Snow and ascending / descending hills

IainB · 18-12-2010, 22:50

Got caught out in the snow today (6.5 hours from Welwyn Garden City back to Dunstable....via St Albans and any other road I could find open!)
The Sat Nav decided it would send me down a country road... (yes...I didnt have to take it, but by then I had totally had enough of sitting still) which was fine whilst it weaved its way through from Redbourn thru Flamstead....but things took a turn for the worse when it went into the wilds and a few climbs / descents

The climbs not a problem, in a diesel, so 1st gear, let it idle and it pulled itself through.....the descent, ummmmmmmmmm, scary!
1st gear, let it roll itself down whilst covering the brakes, but.....it picked up speed and a dab of the brakes (not ABS) didnt help matters (yes...I was cadence breaking) and I ended up a little tooooo close to hedges / trees (on 3 occasions)
So....for future reference, what the hell did I do wrong? Lets just say I nearly took up smoking for those few miles!!

Justsomebloke · 18-12-2010, 23:12

This is the problem i have when trying to stop a 2 ton truck riding on road slippers with an auto box & nowt but a fat brake pedal to stop.

Keep with the cadence braking & steer out of trouble mainly but to be honest you/we

should be going at slower speeds in the first place.
I should get my knobblys fitted Monday so they will help.

You are ****** though.

IainB · 18-12-2010, 23:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justsomebloke

should be going at slower speeds in the first place.
I should get my knobblys fitted Monday so they will help.

You are ****** though.

LOL - I had stopped, whilst popping out the car for a look, so I wasnt going fast when I started going down hill....just the angle of the road made the car speed up (even with my feet off the accelerator) - either that or I have really **** tyres!! Ive never been in a position where Ive thought, thats it.....im going in and I cant do anything

Need to get myself on an off road course I think!

semi-pro waster · 18-12-2010, 23:21

The limits of my knowledge here extends to keep the speed low, keep the revs lower and steer into the skid should it start. At least that's what I did on the way home today - picked up my car from the garage and had to get back through the snow and incompetent drivers, it's certainly a lot more interesting in a RWD car than it ever used to be with any of the FWD cars I've driven.

Justsomebloke · 18-12-2010, 23:28

Mines an Auto V6 3 litre it literally Pushes you along when you start sliding.

I have already made my mind up to head for the gap & go off road to avoid any cars/pedestrians etc
Same as IainB as well we are literally talking walking speed here.

IainB · 18-12-2010, 23:30

Thankfully I was in my uber boring (and very basic) Fiesta.....thankfully my Merc estate is off the road till next year, as with that being an Auto I would still have been out there...somewhere!!

If anything this has proven to me that im not as good at driving as I thought I was

(though the person following me through did say at the end that he went and played in a hedge

- maybe next time he wont be driving like a loon behind me and if I hadnt moved forward after the first descent, he would have been in my boot!)

IainB · 18-12-2010, 23:33

Oh....and some of the people Ive seen driving today.....holy mother of all things err unholy, if they got cars home in one piece I would have been very suprised!!
Lets move off with about a million revs and let it spin and spin and spin.....then jump on the brakes and skiddddddd

Justsomebloke · 18-12-2010, 23:40

I'm going out early in the morning for a cruise in me jeep to have a play & to see if there are any earners to be had pulling folk out.

Mark · 19-12-2010, 01:10

That's a good plan, though make sure you've got a good tow rope.

Some kind soul happened by in a pickup and pulled me (in a taxi, of all things) out of a hole back in Jan. Driver hadn't spotted the kerb while coming to pick me up and got one wheel stuck the wrong side. We were well stuck - it took several failed attempts on our own and three attempts with the pickup (one of which broke the end off the rather puny tow rope) to get us out of there. Didn't want any money for it either but I insisted.

BBx · 19-12-2010, 10:20

What is Cadence breaking?

BB x

18-12-2010, 22:50	#1
IainB Long Island Iced Tea Join Date: May 2009 Location: South Beds Baby Posts: 143	Snow and ascending / descending hills Got caught out in the snow today (6.5 hours from Welwyn Garden City back to Dunstable....via St Albans and any other road I could find open!) The Sat Nav decided it would send me down a country road... (yes...I didnt have to take it, but by then I had totally had enough of sitting still) which was fine whilst it weaved its way through from Redbourn thru Flamstead....but things took a turn for the worse when it went into the wilds and a few climbs / descents The climbs not a problem, in a diesel, so 1st gear, let it idle and it pulled itself through.....the descent, ummmmmmmmmm, scary! 1st gear, let it roll itself down whilst covering the brakes, but.....it picked up speed and a dab of the brakes (not ABS) didnt help matters (yes...I was cadence breaking) and I ended up a little tooooo close to hedges / trees (on 3 occasions) So....for future reference, what the hell did I do wrong? Lets just say I nearly took up smoking for those few miles!! __________________ www.imc-racing.co.uk and www.djiainb.co.uk

18-12-2010, 23:12	#2
Justsomebloke The Night Worker Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 5,228	This is the problem i have when trying to stop a 2 ton truck riding on road slippers with an auto box & nowt but a fat brake pedal to stop. Keep with the cadence braking & steer out of trouble mainly but to be honest you/we should be going at slower speeds in the first place. I should get my knobblys fitted Monday so they will help. You are ****** though. __________________

18-12-2010, 23:21	#4
semi-pro waster Provider of sensible advice about homosexuals Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: London Posts: 2,615	The limits of my knowledge here extends to keep the speed low, keep the revs lower and steer into the skid should it start. At least that's what I did on the way home today - picked up my car from the garage and had to get back through the snow and incompetent drivers, it's certainly a lot more interesting in a RWD car than it ever used to be with any of the FWD cars I've driven. __________________ "Your friend is the man that knows all about you, and still likes you." - Elbert Hubbard

18-12-2010, 23:28	#5
Justsomebloke The Night Worker Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 5,228	Mines an Auto V6 3 litre it literally Pushes you along when you start sliding. I have already made my mind up to head for the gap & go off road to avoid any cars/pedestrians etc Same as IainB as well we are literally talking walking speed here. __________________

18-12-2010, 23:30	#6
IainB Long Island Iced Tea Join Date: May 2009 Location: South Beds Baby Posts: 143	Thankfully I was in my uber boring (and very basic) Fiesta.....thankfully my Merc estate is off the road till next year, as with that being an Auto I would still have been out there...somewhere!! If anything this has proven to me that im not as good at driving as I thought I was (though the person following me through did say at the end that he went and played in a hedge - maybe next time he wont be driving like a loon behind me and if I hadnt moved forward after the first descent, he would have been in my boot!) __________________ www.imc-racing.co.uk and www.djiainb.co.uk

18-12-2010, 23:33	#7
IainB Long Island Iced Tea Join Date: May 2009 Location: South Beds Baby Posts: 143	Oh....and some of the people Ive seen driving today.....holy mother of all things err unholy, if they got cars home in one piece I would have been very suprised!! Lets move off with about a million revs and let it spin and spin and spin.....then jump on the brakes and skiddddddd __________________ www.imc-racing.co.uk and www.djiainb.co.uk

18-12-2010, 23:40	#8
Justsomebloke The Night Worker Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 5,228	I'm going out early in the morning for a cruise in me jeep to have a play & to see if there are any earners to be had pulling folk out. __________________

19-12-2010, 01:10	#9
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	That's a good plan, though make sure you've got a good tow rope. Some kind soul happened by in a pickup and pulled me (in a taxi, of all things) out of a hole back in Jan. Driver hadn't spotted the kerb while coming to pick me up and got one wheel stuck the wrong side. We were well stuck - it took several failed attempts on our own and three attempts with the pickup (one of which broke the end off the rather puny tow rope) to get us out of there. Didn't want any money for it either but I insisted. Last edited by Mark; 19-12-2010 at 01:14.

19-12-2010, 10:20	#10
BBx Reverse SuBo Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: London Posts: 8,673	What is Cadence breaking? BB x