icy

this morning's ride was the coldest of the winter so far with the thermometer outside my kitchen door reading -6C as i left.
the roads generally weren't as bad as yesterday morning apart from the one through bradgate park. here, the snow had melted and then frozen again, meaning a mile long sheet of ice. i took to the grass in search of some grip but it wasn't much better there.
riding on ice certainly demands your concentration - riding without any change to direction or speed; almost holding your breath, feeling for the twitch that means you're going down.
i'm glad i was riding fixed. i could tell each time the back wheel was losing traction. it also means you can slow the back wheel rather than braking that could potentially stop it turning and start a skid.

on a brighter note (hoho), that is the sun coming up in the background! ok, i was a little late, but this means that commuting in the light is only a few weeks away!!!