July 28th – Cycling after flash rains at the end of a dry spell is dangerous. The torrent washes down sand, stones and detritus that lurk in bends, hollows and adverse cambers waiting to steal your wheels from under you. The stones are the worst – they’re like cycling on black ice.
This patch lies at the junction of Cranebrook Lane and Boat Lane near Hilton, north of Stonnall.
Take care, take it steady, and Look out.
June 28th – Time for a bit of cycling knowledge. After heavy rains – like we had today – the roads are way more hazardous than usual. If it’s the first rain after a dry spell, the surface water becomes greasy and slippery, due to tyre rubber detritus and diesel being washed into the sludge. This makes white lines, ironworks and junctions really nasty. After heavy rain, silt washes of fields and gardens, bring with it loose gravel. This gathers in bands, hollows and dips, often just where cyclists cross junctions. The silt when wet is slippery, but when dry, will steal your wheels from beneath you. The gravel – known as ‘marbles’ to motorcyclists – gets progressively polished by vehicle wheels, and is like cycling on ball bearings. Take care – the hazard continues in the dry, too, and can last for weeks after a storm.
Councils don’t really understand the menace of this stuff to folk on two wheels. I wish they did.
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