Traction loss due to wet pavement

Hi everyone

Besides lube oils on the pavement surface immediately after the start of a rain and probable hydro-planeing issues on old rutted pavement I was wondering how much less traction one has with a bike on wet pavement as apposed to dry pavement? I've only had to ride a few miles in the rain on my bike. It didn't seem too bad but of course I was taking real easy.

Thanks
John

And Merry Christmas and all the best to all of you in 2008. I really enjoy these forums!

I won't even pretend to be able to quantify the traction loss in mathematical terms. But I'll tell ya what is of REAL importance when it is wet:

1. Stay off paint! Yellow lines, white lines, any on-pavement lettering is almost always like wet ice. Whether it is your tires or your foot at a stop, it is best to minimize contact with painted roadway when it is wet.

2. Driving my Jeep through puddles is FUN! But hydroplaning on a bike ain't. Avoid puddles, or at least slow down enough for them so that you won't hydroplane. And don't think freeways are immune from puddling....they can be the worst, especially under overpasses. Just ride slower and smarter.

3. A little rain can be worse than a lot of rain if the roads haven't had a good washing-off in the recent times. Here in Nevada it is rare that we get good, heavy rain - so when it does rain it usually combines with all the oil and tranny fluids dripped out from the previous months and makes a superior sliding surface.

4. Rain means less visibility, for you and the cagers. Don't think ANYONE sees you, especially when you're turning. Double your normal contempt for the cluelessness of cagers, and double the accompanying paranoia as well.

5. Don't be in a hurry, even if you are cold, wet and miserable. Lying in a flowing gutter waiting for the ambulance is much worse than cold water running down the middle of your back at a stop light. I know. Just take it easy and embrace the nastiness of a rain ride - it'll be a good story at your next get together. And you'll have bragging rights anytime anyone plays Billy Joel's "You May Be Right".:roflmao:

All I can think of quick.....ride safe!

:cheers:

Red hit the "nail on the head" with that info. Very good advice!!

Watch out for cattle grating and steel bridges also. They can be very slippery! I had my arss end slide out on me going across a cattle grate in light rain in Oregon a year ago. Was in first gear just above an idle in a very slight turn. Thought I was going down, but didn't. PTL! Like Red said, Better to take your time than end up in the gutter!!

Not to even mention raiload crossings, extremely slippery as well. Remember the new ones are being built with a grated steel plate which would probably contribute to a more slippery surface.

Good ones Red!

Regards,
German

Good one Red!!! Also watch out for the cow dung that slops from the cattle liners going into Lakeside...that ****'s real slick..and that ain't no ****.

Don't forget sand and gravel. :gah: Around town, the contractors, trucks, and landscapers that loose sand and gravel at intersections on turns can get you good. :rant: And now one wants to clean it up. Especially when the pavement is dry! Watch your turns and your footing when you stop.

Sleepy..........How could you possibly know about Lakeside?

John

you guys had that wild work stoppage a while back..it made the news...and I live in Calgary..

Ah. Makes sense now. Didn't realize you lived so close.

John

I came as close as I ever have to laying it down a couple weeks ago for just this reason. I was approaching an intersection with a left turn arrow. I accelerated a little to make the light but it changed before I got there. I had just touched the brakes when I noticed a bag of sand had been busted open and scattered in my lane (probably some illegal contractor ). The front brake locked and I went sideways but was able to get it stood back up. I puckered up the seat real good but nothing hurt. The cars on the other side of the intersection must of saw what was happening and stayed put so I didn't even try to stop again and went on through the light. $hit can happen so fast it's unbelievable.
Another dangerous place is where these gravel roads intersect the paved road. Gravel gets thrown out in the road and can make for a bad situation. This happens a lot in the mountains around here. Almost every driveway and road had a "puddle" of gravel on the pavement and when you are rounding a curve and hit one, watch out.

Glad you were able to keep it up Slimjim. It's something we here in the desert have to watch for all the time. You're right about the moutains too. We have several "twisties" in the area that we love to ride, but have to watch for the gravel kicked up by the cages from the turnouts, view points and driveways. We also have some intersections and retail driveways that have standing water where slime grows. One of our club riders went down last year in one of them. Luckily she was going slow! Hurt her pride more than anything.

How bout those road snakes on a hot day. Those nice lines of hot tar they fill the cracks in the road with.:gah: Hit one of those in a curve on a 90 degree day and that will make the a$$ pucker.

OK, we're WAY off the wet pavement, but speaking of road snakes - I hit a humungous Black Snake, looked like a torn up tire at a distance, while cornering in NC many years ago, and that nearly brought me to the turf. So avoid them, too!