I know it is the darkest time of the year, wettest and cold. But it looks like parts of the country will escape the rain over the next couple of days. Ideal biking time (not weather though!). Other that the odd drugged or drunk driver, quiet roads. Looking forward to giving my bikes a winter workout and myself too
I've been out all today in the sunshine & will be riding every day over Xmas it's great weather....unfortunately gritters were out last night, which has really peed me off as the recent rain had cleaned the roads up Hey ho tho that's what ac50 for & it's worth it to ride on quiet roads tomorrow
yeah the salt is a real spoiler and frustrating, you need to work out a map of unsalter roads (seriously); this is what I do
Good idea except it's impossible to get out of where I live as they salt like mad on all the surrounding roads
Yeah i was going to go out too , but it seems the gritter has dropped it its guts around here ah well soon be spring
Looks like you are snookered I can only sympethise and share the the frustration as I have experienced it too often. Like all professionals, you must have plan B. Mine is to drink alcohol, eat unhealthy snacks while watching the box and get fat (or worse, do some gardening!); it is sad but I tell myself it is only temporary. Now I'm going to havre my last bottle of wine before xmas To anyone reading this post have and enjoyable & pleasant break whatever you end up doing
Well went for a pedal 1st thing this morning and the idiots.have put a ton of salt down....filthy roads not even icey here in the shire ....4c overnight then 9c during day not going to take the bike out now will go for a pedal instead...
I have a theory and I think I'm right for my area of the North West atleast (pretty sure I've shared this opinion on here somewhere before) ... The gritters are sometimes sent out even when there is no danger of frost either on the day or even in the forecast for the week. It seems to me that they don't like to get caught short without grit so they have excess supplied to them that they continually turn over. The other thing that backs up this theory is they seem to run down their stock in March regardless of the temperature. Can't think of any other reason why we'd see the gritters out when overnight lows are above 4 degrees. Different authorities probably have different procedures and I bet some take more risks by buying less grit and only spreading when it's needed. I don't get bothered by the gritters Dec, Jan and Feb because I don't get the motorbikes out regardless. Needless spreading in March however really pisses me off.
Totally agree @CharlieR85 ,they come past my house nearly every night ,I can set my watch by them , at 9.30 my wife shouts out GRITTER to wind me up . ironically though it did freeze on Christmas eve and the only road they don't do we were walking back home on after a drink when my wife slipped on to her arse and dropped a full bottle of wine , i shouted NO GRITTER karma . The bottle is ok
Yep, totally agree with you - and it's not often I agree with people! This smacks of the old corporate mindset of having to expend a given budget in total, lest the following year's budget be cut. I've worked in similar environments where I've been told: 'Use it up or we'll suffer next year.'
Hey @exuptoy Saw this lot on the news Xmas day jumping in the sea for charity near you at Porthcawl! Anyhow...if you know this guy, give him a pat on the back for me....I greatly admire his 'hardiness' Now I know Wales has more to offer than sheep & Banksy I may have to sort a forum rude....sorry, ride out this summer...I'm sure @bradt & @blink might be up for it too I'll let you know & you can get t' kettle on
Ffs ridden to Matlock for me Boxing Day spam fritter and they've run out of em A few bikes out though for the traffic warden to log I mean seriously...Derbyshire County Council like you've nothing else better to spend money on than bank holiday wages
Fuck me, that was me. Never knew they caught a photo of me! ........ok, so I guess you knew it wasn’t me!
I suppose this is still a 'Christmas' thread until the New Year's over! I was happy to get out for a while today. Reasonably dry roads, but traffic everywhere seemingly taking grannies for Sunday roasts - on a Thursday - and taking advantage of sales here, there and everywhere. Slow on the 'A' roads; the biggest lean angle I got up was turning back into my friggin' driveway!! Same dry weather for us tomorrow (W. Mids) so I'll head out a tad earlier. Think it'll be aprilia day with a dose of 2-stroke in the afternoon!. We gotta make the most of it before the 'real' winter sets in.