Just a question and bit of advice needed here on wet riding.
Who rides when its been/is raining out and how do you find it?
Also any tips or advice on riding in the wet as i find my confidence drops on the bike after or during the rain, like my bike will just slip from under me if i lean as i would on a dry road, especially around round-a-bouts where cars and lorries spill oil or petrol. (My dads mate got killed on a round-a-bout ten years ago after hitting oil and crashing into metal railings at a crossing).
bluesbiker In: Birmingham in th
Posts: 2510
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We all at some time are gonna get caught in it. I've never had to find it though. It sort of finds me most of the time. You would be surprised how far you can lean a bike on wet roads but in general just try to be really smooth and shift your weight more instead of leaning the bike over. You need a lot more room fore braking and dont go grabbing the front use more back break to keep the bike balanced. You need a lot more concentration in the wet. If the sun comes out then the glare from the road can be terrible.
RustyKnight In: Newton Aycliffe
Posts: 2462
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ace I was exactly the same as you last year but now it doesn't worry me at all. The tyres are designed to give good grip in the wet so just ride exactly the same except a little slower to give you more time for braking etc
The best advice I got was to get out in it as much as I could so for a couple of weeks I rode out every time it poured down and my confidence grew the same as it does in the dry mate
Just one tip, don't use tyre dressing on your bike or all of the above goes out of the window!!
I ride in any weather except snow,Its perfectly safe riding in wet conditions you just have to do everything at a slower pace,Think about the type of road you are riding on is it a bus/lorry route if so expect the road to be slippy and ride slowly around roundabouts,The slower you ride generally in the wet the less you have to lean,I tend to ride at a normal pace apart from bendy bits and roundabouts where you need to be slowing down earlier and giving it less gas as you leave the hazard ....Nick.
Well, been riding for 36 years and once or twice in the rain .
I've never enjoyed riding in the rain, and TBH a lot of it is about confidence in your tyres and your bike. I found that I rode better in the wet when it was dark because I didn't worry so much and couldn't "see" the road conditions. Then I realised I could ride those roads in the daytime when it was wet without any issues.
You're right to be careful at roundabouts tho, higher gears and smooth throttle operation is the key. Plan your corners.
But its easy for people to tell you what to do, only you can do it. Its no different to new riders and leaning the bike over in the dry, confidence in the bike and tyres.
Something else to remember, the roads are at their worst if it rains after a hot dry spell. You get a build up of crap on the tarmac and the water just sits on top of it. So if you get caught in a summer storm be extra careful.
Good tyres and correct pressures.
Ride slower than in the dry.
A small amount of rain after a dry spell can lift the oil in the road to the surface 'floating' it on the small amount of water.
A heavier downpour lets the oil run away down the drains with the larger amount of water fallen.
So a wetter road 'can' be safer with better traction than a damp road.
"wet riding" i find using the toilet before going out helps try to keep the bike upright and lean your body. knee down is bad. give yourself more time to react and smooth throttle and braking. also get some good kit as riding wet is no fun but if you're dry when it rains happy days!
i found out this week end if go realy fast in the rain it keeps my visor clear and i get home quicker so less time in the rain
also found if i duck down behind the screen it too cleard my visor of rain and mist plus less chance of speeding ticket
one thing ive always done is to skid the back tire on some surfaces
( straight line only ) to see how much grip is on that surface if its making me feel unconfortable
though i do find A road roundabouts real slippy coz lorrys leave a nasty film of deisel over them
man hole covers well what can you say to them great for making you think your valentino rossi but not when you wanted to ( sideways slip enevitable )
but best thing to do is to relax and go at the speed you feel comfortable with and dont do any sudden changes of direction or ride too iracticaly
just a few habits good n bad ive picked up over the 25 years
keep a good check that your bike is well maintained and everything in good order, plan a route without roundabouts and go out with no arrival time in mind.Try to think ahead and plan so that you anticipate hazards and are able to slow down rather than brake last minute, leave a good distance from the car in front so that you can see banding,paint manhole covers etc in good time so that you can ride around them slowly and avoid last minute swerves, as you build confidence and experience you will realise that steady riding on a good road surface in the wet with forward planning should differ very little from the same road in the dry but bear in mind that everyone else on the road has reduced visability too so maybe invest in a high vis vest!
Just get out there and ride in the wet! That's the best advice I'd give anyone. Slow down, try and be a lot smoother and soon you'll realise that with a bit of common sense you can go almost as quick in the wet as you can in the dry.
I ride everyday, rain or shine and it doesn't generally bother me anymore. Saying this, I don't go for leisure rides in the rain if I don't have to, because it isn't as fun. But it isn't dangerous if done sensibly.
Ride slower, and keep everything smooth. Avoid sudden/severe braking, accelerating, gearchanging or steering. Easy on the front brake, proportionally more on the back but still a little less back anchor than in the dry (50:50 works for me) Whilst minor back wheel skids are rarely a big deal on most bikes, losing the front wheel almost always ends in a get-off.
Be fully aware of the road surface ahead and choose your lines more carefully. Avoid cornering, accelerating or braking on manhole covers, white lines/crossing stripes, overbanding or anything else that ISN'T regular tarmac/shellgrip.
Give the vehicle in front more room not only to avoid tail-ending them, but also so that you can see more of the road immediately ahead, so you don't get surprised by any of the potential skid hazards mentioned above appearing in front of you too suddenly to avoid.
Most other road users driving/riding becomes even more retarded/dangerous than usual in the wet, and their visibility is almost always severely compromised by fogged up windows or visors - always assume that no one will see you, but, in the unlikely event that they do, that there's a well publicised bounty on your head and that they're they're ALL out to have you off, and ride accordingly.
I consider state of mind is also vitally important at all times but especially in the wet. Do not fear riding in the wet. Never allow yourself to be put off going out on the bike just because it's raining, in fact if you can make a point of using the bike when it's raining, so much the better.
Good waterproof gear, the best you can afford, helps you stay comfortable and alert to the important stuff (rather than being distracted by the rapidly spreading damp patch in your pants)
Dress a warmly as possible - even if you get damp, as long as you don't get cold you can man up and ignore it. Don't be a wuss - cold can kill you in so many ways, but no one ever died solely from getting a bit wet.
Ideally choose gear that's easy to get on and off so that the thought of having to get kitted up to go out in the rain doesn't make you not want to bother.
Better still, if you can, get good gear that also looks cool as hell, so that you actually WANT to go out in the rain because you look so damn good you want everyone to see you! Seriously, I'm SO not kidding on this one.
Always keep your visor from misting up with either the de-mister you can buy from bike shops, or washing up liquid if you're a cheapskate/old school biker like me.
Normal rain is ok on a maintained road when the top surface is worn slow down as it becomes a slidy mess.... especially on hard bends and roundabouts
...heavy rain is a bad one as the tread can't cope with the displacement of the water so at speed you are effectively traveling on a film of water....not too bad in a straight line but on worn surfaces like roundabouts and bends it can have the front end away from under you...so slow down and use wieght tranferal rather than leaning the bike if you are going slowly you can recover if it starts to give a little at speed you'll be down before you know it.....
best advice is ride within your limits and the only way to do that is to gain experience in all conditions and don't run before you learn to walk as they say....
hope it helps..
ace i havnt riden in the rain for years mate but this week end i did just that and i had a real blast made a change allthough my gear lony just about dry even now lol but i do saty off the major A rds though if i can when its wet
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