peel. You don't fall sideways in the classic fashion, but instead almost straight down along your initial course. Often your first realization that your in trouble is when you hit the pavement. Total elapsed time from when the tires first begin to slip to impact at almost 20kph = about 1/2 second, which isn't much time to react (not that it would help).
As for those who say you fall faster, I agree, it definitely seems that way, even if it isn't.
BTW- other than studded tires, or some other traction improving system, there's no way to prepare. Once steering traction is gone nothing you could do, even if you had the skills and reflexes, can alter the outcome.
Agreed with all of it (despite my joking comment above).
It is easier to control a rear tire slip than a front tire slip. But worse than that, when you're on black ice, a tire slip is not necessarily in the direction you're going like putting the brakes on hard (on a regular day) would do; your tire(s) could slip forwards or sideways on black ice and it's the sideways slip that topples you so fast.
As an added note, some people put zip ties on their wheels/tires to cheaply improve traction but if it works, it would only work in snow, the plastic of the zip ties would be just as slippery or more so than unstudded tires.