Riding in the Rain (and Muck).

[Burger]

I have another observed ride tomorrow in preparation for my IAM test. If the weather forecasters are to be believed then it will be raining quite hard. In my past, I have ridden bikes in all kinds of weather, some which now with the experience of age, I realise were just plain stupid... like riding on sheet ice in the middle of London.

I am though very nervous about tomorrow because it will be the first time for 20 years that I have ridden on anything other than a dry road. Remember, I didn't ride at all for 20 years until late last year.

I can remember well and understand all the pricipals of riding on wet surfaces... smoothness, no sudden inputs - braking or acceleration, obviously being more cautious around corners etc.

I believe all my gear will be more waterproof than anything I had 20 years ago and so in a twisted way I am looking forward to it if for no other reason than to test my gear :) I also believe my tyres will be better at dispersing surface water and will provide more grip. Only one aspect is a shame, and that is that I know muck will get to places I can never clean and so it could well be the end of that 'just left the showroom' look :)

But here's the rub... it's not the rain and just wet roads that's making me nervous. It's more because of where I live now. As I posted in other threads, the roads around here are absolutely covered in mud and muck from farmers fields, some of it in quite solid patches and I imagine that encountering this when wet, will be almost as slippery as riding on ice. That makes me very nervous.

I have told my observer all of this, so he may even decide to cancel tomorrow, but if he doesn't, I'd be interested in advice from anyone who can picture what I'm talking about. Am I right to be nervous, or has age and lack of riding for 20 years made me paranoid? Is the bike and its tyres especially capable of more than I am giving them credit for or should I insist on staying at home?

Thanks,

[dond]

Dave....Face your fears and go.

I will not not live my life in fear.


My opinion of course,

[Burger]

Dave....Face your fears and go.

I will not not live my life in fear.


My opinion of course,

Don,

That's exactly what I decided to do which is why I've posted the questions... I am planning to go and face my fears... but am I mad? :D

Regards,

[dond]

Don,

I am planning to go and face my fears... but am I mad? :D

Regards,
Hopefully....."I've always been crazy, it's kept me from going insane"


-Thanks to Waylon Jennings-

[nisbeam]

Hi Dave, I have been doing an awful lot of that recently and few thoughts Give me a ring if you like on 07768 643826 Regards, Andy. :03biker:

[Burger]

Thanks Andy... I will do that... about time eh? :) It won't be until later though if that's ok because I have an afternoon of work calls booked. Perhaps this evening about 7 ish? Let me know if that doesn't work for you otherwise wait for the phone to ring :)

Thanks again,

[Low Flyer]

I also live in an area of many active dairy farms and I am always on the lookout for "road debris" from the cows and/or tractors. With safe speeds, it's not that different than avoiding the cracked pavement, tar patches, empy beer bottles(Hey, this IS Vermont, ya know!). Testing is always hard, but staying upright is more about focus, anyway. Good luck,37 years riding so far. jim

[STeve1300]

... but am I mad? :D

Regards,

Yes.
http://image3.greetingcards.com/dgc/i/c/shs_crazySmiley1.jpg

[tricky_micky]

Dave

That is about all I would say, ride well within your capabilities and weather conditions, it makes sense. That is what I do and I dont care who is in front or behind me when riding in adverse conditions.

Rain and snow forecast here tomorrow and Sunday, and I am out both days, but my vantage is that I will be on the CB500 and th ST will be in the garage :p:

Looks like you will need the hose pipe and what I have found to be an asset is a 'Bottle Brush' one that you would use for cleaning out demijohns and stuff when making wine. It is good to get into those nooks and crannys.

All the best for Saturday.

Mick

[Burger]

Thanks Mick,

As you know from my previous posts I won't let anyone push me and will absolutely ride within my comfort zone. I appreciate your confirmation though that this is the right attitude. As it happens, the weather forecast is changing from bucketing down with rain to just being cloudy, so perhaps my nervousness will be for nothing... I can only hope :) Having said that, I do want to regain my wet riding confidence, afterall I'm in the UK like you, and so I also feel I'd rather do it sooner than later.

Regards,

[nisbeam]

Thoughts regarding riding in the wet.

First – a couple of general points worth mentioning….

Skidding – not that it should be any more likely, but the way to deal with it is the same as in the dry – do nothing, i.e.do NOT brake or slow down on the throttle, keep a steady throttle to allow the bike to grip again.

Relax – This is the most improtant thing you can do. It is of course also true in dry conditions, but try not to worry just because the roads are wet.

So how to ride in the rain…

Riding style – the same as you should have in the dry – smoothly. If you feel the need to slow down does that mean you feel you are pushing it a bit in the dry ? However, stopping distances will be increased, so double your gap. Have you heard of the 2 second rule ? it is mentioned in the Highway Code which also says that in poor conditions the gap distance should be doubled (a 4 second rule).

Wet roads – are they more slippery ? Not really – BUT things on the surface will be. E.g. baked on diesel at bus stops, man hole covers, white paint & lines, and of course mud. So how do you avoid them ?

Target fixation. This is when you stare at something and go towards it until you hit it. If you see a brick in the road and stare you will hit it ! So the way to deal with these sort of hazards is to be observant and spot them, then look up at where you are going, and adjust your path so that you miss, and pass them on the inside or outside – whichever is most appropriate. This is best done all the time. Do it in the dry & you will already be in the habit if conditions get worse or it starts raining.

Positioning on the road. You may have already learnt that there is a place to be when cornering – on the outside all the way around until you can see the way out when you may choose to change position. Positioning should be used all the time – yes, even on straight roads. You should position yourself so as to be furthest away from any hazard, e.g. driveways or road joining on the left – position yourself nearer to the right of your lane, clear road, but a stream of traffic coming in the other direction – you may choose to be to the left of your lane. These are gained by experience, but there will always be a best position to maximise your safety level. You can also use the act of changing road position as an excuse for a mirror check – always use the mirror before moving across – it’s a good habit to develop. So how would this be used on muddy roads ?

Muddy roads – the ones that can be slippery. I use the same theory regarding positoning but in this case it can be translated – I call it my Tyre Tracks approach. Try to literally run in the tyre tracks of vehicles that have gone before. If there arent any there imagine they are there. Other vehicles will have already driven the road before and may well have actually cleared narrow tracks, not just of mud, but other dirt, stones tec. This can also be used in conditions such as snow. So choose your position and follow the left or right tyre track, whichever is most appropriate, and you will be running on cleared tarmac.

Finally – As I said before relax. Tension adversely affects your riding in may ways, but also of course means you will probably not enjoy it. If you have the proper gear you will be dry and warm despite the rain, and riding in the rain can be fun. Wet country lanes, dripping trees etc. can be very pleasant – as long as you remember to be in the right position to see / be seen, and leave extra distance to stop in you will be fine.

I have ridden in a lot of rain (and icy conditions) over the last few weeks. Sometimes not pleasant, but I just think of the fun to come when the roads are dry and the weather warm again.

Cheers, Andy. :03biker:

[Burger]

Thanks Andy,

Fantastic write up - very informative and useful.

As I said I have in my past ridden in every weather condition this country can throw at us... it's just it was 20 years ago and they're not skills you regain over night. I agree on the relax point and I know I am still in the habit of tensing when I see something that concerns me or especially when I feel an unexpected movement of the bike. I am fully aware that this is the worst thing to do and I am getting better with each ride I complete - especially as I develop a better sense of the characteristics of the bike and a more sensitive feel for its capabilities. As I'm sure you'll appreciate though, you don't regain 20 year old skills over night as I said - and this is probably my biggest problem.

Regards,

[nurseBob]

Dave,

This is just a "FWIW" on the long break. I had done the same before starting to ride again about 6 years ago. I do remember how surprised I was at how unsettling it was to get back on a bike and suddenly find myself in traffic at 70 mph. I had been sure it was going to be the proverbial "like riding a bicycle" experience. NOT!!!

Your anxiety is normal (and healthy), but the basic instincts are all there already (I'm assuming you had significant riding experience previously). To a degree, the best I can offer is: Allow yourself to be comfortable with where you are in reacquiring both skills and confidence. Ultimately, trust your gut. Regardless of your observer, if you don't feel comfortable tackling the ride in the current conditions, cancel. There's time to regroup and do it later. Over the years the one lesson I've had burned into my brain is: If it doesn't feel right, don't do it.

Otherwise, if you're observer thinks it's safe, and you're feeling Ok, well, then just enjoy the opportunity and use it to get an even better handle on where you are in the evolution of your riding skills.
Have fun and stay safe!

Bob

[Burger]

Dave,

This is just a "FWIW" on the long break. I had done the same before starting to ride again about 6 years ago. I do remember how surprised I was at how unsettling it was to get back on a bike and suddenly find myself in traffic at 70 mph. I had been sure it was going to be the proverbial "like riding a bicycle" experience. NOT!!!

Your anxiety is normal (and healthy), but the basic instincts are all there already (I'm assuming you had significant riding experience previously). To a degree, the best I can offer is: Allow yourself to be comfortable with where you are in reacquiring both skills and confidence. Ultimately, trust your gut. Regardless of your observer, if you don't feel comfortable tackling the ride in the current conditions, cancel. There's time to regroup and do it later. Over the years the one lesson I've had burned into my brain is: If it doesn't feel right, don't do it.

Otherwise, if you're observer thinks it's safe, and you're feeling Ok, well, then just enjoy the opportunity and use it to get an even better handle on where you are in the evolution of your riding skills.
Have fun and stay safe!

Bob

Thanks Bob,

All good stuff and oh so true...

Between the ages of 16 to 25 I rode all sorts of machinery (pics of some in my gallery) in all sorts of weather and in all sorts of traffic conditions, including commuting to central London every day. I distinctly remember when it was raining that the only thing I cared about was that I knew I was going to get wet. I think I can honestly say that I have ridden in any weather the UK can throw at me and on equipment, especially tyres, that weren't anywhere near as good as today's.

Like you, when I decided to get back on bikes last year I knew I would be a little nervous but I thought all my old feelings, confidence and expertise would be back in a flash. How wrong. What I hadn't reckoned on was the experience of age and especially a much greater awareness of the risks and the knowledge of the brutal reality of potential consequences. Also, while I still know how to ride a bike of course, I hadn't allowed for losing the 'feel'.

I used to lean my Kawasaki GPZ750R so far over that I had to lift the peg out of the way. I used to feel it's back and front tyres sliding and fighting for grip and yet know precisely and predictably when it was going to bite again. There were very few situations I could encounter that would put me in a position where I couldn't positively know the outcome. Each bike I owned I knew it so intimately that every manouvre was as predictable as the last. I now realise of course that sensitivity, feeling, anticipation and experience do go with time.

The good news is that each time I go out on the ST I can feel that my senses are once again developing a good feel for it. I gain a better understanding of its characteristics each time and I generally feel more secure.in the knowledge and feel I gain of this superbly capable machine. A sure sign of this is the sheer enjoyment I am starting to get from riding it and my wife telling me she feels very safe and secure on the back.

I am blessed with who I believe is a very good and experienced observer for my IAM course. I did tell him of the concerns I posted above and his response was that we will only ever go out if I feel confident to do so. We have an arrangement for tomorrow that if I'm not at the meeting place at the alloted time... he will bugger off home :) As it is, I will be there, rain or no rain and I know we will ride at my pace. I am actually looking forward to it, as I am in hopefully successfully completing this course and ultimately passing the test. All of which will make me an even better rider than I was at any time in the past.

Thanks for the 'FWIW', it's good to know I'm normal :D - well at least compared to you :D

Regards,

[Burger]

Well, after all that it didn't rain a drop so we had a great ride... made all the more interesting by the fact we had a trainee observer along for the ride too, so I got two for the price of one so to speak :)

We didn't get going until 4.00pm which also meant I ended up riding home in the dark and got to try the ST's headlights for the first time. Once I'd fiddled with the adjustment I found them to be superb.

At the end of the first stint today my observers comments surprised me... he told me that he couldn't fault it and based on that ride he would put me in for my test tomorrow. Needless to say I was very pleased with myself :D

The second stint however wasn't quite so impressive. It was a much more technically demanding route with many turns of differing tightness and visibility, along roads that were differing in width from a normal two lane road to single track lanes. Add to this constantly varying speed limits, areas of parked cars and many concealed junctions and obstacles. In addition, especially where shadowed by overhanging trees, the roads were damp and in places very messy indeed. At the end of this stint he did pick me up on a few points, especially positioning on some bends and arriving at some hazards too quickly but I knew when I was riding that I could have done better in myself. Only at the very end did he tell me that was the route he normally takes associates on as the last lesson immediately before their test. Bearing this in mind, he was very pleased with my progress and so was I :D

On top of this I answered all his questions on 'The System' perfectly.... oooooo get me lol :D

Seriously with all this experience and advice from much more knowledgeable people, including those here, I can feel I am becoming one with the ST and my riding is starting to show a fluidity and smoothness I could only dream of a few months ago. If anyone else has the opportunity to do this kind of qualification, I strongly recommend it.

Maybe I'll be real lucky and it be bucketing down next time :D

Regards,