Icy Hell of the Ashdown
Ice makes roads slippery shock
Ouch
So, the UK's premier winter sportive went ahead despite the presence of ice on some of the back roads used for the route. And?
The Hell of the Ashdown was introduced by the venerable Catford Cycling Club several years back as a replacement for its reliability ride of fond memory, the new ride finding itself labelled a cyclosportive and attracting some 10 times the number of entries enjoyed by its predecessor.
Taking place at the end of January this year, the event is as susceptible to the vagaries of the British winter as was the reliability trial. A spell of very cold weather affected the UK over the weekend and left many roads blighted by patches of ice.
I rode from home to Westerham in Kent on the Saturday and decided to leave my Sunday ride until later in the day, when the ice might reasonably be expected to have melted or at least softened. Not having entered the Hell of the Ashdown or anything else, I was under no obligation to go out earlier.
In the event, I encountered plenty of icy patches on the back roads of east Surrey and took due care when riding over them, getting home tired after 2 1/2 hours on fixed wheel but glad I had made the effort.
Turns out that many participants in the Hell were glad they rode. No doubt the several who fell and broke bones were not, but such is the way of injury. Fact is, the organisers took the right decision in running the event; hundreds of cyclists had an enjoyable day out and, while there was a risk attached to taking part in the ride, it was known, quantifiable and largely avoidable.
By way of comparison, I rode an edition of the Catford reliability trial about 10 years ago in conditions so cold that the ice was inches deep on the A25 through Brasted. I fell off on ice within 50m of leaving the event HQ at Halstead village hall. When my group reached the foot of the descent from Tandridge, more than half turned round and went home; the lane was a sheet of ice from ditch to ditch for the next two miles.
Once past this stretch, the route proved entirely ice-free even on the top of the Ashdown Forest, leaving those of us who pressed on free to gloat once we got back to the finish. Thing is, there was never any question of cancelling a reliability trial; they generally get to run even in snow unless it is actually blocking roads and, for many devotees, frankly the harder the conditions the better. Why should a cyclosportive be any different - unless sportive riders are a different, softer breed?
I would take issue with one assertion on the Hell's homepage: "We had advised the use of winter tyres. Slick tyres with no tread are not very effective on ice." Spikes are good on ice; "winter" tyres aren't. Not even knobblies provide trustworthy grip on sheet ice. But never mind; riding slowly is often better than trying to walk across it.
Discuss this story
I rode it, survived it and enjoyed it (well, crossing the finish line) in a perverse sort of way. As I live in the area and know what some of those lanes have been like for a few weeks now I was suprised that the worst ones were still on the route, especially the one closed to traffic by the police, but having come to terms with what sort of day it was going to be after the first hour or so it was just a case of keeping going and taking care. One of the most tiring things was the mental strain of being tense prior to going round every corner not knowing what the road surface was going to throw your way, or if the big dark patch in front of you was water, clean tarmac or sheet ice. It was a hard day, but I'm glad I did it and I hope the bloke who slid past me on his front on one sheet ice descent, with his bike bouncing along side him, is ok. Bring on the rain.
Posted: 03/02/2010 18:05
We canned our club reliability ride on Sunday and did a main-roads loop instead. Of course reliability rides should be well 'ard, in order to be the stern test of person and machine they are supposed to be. Snow, rain, wind, cold, no problem. But ice is different. It is a nasty, stealthy hazard. It is neither particularly quantifiable nor easily avoidable. It can be extremely hard to see -- and on a road bike, travelling at proper road-bike speeds, crashes happen fast, damage people, bikes and gear and can easily end in A&E. When there's an ice risk on our favourite lanes, it's either gritted routes or the rollers. That's not soft - it's just common sense.
Posted: 04/02/2010 13:43
Fair enough. The choice is yours; others may call differently. The last two editions of my annual coast ride have been run in icy conditions and at least half the route is on non-gritted roads. n fact, alongside the edition of the Catford reliability run I mentioned, the most icy ride I have done was in 2006 when a bunch of us previewed the route of the Tour of Wessex first stage. If you know ice is about then you can prepare for it. I don't like it and will try to avoid it as indicated especially when riding alone but I certainly don't see it as a deal breaker on a group ride.
Posted: 04/02/2010 13:57
It's certainly become a deal--breaker for my club's group rides. We had one guy break a leg very badly in a low-speed ice accident last year, another had a nasty faceplant on frosty climb; this year we had a three-man 20mph wipeout on black ice (when the local air temp was 4c). Perhaps we've been spooked by these experiences. But I just don't see how one prepares for ice on a road bike, apart from riding so tentatively in suspect spots - potential frost pockets, shaded areas, corners - that the entire ride becomes a nervous bimble.
Posted: 04/02/2010 15:52
I have seen one ride break a collar bone and another a femur riding across cattle grids. I have also fallen several times on ice and know how much it hurts. However, it is possible to ride across both cattle grids and short stretches of ice. Key to both is riding in a straight line; with the former, absolutely perpendicular to the rails, with the latter, avoiding any camber. Don't brake. That mostly means slowing down well in advance of likely danger. If you must brake on ice, it helps to unclip one foot, slide it along the ground and gently apply the back brake only. Warn companions if you see or feel ice but remind them before the ride not to apply brakes automatically when they hear the warning. And, like you say, be aware of the kind of spots where ice forms.
Posted: 04/02/2010 17:13
I've come down on ice twice this year. Last week on the road bike, with Gatorskins. Realised I was on ice, was well balanced and going in a dead straight line, but still the front folded under in a fraction of a second. Before that it was New Year's Day, staying with the in-laws in the Norfolk broads. I hadn't known what to expect, so took the cross bike, with Schwalbe CX Pro tyres at around 70psi. Finally the ice got me on that ride and I came down badly. But I later realised (because I had to walk thereafter) that I'd been on sheet ice for over a mile. Not exactly a scientific test, but I'd say the skinny knobblies are a better bet when conditions are on the edge. Having said that, these two offs have done enough damage to me, and to the bikes, that I'm going on the turbo now when the forecast is subzero. There's no way I'm risking breaking bones, and screwing up all the warm sunny days that are not too far distant.
Posted: 04/02/2010 19:36
It's a bloody good job the Germans aren't trying to invade. You bunch of pansies!
I love cycling and the weather consitions in Blighty are just one of the many variables that make every ride different. Richard hit the nail on the head with his advice about riding across short patches of ice - especially the camber consideration.
If you know how to handle a bicycle and are ready for the inevitable incursions to progress in the more shaded/damp areas then you're set for a good ride.
I agree that there were some stretches of The Hell' that could have been avoided due to extensive icing but, everything considered, Catford CC ran an excellent event with helpful, cheerful marshalling throughout the route. I'll be out on my bike this weekend getting a century of base miles in before the Puncheur on many of the same roads (apart from Hollow Lane in Dormansland) and you're all welcome to join me.. I think the ice has gone now
Posted: 04/02/2010 19:44
The Ashdown this year was a true test of mettle. However, of more danger to me than the conditions was the poor bike handling skills of other riders - many just did not know how to cope with the icy conditions, braking suddenly and without warning. It's good to see that no-one here suggests the ride was cancelled due to the conditions - people are free to do as they wish after all. If a fancy a giggle read the forum on Bike Radar where several people are probably still incandescent with rage over the route etc.
Posted: 06/02/2010 17:45
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