Snow chains cope well with ice on the roads

Show chains on Peterborough St

Yes the snow did freeze overnight which means a lot of treacherous ice on the roads. Previously I’ve used my mountain bike and stuck to the busy roads where cars have worn the ice down a bit, but that means sharing a narrow strip of road in the dark with cars that may or may not be able to brake effectively and are likely to have limited visibility – not usually a pleasant experience. Intersections are still a major problem where snow has banked up and often I had to get off and walk to make it through.  Instead I fitted my home made snow chains and took my usual route down the much quieter Peterborough Street and along Hagley Park. There was a lot of black ice and frozen snow, but with the chains fitted I didn’t feel the wheel slip even a tiny bit and thoroughly enjoyed the crisp morning with setting moon over snow laden trees and the not so scenic earthquake demoilitions. More photos and instructions are available at snowchains2012

Tagged bike equipment, weather