Moving on Down the Road

By Rosemary Carstens

RAIN, RAIN—IT’S HERE TO STAY! Yep, Bikers, that’s the bad news. If you ride, you get weather—rain, hail, sleet, wind, sand, heat, and cold. You have to accept it—but you don’t have to be unprepared. You all know that always carrying rain gear to keep you dry and avoid hypothermia is a must. Here’s a few tips for riding safely when Mother Nature puts the evil eye on you:

TRACTION CONTROL - Wet pavement can still offer areas of relatively good traction—statistically, about 80% of what you get on dry pavement. Slick areas generally contain more than rainwater; it mixes with all the gunk (a technical term) that passing vehicles drop all the time—including diesel oil, antifreeze, chassis grease, bake dust, disintegrating trash, etc. Once it has been raining steadily for awhile, most of the slimy stuff will wash into the gutters and you will get decent traction. Exceptions: Shiny spots, such as plastic arrows, steel plates, grated bridge decks, and railroad tracks are treacherous when wet. Loose objects such as leaves and flattened cardboard become more hazardous when damp. Ride in the right or left wheel track, not in the center of the lane.

TIRES - When it is raining, having good tires becomes even more critical, to achieve the most traction possible. Keep them pumped up to correct pressures—a properly inflated tire has a better chance of pushing down through the water and maintaining a grip.

KEEPING YOUR POWDER DRY - In addition to the usual rainsuit, a ski gater works pretty well to keep rain from flowing down your neck. Some bikers like to have boot covers and special gloves, also. At least one biker I know, in a pinch, stopped at a convenience store, bought two loaves of cheap bread, tossed the bread, and put one foot in each bag! Hello! I don’t think this would work with some of the feet I’ve seen in our club!

SUITING UP - Depending on where I find myself, as soon as I see it’s going to be more than a few sprinkles, I generally pull off somewhere safe and suit up. If I happen to be near a café or convenience stop, I might pull in and take a break long enough to let the roads wash a little cleaner, take my time suiting up instead of doing the road-side squeeze and wiggle. Sometimes, you just have to tough it out—you’re on a narrow mountain road, little or no shoulder for stopping—you just keep putting until there’s a safe turnout. This is not fun, but can be accomplished very safely if you keep your speed down.

RIDING TACTICS - During rain showers, watch for any beading up or rainbow sheens that indicate oily areas. Because oil and other slick materials will also spread downhill on cambered curves, try to stay in the uphill wheel track, reduce your speed and lean angle. When crossing a potentially slick area, keep your speed steady, don’t make sudden changes in direction. If you feel your tires let go for a moment, avoid snapping off the throttle or jamming on the brakes. Just stay steady—the bike will correct itself if it can.

BRAKING - On rain-slick pavement, your braking technique must be modified. Share braking almost equally between front and rear, and try to brake in a straight line. If you see you are going to cross a slippery area such as a plastic arrow while braking, momentarily ease off the brakes as your tires cross the plastic.

LIGHTNING AND FLOODS - Don’t go there, don’t be there, give it up. Rubber tires will not save you from being struck by lightning. If it is striking around you, time to get off the bike and into a building if at all possible. As for floods, do not try to ride through them—you don’t know how strong the current might be, or whether there is a crater-sized pothole beneath the surface.

BEST ALL-ROUND ADVICE WHEN RIDING IN THE RAIN?? In a nutshell, PLAN AHEAD, SLOW DOWN, BRAKE EARLIER, LEAN LESS, STAY WARM. Survive to Rule!

© 2006 – May not be reprinted without permission from author. For permission, contact Rosemary Carstens E-mail