It was snowy enough on the peaks - up in the southern ranges round Forest Hill - for the toboggans to be out in force yesterday. But still not much snow in central London, though there's a fair bit of ice on side roads. It's all rather boring really: cycling isn't especially enjoyable, but neither is there the prospect of a snowman session to lighten things up.
Our road near the Elephant was finally gritted (right) the other day. The council team were quite keen I should take a picture to prove they'd been out. No doubt they've taken over from bankers as the villains of the moment. Being a cyclist, and therefore regarded as little more than a wheeled pavement assassin, I sympathised.
Evidently no shortage of the gritty stuff here: there was enough to make a few sandcastles. Once we'd cleared off the donkeys and deckchair sellers, the ice went, and we could actually cycle round the block again.
But a different story in posh Cleaver Square round the corner (right). The road is little more than a four-sided rink. No way you can cycle on the road or the pavement. Progress is a Bambi-like slither, half-pushing, half-leaning-on your bike. How are all those cycling Tory MPs getting back to the House?
Blimey. So that's where all the grit has gone. We get about a teaspoonful every 10 metres. Might have known London would be hogging it all
ReplyDeleteFrom the sublime to the ridiculous or something like that...
ReplyDeleteTheres no grit what so ever on the roads or paths I commute on (over the pennines).
ReplyDeleteLuckly i've got Ice tyres, which have have been brilliant. Although i've also found that cyclocross tyres (Mitchelin mud) work better than you'd expect.
London is ok on main roads but the side roads are a lottery. If they've had the sun on them, and some grit then their ok.
ReplyDeleteMore anoying are the ones that look clear only to have some ice just on the junction that you don't see until just before your on it.