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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Permalink Reply by Marc A. Irwin on February 10, 2012 at 6:59pm

Studded tires help. I've used Nokian A10 for several years and there are just enough studs to prevent the fall you described without being really slow.

Marc

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Permalink Reply by Donald Ingram on February 11, 2012 at 5:08pm

I rode my Vespa very carefully out on a small lake to visit some ice fishermen, years ago. Going back to shore, I decided to up the speed a notch. I hit a patch of snow and for the next hundred feet or so, I was the laughing stock of the lake, skidding round and round while lying down. Took me six weeks to recover my pride.

Donald

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Permalink Reply by steveroot on February 14, 2012 at 5:06pm

As several posters have mentioned, studded tires make black ice anxiety a thing of the past. I have Schwalbe "Marathon Winter" tires on my commuter bike, and Nokian "Extreme 294" tires on my mountain bike. I have not fallen on the street in several years of daily riding. Last winter I spent a couple hours riding around on a frozen lake without a fall. The biggest objection to these tires is their cost; but what is the co-pay on a broken hip, or worse?

Steve