Oil-slick center or water-drenched wheel gulley?

[pretbek]

The gulley-like wheel tracks that appear in heavily used tarmac highways are new to me, I need to learn how to deal with those on a MC.

So here is my question:

When riding in somewhat heavy or steady rain on the highway, would you ride on the "hill" at the center of the lane (slick with oil), or would you ride in the "valley" wheel track (water filled, aquaplaning risk)?

I would probably choose the risk of aquaplaning in the "valley", because whether you aquaplane or not seems more controllable than the unpredictable slickness of the oil in the center of the lane.

[Clair]

For me, there's no steadfast rule here, depends on the road. But I do know what you are talking about and have ridden in the middle.

In a steady all day rain last year in CO, the rain was hard, roads wet, and I chose to ride in the middle of the lane rather than the left or right third. I did this for several reasons ... 1) it had been raining for some time, so the "new rain" condition was not in affect. 2) as you mention, the gulleys formed by the cages tires in the left and right third of the lane were more like small lakes, whereas the center was drier (so to speak). I opted to ride where I thought there was less water.

For me, I try to find a path in the road that'll have the least amount of water. If it is just starting to rain I will definitely stay out of the middle but once it's been raining, Im going for where the water is least.

[BigTom]

Start of the rain? In the "valley" for sure. In this part of the world, it can be a long time between rains, there can be a lot of oil on the center.

Later? I will sometimes ride the center, if I am sure the oil has washed off. I really like to watch the tire traffic in front of me, so I can see how much water is being pushed off.

I rode 2 plus days in 'Katrina' rain last summer, found many times that right hand traffic often had the 'valley' pushed pretty dry. I tend to stay on the slab or very main roads when the rain is bad. Not always, but that is my tendency. I rode through rural Kentucky and Tennessee in often heavy rain, mostly alone. It was fine, but the 'main' roads usually have more consistent grading and slope. Not so many big puddles.

[jackpine savage]

On two lane roads I tend to the far right or far left just out of the grooves rather than the middle. The left side is sometimes too close to oncoming traffic but the right side is typically ok. The oil tends to stay in the center between the grooves.
David

[Carl_T]

In my area of backwoods, we don't get much centerline oil unless there is odd spillage from a vehicle with a problem. Typically I'll ride a straight just outside of the lowered water laden tire track (a few inches or more towards the center of either track depending). Other factors will alter that and I can be found in the center, or in a depressed tire track if conditions warrant. In turns, IF the surface allows, I prefer to run my normal late apex lines (or something close) so long as it looks safe to do so (usually it is here due to camber etc.).

Here we have plenty of tar snakes, surface holes, gravel, and irregularities to take into consideration. Lines need "on the fly small mid turn adjustments" as things come into view in the rain here, much more often than in the dry.

In general I prefer to stay out of water that hides what is beneath it whenever possible. The area surface conditions have something to do with that, but if you ride outside your home area it is good to know that water hiding surface, is a strong consideration in some places. There are high traffic areas combined with weather conditions, where centerline oil takes on much higher precedence.

You most often can run 3 inches to the side of one of these tire track ruts without being too close to the center. In turns, often a camber will take the standing water out of the ruts and you can run the line you like so long as the center has already been washed enough to take off the surface scum and oil. It needs to have been raining enough to do that though, and the traffic levels need to be low enough to deposit less oil than you will find in slow, heavily congested areas.

[IntruderCruiser]

stay out of the tire gulleys unless you know for sure the water is pushed out of them by a car you are following

I just about went down a month ago in a similar circumstance -- the front tire washed to the left, I thought no problem the back is planted, then the back washed to the right --- this happened 4 times, but somehow the bike stayed up

just remember not to do anything like back off the gas, increase the gas, pull the clutch, grab brake -- those will more than likely set you down -- let the bike and the spinning tires pull itself out if it going to happen