Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Winter commuting - Create List of potential hazards

Search
Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Winter commuting - Create List of potential hazards

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-15-14, 12:21 PM
  #1  
velocity
Dart Board
Thread Starter
 
velocity's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Happy Valley Oregon
Posts: 1,785

Bikes: 13 Super Six EVO Red, 2005 Six13, 2015 CAADX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Winter commuting - Create List of potential hazards

Please add to list by copy and paste with your additions so we don't have to fall back as it ascends.
Velocity

1) Wet leaves
2) Wet Painted lines
3) Gravel
4)
velocity is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 12:23 PM
  #2  
KonAaron Snake 
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
 
KonAaron Snake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 15,944

Bikes: Two wheeled ones

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1254 Post(s)
Liked 345 Times in 174 Posts
Yetis. Definitely Yetis.
KonAaron Snake is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 12:36 PM
  #3  
Jaywalk3r
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,033

Bikes: I own N+1 bikes, where N=0.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by velocity
1) Wet leaves
2) Wet Painted lines
3) Gravel
4)
Those aren't really exclusive to winter.

How about ice and snow?

Flat tires pose a greater hazard, since the clothing requirements for changing a tire roadside are different from the clothing requirements for comfortable winter riding.

New potholes often appear in the winter.
Jaywalk3r is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 12:38 PM
  #4  
velocity
Dart Board
Thread Starter
 
velocity's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Happy Valley Oregon
Posts: 1,785

Bikes: 13 Super Six EVO Red, 2005 Six13, 2015 CAADX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by KonAaron Snake
Yetis. Definitely Yetis.
I thought you guys called those "politicians" in PA
velocity is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 12:40 PM
  #5  
velocity
Dart Board
Thread Starter
 
velocity's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Happy Valley Oregon
Posts: 1,785

Bikes: 13 Super Six EVO Red, 2005 Six13, 2015 CAADX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Jaywalk3r
Those aren't really exclusive to winter.

How about ice and snow?

Flat tires pose a greater hazard, since the clothing requirements for changing a tire roadside are different from the clothing requirements for comfortable winter riding.

New potholes often appear in the winter.
Yes potential for all seasons but for winter the list should be expanded.
velocity is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 12:42 PM
  #6  
scroca
commuter and barbarian
 
scroca's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Potomac, MT, USA
Posts: 2,494
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
1) Wet leaves
2) Wet Painted lines
3) Gravel
4) Ice
5) Snow
6) Frostbite
scroca is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 12:53 PM
  #7  
mikeybikes
Senior Member
 
mikeybikes's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Edgewater, CO
Posts: 3,213

Bikes: Tons

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by KonAaron Snake
Yetis. Definitely Yetis.
+100.63
mikeybikes is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 12:59 PM
  #8  
mconlonx
Senior Member
 
mconlonx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,558
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7148 Post(s)
Liked 134 Times in 92 Posts
7) Fogging, if you are wearing eyewear, like you should
8) Cars and their drivers.
9) Weather: layers
mconlonx is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 01:00 PM
  #9  
joeyduck
Senior Member
 
joeyduck's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Nanaimo, BC
Posts: 2,014

Bikes: 1997 Kona Hahana Race Light, 2010 Surly LHT(deceased), 1999 Rocky Mountain Turbo

Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 86 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
1) Wet leaves
2) Wet Painted lines
3) Gravel
4) Ice
5) Snow
6) Frostbite
7) Fogging, if you are wearing eyewear, like you should
8) Cars and their drivers.
9) Weather: layers7) Yetis
10) Drivers who do not clear windows
11) Sewer, manhole, water main covers (wet metal)
12) Debris hidden under leaves
13) Thinking too much lists to focus on riding
14) Drivers with poor night vision
15) Windburn
joeyduck is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 01:01 PM
  #10  
Cyclosaurus
Senior Member
 
Cyclosaurus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Chicago Western 'burbs
Posts: 1,065

Bikes: 1993 NOS Mt Shasta Tempest, Motobecane Fantom Cross CX, Dahon Speed D7, Dahon Vector P8, Bullitt Superfly

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Cars skidding on snow or ice
Cyclosaurus is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 01:45 PM
  #11  
spivonious
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Lancaster, PA, USA
Posts: 1,851

Bikes: 2012 Trek Allant, 2016 Bianchi Volpe Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
1) Wet leaves
2) Wet Painted lines
3) Gravel
4) Ice
5) Snow
6) Frostbite
7) Fogging, if you are wearing eyewear, like you should
8) Cars and their drivers.
9) Weather: layers7) Yetis
10) Drivers who do not clear windows
11) Sewer, manhole, water main covers (wet metal)
12) Debris hidden under leaves
13) Thinking too much lists to focus on riding
14) Drivers with poor night vision
15) Windburn

16) Cars skidding on snow or ice
17) Drivers who think 4WD makes their car stop faster on ice
spivonious is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 01:57 PM
  #12  
lasauge 
Pedalin' Erry Day
 
lasauge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Newbury Park, CA
Posts: 1,144
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 762 Post(s)
Liked 367 Times in 198 Posts
18) Pavement immediately before a stoplight where the exhaust from idling cars melts some of the ice, eventually forming a perfect slick - flat ice topped with a thin layer of liquid water.
19) Salt and debris trapped in slush that can rapidly wear moving parts or chemically react with any exposed steel
20) Less daylight
lasauge is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 02:09 PM
  #13  
modernjess
ride for a change
 
modernjess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 2,221

Bikes: Surly Cross-check & Moonlander, Pivot Mach 429, Ted Wojcik Sof-Trac, Ridley Orion. Santa Cruz Stigmata

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
18) Deep rutted ice that is harder than diamonds and never melts
19) Deep very wet snow
20) chain rust
21) drivetrain upkeep
22) salt, salt, and more salt. (see #20 and #21 )
23) short days = riding frequently in darkness
24) crashing, not being able to move, then dying of exposure (maybe that's 2)
25) responding to the inevitable, "You didn't ride today did you?" queries posed by non riders.
26) having to roll with studded tires on dry pavement
27) deep cookie dough snow on top of ice in intersections

Last edited by modernjess; 10-15-14 at 03:24 PM.
modernjess is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 02:42 PM
  #14  
blakcloud
Senior Member
 
blakcloud's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,595
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 608 Post(s)
Liked 352 Times in 225 Posts
28) Other cyclists, ill prepared or inexperienced for winter conditions
blakcloud is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:02 PM
  #15  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,502

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7348 Post(s)
Liked 2,464 Times in 1,433 Posts
29) impatient and distracted drivers who are driving home in the dark when, at other times, would be driving in the light. This frightened me in the suburbs more than nearly anything.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:07 PM
  #16  
LesterOfPuppets
cowboy, steel horse, etc
 
LesterOfPuppets's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 44,836

Bikes: everywhere

Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12768 Post(s)
Liked 7,682 Times in 4,077 Posts
I've found in many areas this gets worse in the evenings and weekends as Christmas nears then begins drops off around Jan 8th or so.

Holiday shoppers are nuts! So what the hell,

30) Holiday Shoppers!
LesterOfPuppets is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:27 PM
  #17  
modernjess
ride for a change
 
modernjess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 2,221

Bikes: Surly Cross-check & Moonlander, Pivot Mach 429, Ted Wojcik Sof-Trac, Ridley Orion. Santa Cruz Stigmata

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by noglider
29) impatient and distracted drivers who are driving home in the dark when, at other times, would be driving in the light. This frightened me in the suburbs more than nearly anything.
agreed, the darkness makes the impatient and distracted every day driver just that much scarier.
modernjess is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:33 PM
  #18  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,355 Times in 862 Posts
Being on the wrong side of a turning tractor-trailer rig, is year- round but its harder to see you in their Mirrors in the wet and dark season.
fietsbob is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:35 PM
  #19  
randomgear
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: beantown
Posts: 943

Bikes: '89 Specialized Hardrock Fixed Gear Commuter; 1984? Dawes Atlantis

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 43 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
30) drivers trying to see out of a postage stamp sized hole in their ice covered windshield while they drive.
31) snow and ice flying off minivans, SUVs and large trucks because their owners just couldn't be bothered to clear the roof.
randomgear is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:38 PM
  #20  
jwarner
Fahrradfahrer
 
jwarner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 367

Bikes: n+1

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
- Getting avalanched by passing plows
- Snow plowing boxing cyclists into dangerous situations (ie no way to get out the way, or being forced into a bad traffic situation).
- hypothermia
jwarner is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:46 PM
  #21  
modernjess
ride for a change
 
modernjess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 2,221

Bikes: Surly Cross-check & Moonlander, Pivot Mach 429, Ted Wojcik Sof-Trac, Ridley Orion. Santa Cruz Stigmata

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
33) the loss of the shoulder or bike lane as the case may be due to plowed snow.
34) Being forced into sketchy deep snow on the edge of the road in heavy traffic and fearing you'll go down and slide right under a car. (see # 33)
modernjess is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 03:47 PM
  #22  
alan s 
Senior Member
 
alan s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 6,977
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1496 Post(s)
Liked 189 Times in 128 Posts
Freezing drivetrain
alan s is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 04:08 PM
  #23  
TransitBiker
contiuniously variable
 
TransitBiker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 2,280

Bikes: 2012 Breezer Uptown Infinity, Fuji Varsity

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 6 Posts
36: Deep breaths of cold air.

37: DOT trucks & their grit/sand/salt spreaders.

38: Any motorist.

39: Ice or snow or both falling from branches, wires, etc.

40: Mist obscuring visibility/icing your bike up.

41: Visions of hot cocoa distracting you.

- Andy
TransitBiker is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 04:31 PM
  #24  
velocity
Dart Board
Thread Starter
 
velocity's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Happy Valley Oregon
Posts: 1,785

Bikes: 13 Super Six EVO Red, 2005 Six13, 2015 CAADX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
42)Transients with fires, shopping carts, discarded trash and personal items on MUP's
43) Electrical failures on dark streets with abrupt edges
velocity is offline  
Old 10-15-14, 05:09 PM
  #25  
Darth Lefty 
Disco Infiltrator
 
Darth Lefty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,446

Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,105 Times in 1,369 Posts
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Darth Lefty is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.