Just had my second heavy fall in three days. I'm lucky not to have broken bones. (My 50+ year old body isn't built for hard knocks).

The first was riding my Fat Bike in the local State Park. The park trails are linked together by some short asphalt sections and I was riding down an incline which had a light dusting of snow over the asphalt when I hit a patch of ice covered over by the light snow. I was doing 10, maybe 12 mph when the front end washed out and I hit the deck with quite an impact. Bruised my hip and elbow on the right side (note my forum name ).

Today (Sunday), the roads were pretty clear and we have temps into the 30's, so I decided to get the 29er out and set off on a 3-4 hour ride around the county. About a mile into the ride I was blasting down Hillside Avenue at maybe 22-25mph when I hit a patch of black ice and had another washout. This was a big one - I slid for 10 feet or more under the bike before coming to a standstill in the middle of the road. Gashed my elbow and thigh, this time on the left side. I think I'd been lulled into a false sense of security since the roads were so dry and free from snow and free from visible ice.

I picked myself up, turned around and rode home. I rode home not because I was hurt but because after only a mile or so into the ride I'd been thinking that I didn't have enough clothing on, I was getting chilled.
So back home I added a couple thin layers, let some air out of my tires, did a mechanical inspection, tended to my road-rash (elbow and hip) then went straight back out again.

I must've hit the only patch of ice in the county earlier, 'cos I rode for 2+ hours without an issue.

But I got cold....and wet....and miserable. I haven't felt this miserable since City put six past Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2013.

The temperature was around 25F but there was a 20+ mph wind which was cutting to the bone. My gloves were wet and my hands were freezing cold. Even my banana froze. They go all brown and yucky when they get too cold.

Anyway.....whine whine...

I'm not so sure I'm gonna make it through to spring....

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Maybe I just have the blues....

Anyone else having second thoughts about winter riding yet??

I live in Michigan, been riding right along, one day was as cold as 9 F in the morning.
I love riding in the winter, I feel young, empowered and tough lol. If you dress well for the winter, I would think a fall is not as bad. I dont fall often even though I ride about 120 miles a week. Usually did somthing real stupid like take out the bike with the clipless pedals that I hardly ride, then forget about getting my feet out right and fall. Maybe a fall on a patch of ice.

I have several diffrent kinds of bikes, I like to ride my fixed gear bike, I just put a more meaty tire on the back to get traction. When it is super cold and snowy I pull out a single speed Schwinn cruiser, I can ride with heavy boots on. Its been warm the past 2 days 36 to 50 F. But it will be cold in the next few days and I will keep riding.

Just rethink your bike and the way your dress and stay out there. But I know riding in the winter is not for everyone, if its not fun for you , wait till the spring.

The snow we get here gets packed into a form nearly as slick as ice. When I first got my fat bike I had to give up commuting on it until I got studs for it. Dillinger studded tires just came out that year and immediately sold out, so ended up ordering $300 worth of grip studs to stud the tires I had. They are super grippy, but so is the rolling resistance.

Its been pretty windy, hopefully the weather systems calm down a bit. We only got our first real snowfall this weekend, so I'm just starting to get into winter riding this year. I'd like to see some more snow so I can start making trails with my snowshoes. I have rollers setup in the basement, so I have the option of going for a spin on my road bike on the really bad days.

[MENTION=385100]bruised[/MENTION], still riding? you get some studded tires? winter riding isn't quite the same, is it? I suppose southern CA or Florida would be fun this time of year. I saw a news clip of ppl in CA eating ice cream. so weird

Ice spiker Pro studded tires on a short travel full suspension bike: My perfect bike for icy conditions. We have had just a few inches of snow that has thawed and then frozen so it is really tricky but I had a nice ride through the forrest after work yesterday. After 50 I find I hit the gound much harder than some years ago and the effects are far graver and last longer, studs till spring !

Had enough? Its summer in Australia.. Chilled white wine, on the beach, at Christmas.. sound Good yet?

so mean

Sorry bud, still trying to enjoy fall right now. Winter hasnt come yet.

Yes sir, still riding, but with a change in emphasis. I'm having fun riding the fat bike on the winter trails but was miserable as heck trying to ride any kind of distance on the roads.

So I've ditched the idea of clocking up any more road mileage for a few months and I'm just gonna keep riding trails.

It's still a good workout, even though I'm only doing about 15-20 miles per session. I reckon that one mile riding the 40lb beast with its 4" barely-inflated tires through a foot of snow is equivalent to about 5 miles riding my 29er on the road....at least that's how it feels at the end of the day!


Cruel and unnecessary

Yeah come on down!

I was just about to suggest that it might be time to start planning a trip to a warmer climate.


Actually, in my part of Australia, it is wintery. I'm not sure what's going on with the weather but we've only hit +17C for a high this week. Brrrrr!!! Parka time.

But the beaches are still nice.

My hard part is until well after the winter solstice. The night ride home from work tends to get to me because of the tunnel vision. Maybe year round commuting has made me have seasonal affective disorder.