woolley Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I've avoided that Creg back road for years Woolley. I used to use it fairly often until the occasion I slid down that hill for over a hundred yards, completely unable to stop the momentum of the car on the icy road. I'd stopped at the top too while I judged the conditions, but the car decided it wanted to go down anyway. I was very lucky not to hit another vehicle that was stopped at the bottom of the hill. That road seems to be a particularly bad one when there's ice / snow about. Must have been terrifying. I think that might have been what my "friends" were doing - stopping to "judge the conditions" but in doing so they made the fatal mistake of allowing the conditions to take control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I like this but the conditions between the Creg and Kate's often bear no resemblance to those at higher levels, where it can get very deep very quickly and the drifts can be feet deep. Just trying to be fair and even-handed in true MF tradition. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I once had to get to Snaefell in a Landy Defender when the road was closed (with permission from highways and police), most of the way was about 6" deep with some quite big ridge drifts we had to barge through (like around 33rd etc), but made it without having to stop or dig anywhere, pity I didn't take photos that day, had too much other stuff to carry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buster Lewin Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I've avoided that Creg back road for years Woolley. I used to use it fairly often until the occasion I slid down that hill for over a hundred yards, completely unable to stop the momentum of the car on the icy road. I'd stopped at the top too while I judged the conditions, but the car decided it wanted to go down anyway. I was very lucky not to hit another vehicle that was stopped at the bottom of the hill. That road seems to be a particularly bad one when there's ice / snow about. It is a bad road when ice/snow conditions are in play. It makes sense to avoid it when these conditions are occurring, as there are sections unless your on the right rubber, you wont have control of the car, regardless of how good a driver you are. If i was using the Mountain Road to commute, then i would certainly have a spare set of rims with winter/snow tyres on, the difference is like the Formula 1 cars trying to use slicks in the rain. It is totally amazing the significant increase in traction that you have when you have winter/snow tyres on, even over ice patches. In European Countries where there roads that are dangerous when snow or ice is present, then by Law you can only travel on these roads with winter/snow tyres on. As there are at lease two other significantly safer routes available to motorists, then why take the risk of accident/personal injury to yourself or a third party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trmpton Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Went up there at the weekend and can't really see why it's closed. Other than the fact that they refuse to put grit or a plough on the hallowed tarmac of the TT course - so all the people paying road tax to actually use the road have to find an alternative route so that all the people who don't pay Manx road tax can happily race on it come TT time. Eh? What evidence of why it had previously been closed, were you expecting to see when it was no longer closed? And they do use ploughs and grit up there. What a bizarre post! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piebaps Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Agreed TRM the mountain is salted and ploughed. Ploughs have rubber blades fitted so as not to damage the road surface 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilligaf Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I've avoided that Creg back road for years Woolley. I used to use it fairly often until the occasion I slid down that hill for over a hundred yards, completely unable to stop the momentum of the car on the icy road. I'd stopped at the top too while I judged the conditions, but the car decided it wanted to go down anyway. I was very lucky not to hit another vehicle that was stopped at the bottom of the hill. That road seems to be a particularly bad one when there's ice / snow about. It is a bad road when ice/snow conditions are in play. It makes sense to avoid it when these conditions are occurring, as there are sections unless your on the right rubber, you wont have control of the car, regardless of how good a driver you are. If i was using the Mountain Road to commute, then i would certainly have a spare set of rims with winter/snow tyres on, the difference is like the Formula 1 cars trying to use slicks in the rain. It is totally amazing the significant increase in traction that you have when you have winter/snow tyres on, even over ice patches. In European Countries where there roads that are dangerous when snow or ice is present, then by Law you can only travel on these roads with winter/snow tyres on. As there are at lease two other significantly safer routes available to motorists, then why take the risk of accident/personal injury to yourself or a third party. Agree 100% 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminal Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Agree 100% You and the other two are obviously people who don't have to travel between Douglas and Ramsey daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickyBlue Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I've avoided that Creg back road for years Woolley. I used to use it fairly often until the occasion I slid down that hill for over a hundred yards, completely unable to stop the momentum of the car on the icy road. I'd stopped at the top too while I judged the conditions, but the car decided it wanted to go down anyway. I was very lucky not to hit another vehicle that was stopped at the bottom of the hill. That road seems to be a particularly bad one when there's ice / snow about. It is a bad road when ice/snow conditions are in play. It makes sense to avoid it when these conditions are occurring, as there are sections unless your on the right rubber, you wont have control of the car, regardless of how good a driver you are. If i was using the Mountain Road to commute, then i would certainly have a spare set of rims with winter/snow tyres on, the difference is like the Formula 1 cars trying to use slicks in the rain. It is totally amazing the significant increase in traction that you have when you have winter/snow tyres on, even over ice patches. In European Countries where there roads that are dangerous when snow or ice is present, then by Law you can only travel on these roads with winter/snow tyres on. As there are at lease two other significantly safer routes available to motorists, then why take the risk of accident/personal injury to yourself or a third party. Agree 100% Since they do not look so different it's easy to underestimate the difference winter tyres make. For the past few years I've been using them from about November to April - even without snow and ice there are benefits when the temperature is less than about 7-8deg. This is quite an interesting comparison: Micky 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 (edited) er...... ROAD CLOSED SNOW yer aving a larf Edited March 26, 2015 by Tempus Fugit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 If i was using the Mountain Road to commute, then i would certainly have a spare set of rims with winter/snow tyres on, the difference is like the Formula 1 cars trying to use slicks in the rain. When the conditions on the Mountain Road get back enough for summer tyres, it's closed. Ergo, Winter Tyres for commuting over the Mountain Road are a waste of money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIVER Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Well use the coast road or kirkmichael route then ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 If i was using the Mountain Road to commute, then i would certainly have a spare set of rims with winter/snow tyres on, the difference is like the Formula 1 cars trying to use slicks in the rain. When the conditions on the Mountain Road get back enough for summer tyres, it's closed. Ergo, Winter Tyres for commuting over the Mountain Road are a waste of money? I used to have a pair of ice studded tyres (SP44 with half the holes filled, 100 in each) I put on the 850cc mini when the stretches of brand new ultra-smooth blaw-knox surface was white with frost in the mornings on the way to work (previously the surface used the be sharp grippy chippings) and took them off when all the frosts were finished a couple of months later, it took away all the nervousness of hitting ice and it just went where you pointed it rather than the nearest hedge !. When I changed vehicle got another pair for the larger tyre size, never got stuck or slid anywhere, the mini even towed someone up hill out of a ditch on show !. I would venture the opinion that on ice they would be more effecting than a 4x4 (which I have had various for the last 40 years) Those were the days when I used to meet about a dozen cars on the trip over the mountain, and you could tell if you were early or late by where you met certain people each day ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piebaps Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I've been commuting using the mountain road for 30 years. I've never crashed in snow/ice and I've never used special tyres of any kind. I do however use a rather unusual driving technique known as CSD (Common Sense Driving) and in poor conditions I drive slower and take more care. The beauty of this is its totally free. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I've been commuting using the mountain road for 30 years. I've never crashed in snow/ice and I've never used special tyres of any kind. I do however use a rather unusual driving technique known as CSD (Common Sense Driving) and in poor conditions I drive slower and take more care. The beauty of this is its totally free. the downside is that it takes 20 seconds longer to get there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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