Originally Posted by
teacher
Hi I'm in Vancouver and it's the time of year when on clear mornings, the roads are coated in frost and patches of black ice. I have two friends that have broken their legs after falling in these conditions. I'm interested in continuing my commutes through the winter, but do not want the same fate to fall upon me.
What do y'all do when the roads are slick? Also, are clipless or platform pedals safer when slipping is a concern.
Thanks!
Frozen fog and black ice are extremely dangerous. I keep telling myself that I'm going to quit riding in it, but then I go out anyway. I ride much more slowly and carefully, and I ride lower tire pressures. Avoid all but the most gentle acceleration, braking, and turning. Black ice is especially bad because you can be going just fine and then WHAM!
I only ride clipless. My experience is that if you go down, the impact tends to roll from your hip up to your shoulder -- a desirable outcome that reduces the likelihood of injury in my opinion.
I think that being on more than 2 wheels is not a bad idea when there is black ice. It's hard to fight the temptation to ride, but I think it's probably the smart thing to do.