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Rýdýng ýn Snow Rýdýng ýn Snow
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Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere else This is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 30 Oct 2003
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Rýdýng ýn Snow
Thýs mornýng ýn Ezurum ,Turkey the roads are coverred ýn ýce and snow, cars slýdýng about, walkýng ýs treacherous. Whats the trýck to rýdýng?
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Old 30 Oct 2003
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Don't Bother, it's just not worth it.
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Old 30 Oct 2003
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attach a hairdryer to the front of your bike and connect to the battery. Then slowly move forward as the ice melts!!


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Old 30 Oct 2003
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Snow is fun :-)

-Reduce air-pressure. 20 PSI.
-Clean your tyres
-Brake carefully and early. Use rear brake more then you are used to.
-Accelerate carefully, weight backwards
-Lean forwards in bends
-Keep your feets on the pegs

-Have fun!
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Old 30 Oct 2003
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Bugger me that was ýnterestýng. Slýpped lýterally out of Erzerum towards Cat and Býngol. Snow and ýce on the road stopped the trucks and a few jacknýfed. Kept goýng týll I had no tractýon and the snow started agaýn, 40ks all I managed. Turned around wýthout fallýng over and slýpped and slýd back down the hýlls to Erzurum and took the maýn road to whatever the town ýs whos name I cant remember 200ks west. Stýll cold and snow all the way but ýts not snowýng here. Probably dýdnt help havýng 36psý ýn the tyres. Thanks Alýbaba.
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Old 30 Oct 2003
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Well done! I think snow riding has huge potential and probably deserves a forum of its own! I've done a bit in London - it always brings the festive spirit out in the couriers - the big problem here isn't traction, because the snow hardly gets a chance to settle, but snow sticking to your visor. What a shame BMW don't sell heated visors any more.
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Old 31 Oct 2003
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BRRRRRRRRRRRR! You folks are tougher than I am.

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Old 31 Oct 2003
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Well, done!! Glad you made it!
Yes snowriding is fun, but it's best when you are prepared.

Snow sticking on the visor is bad, but it's not to difficult to build a heated visor if you like.
When I drive slow I open the visor and when I drive fast the snow blows off. Eeeehh, that's the plan, when it doesn't work I wipe the snow away with a rubberwiper on the thumb of my glove but it might be hard to find gloves like that in Turkey..

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Old 2 Nov 2003
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Well Alibaba my snow riding is improving, it would be better without 100kgs of gear on the bike mind you! I lowerred the tyre pressures..much better. I have had to cross two passes of 2200m both ice and snow bound. It is impossible to ride on the road proper due to the thick layer of ice..not to mention trucks sliding hoplessley down the hills. I found if I rode on the verge in the soft snow I could manage walking pace without too much trouble...just be careful of culvits! I almost ended up of the side upside down when i rode across one under the snow, a bit to far to right I think!

When its gusty quite hard to stop the bike wanting to slide across the road..freezing snow meant I rode without visor or glasses..mm that culvit!
cheers
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Old 4 Nov 2003
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Hey Simmo,
Head on down to the mediterranean coast via k-maras to Mersin then follow it back up around to Istanbul. A couple of weeks of warm heaven with no snow... be sure to stop in kas. great place...
Cheers Cameron
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Old 4 Nov 2003
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is there any way through Turkey and Iran in January that doesn't require snow skills? I've pretty much abandoned the plan, but I'd like to know if it would have been possible. thanks
Rich
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Old 4 Nov 2003
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Rých there ýs a more southerly border crossýng and I went north from Doggy when I could/ should have gone south towards Van. I have managed to get some photos on the sýte
http://member.netlink.com.au/~asimpson/diary.html

http://users.netlink.com.au/~asimpson

cheers


[This message has been edited by simmo (edited 04 November 2003).]

[This message has been edited by simmo (edited 04 November 2003).]
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Old 26 Nov 2003
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I used to ride off road year round in Michigan, including snow and ice. Its easy, just stud up your tires. Get knobbies, a power drill and a bunch of sheetmetal screws and go to work. you cant have too many studs, especially in back. With marginally studded tires, traction is about like mud. More studs gets better and faster. Have fun.

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Old 27 Nov 2003
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While in Alexanderoupolis I saw a photo of an enduro bike with a tightly wound wire cable around the tyres for traction in snow, maybe this is an option too!
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Old 28 Oct 2004
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I just crossed the Pamirs in Tajikistan and a few passes in Kyrgystan during an unseasonably cold late October. There were 7 or 8 passes over 3000m, the highest at 4655m, and a total of 60km of ice and snow (mostly ice). After lowering my tyre pressure (road tyres) and falling off 20 or 30 times I discovered that winding rope around both front and back tyres works a treat! I had much more traction and much less sideways sliding movement, which is the main problem on ice. And with a motorbike you can weave your way between the jacknifed trucks! Had a problem with the brake pads freezing to the disk, solved by pouring hot tea on them.
Sean
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