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Be very careful on slippery pavements / black-ice while making your turns!

I need to stay off my bike for at least 6 weeks from 2/6/2012 because I broke some ribs after I fell onto an edge of a curb. I was making a turn on a slippery pavement, maybe black-ice, and I paid a painful penalty.   So, I would like to take this opportunity and use my misfortune as a  warning to all bicyclists about the danger of slippery pavements and/or black ice! My bike slid out from under me in an instant and I was utterly defensless to brake my fall. So everyone, please be very careful while riding on slippery or icy pavements!  Steve   

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I wish you well, Steve. Here's to hoping you have a speedy recovery.

 

I had my first encounter with black ice a couple of months ago. I was blissfully cruising along and the next thing I knew, the bike slid out from underneath me. It's very scary, and luckily I escaped with scrapes and bruises.

 

Or, this could be a PSA for studded tires ;)

Any tips on how to spot black ice?  Or how to handle your bike while going over it?  Thanks I'm a bike winter newb this very mild winter and have yet to deal with it.  

"Black Ice" is just ice. It gets the scary name because drivers are more isolated from their environment and can't tell when it's there most of the time. To us, it's much more visible, since we're already scanning the pavement and are much closer-- it just looks like a wet or icy spot.

The takeaway from Istvan's mishap is I think to maintain an awareness that there might be icy patches even when it's been mostly dry for a week or three*, and to be extra careful when turning or leaning or banking on pavement that looks like it could be slippery (reduce speed beforehand, keep a light touch on the steerer, be ready to do a 3-pt. landing if you do start to slip.)
*I had a fall on ice in early spring of '09 or so-- it had been completely dry everywhere, and I had stopped even considering the notion that there could be ice patches-- went down hard and fast on a path in Humboldt Park while climbing/banking (and leaning on the handlebars) on a quasi ice-puddle.

Here is some good advice for riding on ice: http://www.icebike.org/Articles/TechniquesBlackIce.htm

Thanks Gene!  That article was great!  

Heal up. Anyone know the reason why some ice/snow melting solutions make my shoes slippery? It wasn't salt and my shoes kept slipping of the pedals.

Not sure what you mean, but I assume moisture left from melting snow/ice. Or crushed granules of salt left on the bottom of your shoe.

Mike Zumwalt said:

Heal up. Anyone know the reason why some ice/snow melting solutions make my shoes slippery? It wasn't salt and my shoes kept slipping of the pedals.

What scares me is button ice(that's what I call it anyway, like button candy)!

Where suddenly there will be small little chunks of scattered ice either broken up or not melted in the road, throwing your wheels in every direction. It kind of reminds me of ripples in an old bike path that you do not see until your on top of it.

April, As someone else said, 'black ice' is really just...ice. I suppose it's called black ice because, in thin sheets, it often looks more like darker asphalt than whitish ice. The other week, before the most recent warm spell, there was a fair amount of it - roads were dry but with plenty of ice patches around on smaller streets. They are pretty easy to spot when the roads are dry - just look for what look like wet patches, though they tend to be more reflective. 

If it's thin enough that it sort of fills in the texture of the pavement but not much more, then you can roll over it OK with normal tires (and you can walk over it, too.) If it's a sheet of ice and you can't avoid it, shed as much speed as you can before you get to it. When you do get to it, make sure you're pointed dead ahead and, if your bike has a light-feeling front end, keep it as stable as you can. Also, stay light on the bike - no death grip. If there is much of any side force on the tire at the road (whether from cornering or a lot of wobbling), then you'll go down. 

David

April said:

Any tips on how to spot black ice?  Or how to handle your bike while going over it?  Thanks I'm a bike winter newb this very mild winter and have yet to deal with it.  

I googled and found a liguid ice melt, corn based so that might be it.

Ride your bicycle everywhere said:

Not sure what you mean, but I assume moisture left from melting snow/ice. Or crushed granules of salt left on the bottom of your shoe.

Mike Zumwalt said:

Heal up. Anyone know the reason why some ice/snow melting solutions make my shoes slippery? It wasn't salt and my shoes kept slipping of the pedals.

Are you talking on the city streets, or business/residential sidewalks?

Where I live, the city adds a liquid mixture to save on salt. It is mixed with salt brine, liquid calcium chloride, and sugar beet juice.




Mike Zumwalt said:

I googled and found a liguid ice melt, corn based so that might be it.

Ride your bicycle everywhere said:

Not sure what you mean, but I assume moisture left from melting snow/ice. Or crushed granules of salt left on the bottom of your shoe.

Mike Zumwalt said:

Heal up. Anyone know the reason why some ice/snow melting solutions make my shoes slippery? It wasn't salt and my shoes kept slipping of the pedals.

 Two words - Studded Tires.  I got Nokians a couple years ago after taking a spill on invisible ice one morning and now swear by them.  I have no problems riding over ice patches with them.  They will be slower than slicks, but make up for it in lack of slickness.  I am resigned to riding slower through the icy stuff.  Winter has its own unique joys.

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