sliding in the rain?

Sometimes running the red is better than stopping if the light has just changed to red. Yes giving illegal advice. But if avoiding a ticket is more important than getting thrown off a bike and potentially suffering serious injuries than by all means try to stop.

Lesson learned when riding in the rain. When approaching intersection let off the throttle and be prepared to stop so you won't have to lock up. I sometimes have to pump the brakes.
 
Locking the rear is a little unnerving but fairly controllable. When you lock the front, combined with load transfer to the front, you can end up on the ground faster than you can blink. Even when I tried to be easy but quick on the brakes a split second later I was sliding on my *** watching the bike slide past me. Don't even remember actually coming off the bike because it happened so fast. I'd rather ride in below zero conditions than rain after that incident and a few other unnerving sliding episodes in the rain.
 
All the points above plus Michelin Pilot Road 3's
:)
 
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The road's pretty slippery for the first few minutes. If you're at all unsure of your abilities, that's a good time to take a break. To gain that competence and the confidence that comes with it, you need experience, but that experience is useless if you're not learning from it, or you're doing it wrong.
There was a lot good advice given here, so take a look at the common themes and practice.
1. Anticipate as much as possible, and be prepared for what you can't.
2. Everything must be smooth - application of the brakes, shifting, steering.
I don't like to preach about speed, but you also leave more time to 1 and 2 more effectively if you slow down a bit as well, but not so much that you become a hazard by affecting the flow of traffic. If that's the case, you need to take a break.
 
Sometimes running the red is better than stopping if the light has just changed to red. Yes giving illegal advice. But if avoiding a ticket is more important than getting thrown off a bike and potentially suffering serious injuries than by all means try to stop.

Lesson learned when riding in the rain. When approaching intersection let off the throttle and be prepared to stop so you won't have to lock up. I sometimes have to pump the brakes.

its funny you say that, ill be honest i coasted right past the intersection i didn't want to slam the breaks and try to stop and fall right in the middle of it, all the cars were nice and didn't move, 2 cars saw my back end come out and didn't go at all.


The road's pretty slippery for the first few minutes. If you're at all unsure of your abilities, that's a good time to take a break. To gain that competence and the confidence that comes with it, you need experience, but that experience is useless if you're not learning from it, or you're doing it wrong.
There was a lot good advice given here, so take a look at the common themes and practice.
1. Anticipate as much as possible, and be prepared for what you can't.
2. Everything must be smooth - application of the brakes, shifting, steering.
I don't like to preach about speed, but you also leave more time to 1 and 2 more effectively if you slow down a bit as well, but not so much that you become a hazard by affecting the flow of traffic. If that's the case, you need to take a break.


Yeah I didn't expect the rain but it came out of no where, it was quite the experience. Was going super slow after this happened becuase I was afraid of it happening again, I was going the speed limit but afterwards I was going 10-20km under.

Anyone have advice on wind? It was pushing me really hard and almost pushed me into another lane, didn't expect winds to be that strong but at the same time I didn't want to tilt too much and have the wind suddenly stop having me tip right over

All the points above plus Michelin Pilot Road 3's
:)

ill be sure to get those when the tread on these tires are done :)
 
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Riding in rain:

  1. Slow down
  2. Look far ahead
  3. Expect that no one can see you and the ones that can are trying to kill you
  4. Be easy on the brakes (personally, I wouldn't touch the rear - it's far too hard to control your foot vs controlling your hand and far too easy to lock it and it doesn't add much to your braking)
  5. Avoid road obstacles like rails, paint, tar snakes, access covers, etc.
  6. Slow down

Wind:

  1. Relax
  2. Try to predict gusts - look for wind blocks like trees, buildings and trucks and anticipate the gust you'll get when you pass out of their protection
  3. Don't overreact
  4. Relax




  1. If you aren't comfortable in the conditions, pull over and stop until the conditions change. Be very careful pulling over in heavy rain as others may not see you and will happily run over you and make you a road pancake.
 
Those lines are indented into the road and hold water. Plus they have no traction.

I disagree with this - "tar snakes" are pretty close to a rubber compound that (if anything) will grip the tire harder than asphalt, BUT the sensation of riding along a "tar snake" and going between it and the asphalt can definitely be disturbing if you don't know what to expect.

Overall though, you're riding across a small surface that has more grip than the regular road surface so there's nothing to be afraid of - IMO
 
Wait till you lock the front up :lmao:

Locking up the rear isn't the end of the world

Yes sir! Oh those rainy days in downtown streetcar tracks..thank God it was the rear locking..you start to wobble like crazy as if your gonna hit the pavement any second but learning to relax and letting the pressure off instantly brings the bike upright :)
 
I'm glad that things worked out and you didnt' lay down the bike!

Rain riding isn't a big deal once you are used to it but you do have to pay extra attention and ride a bit differently.

-Smooth is an important key. Accellerate smoothly, brake smoothly, turn smoothly. With less traction it is easier to brake loose the tires so anything you do should be very smooth. (This is true in all riding but you can get away with it more easily when it is dry.)

-If you lock up the rear brake and start going sideways stay on the rear brake. If you are sideways and release the rear brake odds are good you will high-side over the bike when it gets traction. Best bet is to keep braking until you stop.

-Allow extra distance for all manouvers. The means extra stopping distance, more space around traffic to cut down on road spray, stop futher behind other vehicles to allow you extra distance to stop (as you experienced) and also so that you have room to move ahead if a vehicle behind you can't stop in time) extra accellerating distance (ie if coming out of a side street with cars coming allow extra room in case the traction isn't there when you start moving.)

-avoid lines on the road as they are slippery

-look out for oil. At intersections the middle of lanes tends to have oil on it but oil can be found on many pieces of road well away fro mintersections..-watch out for diesel oil in intersectioins. Trucks tuurning can often spill oil. This stuff is like ice when water is on it.


I hope soem of this helps you a bit.

..Tom
 
Be smooth with all inputs in wet conditions.

+1
Riding in rain is a learning experience. All steel (manhole covers, etc.) and painted lines will be very slippery.
 
I'm glad that things worked out and you didnt' lay down the bike!

Rain riding isn't a big deal once you are used to it but you do have to pay extra attention and ride a bit differently.

-Smooth is an important key. Accellerate smoothly, brake smoothly, turn smoothly. With less traction it is easier to brake loose the tires so anything you do should be very smooth. (This is true in all riding but you can get away with it more easily when it is dry.)

-If you lock up the rear brake and start going sideways stay on the rear brake. If you are sideways and release the rear brake odds are good you will high-side over the bike when it gets traction. Best bet is to keep braking until you stop.

-Allow extra distance for all manouvers. The means extra stopping distance, more space around traffic to cut down on road spray, stop futher behind other vehicles to allow you extra distance to stop (as you experienced) and also so that you have room to move ahead if a vehicle behind you can't stop in time) extra accellerating distance (ie if coming out of a side street with cars coming allow extra room in case the traction isn't there when you start moving.)

-avoid lines on the road as they are slippery

-look out for oil. At intersections the middle of lanes tends to have oil on it but oil can be found on many pieces of road well away fro mintersections..-watch out for diesel oil in intersectioins. Trucks tuurning can often spill oil. This stuff is like ice when water is on it.


I hope soem of this helps you a bit.

..Tom


Wait so I should hold on the brakes even if they lock? and yeah i got super lucky i honestly thought I was definately going down
 
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