How long will I slide, separate my side

[venta]

Hmm. This morning, I very probably shouldn't have gone to work. However, Monday's forecast snow was a non-event, the weather didn't look that bad, and I'd promised to deliver something to the office for one of my colleagues. So off I went

Comments

[erming]

Maybe after all those cycling mishaps the red kite thought you were lunch!

[venta]

Fair comment, I probably did look a bit like roadkill by then!

(All the mishaps didn't do my new extra-visible white gloves any good, either!)

[hendybear]

Ahh big failure of big guy to spot frayed cable! Samantha had a similar Muppet once, who failed to spot frayed accelerator cable on her mini, I said some very rude and unkind words about the guy after checking the problem out!

[venta]

To be honest, I've no idea! Bikes mystify me much more than cars do!

[pm215]

Rear brakes locked on in cold weather on my (older) bike usually means "a bit of water has got into the cable and frozen", but then my bike has a bit of a design flaw where the cable approaches the rear brake from below, so it's handily pointing upwards for rain to seep in. It's the one time of year I prefer the disk brakes on my other bike :-)

[venta]

I have no idea - I do have cable-brakes, but (unlike cars) the ways and workings of bikes are a complete mystery to me. Certainly the cable approaches the brake from above, but beyond that, anything could have happened!

(The way it's behaving now, I suspect the brake-lever end has come completely detached, but I've no idea. Since my bike is now stranded and unrideable at the office, I suspect I'll be politely requesting assistance from the more bike-savvy in the office...)

[pm215]

Yes, the cable's probably actually snapped at this point. Replacing a brake cable's fairly easy though (buy new cable inner, feed it through, secure at far end) so hopefully you should be able to find somebody to give you a hand.

[venta]

Courtesy of cycle-diagnostics from SimonG, apparently the cable hasn't snapped, I also have conveniently upside-down water-encouraging brake cables, and apparently ice probably is the problem.

He recommends[*] I buy some new brake calipers that are "to a modern design"[**] and new cables, and is apparently willing to assist.

[*] Actually, he recommends I buy a new bike, but he's been saying that for ages. Nowt wrong with my bike :)
[**] My bike is ~25 years old, and apparently brake-caliper-design has come on a bit.

[bateleur]

Re: Pushing bikes with non-rotating back wheels - The one time this happened to me I eventually settled for picking up the wheel itself at its rearmost point and using it as a handle. Upside: I didn't get hit by the pedals. Downside: My arm muscles hurt for most of the following day. Overall, not recommended!

[venta]

Yes - that's what I tried to do. I have a basket mounted on a rear pannier-rack which makes it a bit more tricky, but it's still going to be the easiest way of shifting the bike around. Sadly, in the snow I couldn't wheel the thing straight, the front wheel just skidded all over the show, meaning I had to put my other hand on the handlebars. And that's where the shins-on-pedals came in :)

[bateleur]

Ah, I see. And also: oww.

[alien8]

I'd also suggest...

Schwalbe Winter Marathons :)

http://schwalbe.co.uk/spikes/marathon-winter/

buy them now as they will last for quite a few winters! (many UK suppliers or bike24.de)
let the pressure out in snow/ice to let the studs work.. pump them up for days when it's icy in the morning but dry later to stop the studs wearing out on the clear roads/paths.