Making the journey safer
You normally travel to work by your chosen route. This may involve cycling down side roads. General advice is to stick to the main roads which have been gritted. This may not always be the case, if a road is particularly slushy. Also, if you hit a slope or an icy patch, don’t be afraid to get off and walk.
Statistics
These statistics come from information collected through a survey carried out on the Better by Bike website. 1016 responses were received (plus 3 responses received/collected separately). This is a self-selecting sample, albeit slightly larger in size than those used in national opinion polls.
What employers can do! Employers Resources
'Over 1000 cyclists a year come off their bikes on ice and end up in hospital. Icy conditions are clearly something to take very seriously. Whilst I wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘don’t cycle if there is a risk of ice’, I would say treat it with upmost respect.
If you do decide to ride when there is a risk of ice:
If you decide that finding an alternative mode of travel is the right thing for you to do, the most important thing to do is to plan ahead. Get to know what the alternatives are, then choose the one which works best for you. The links contained in the following may be of use to those in the Greater Bristol area. We also encourage employers to advertise the bus and train services which are available locally to them on their intranet. This list also includes references to the Bristol Ferry Service, the various car share schemes as well as taxi sharing.
Given that you have chosen to cycle –or have decided there is no alternative but to cycle, you should bear in mind that both you and other road users will find it harder to travel.
You will need to accept that your front brakes may be more of a liability than normal (hard breaking causing a skid!), and sudden movements may cause you to fall.
What the expert says:
John Franklin is the author of Cycle Craft, the cycle trainer’s bible. (We recommend you buy a copy, if you want to know about ‘proper cycling’!)
The aim of the campaign is to highlight the hazards of cycling in icy conditions and to offer information and resources to help cyclists make informed decisions. There are different solutions for the different situations cyclists come up against. We believe the key is for them to be prepared for icy weather, and to have access to the information necessary to make the best decision on how to deal with it.
Share