[/caption]There are as many different techniques for riding on ice and snow as there are varieties of snow. I have gain some experience in my last rohtang ride.There are certain common techniques that seem to be useful in many instances. One of main thing to remember is use your breaks care fully. New fallen snow presents problems for bikers due to the extra effort need to get through it. Six inches of really light powder is tireing and slow, but you can go for long distances. Its very little worse than riding against a good stiff wind. Even a foot of powder is manageable as long as you get there first, before someone else makes a mess of it. You will find it much easier to travel in totally undisturbed snow than to follow car tracks, or even another bike. If you are the first vehicle along the route your biggest problem is the extra effort needed to push through the snow. If you are following others you also have to contend with their ruts and the front wheel diversions these cause. On open road ways, watch for small bumps in the snow which appear without any apparent cause. These can signal debris in the road, or potholes under the snow. You will find that things happen slowly in heavy snow. Falls take a fair bit of time to happen, and you will find that most are avoidable by quick bike handling. Sharp turns that would only exacerbate a fall on ice are quite viable recovery techniques. By a "sharp turn" I mean turning the handlebar in large increments, and fairly large lean angles. You may feel you front wheel slip sideways. Don't over react. The snow will supply resistance to this sideways slip, but it takes time to kick in (your tire has to compact a couple inches of snow as it slips before there is real resistance). Maintain forward motion, wait for the tire to catch. More often than not, the side slip will simply cease with you still in the saddle. If you dab, you dab. No big deal.
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