TALES FROM
THE TRAILS
Several months ago I was
returning from a Chapter ride with a group of experienced riders when we were
caught in one of those surprise Florida rain showers. We have all been in them; not enough rain to stop and put on our
rain gear - but just enough to dampen our bikes, our clothes, and the road.
We were spaced out
properly and riding at a safe speed when the traffic light directly in front of
our group changed from green to yellow.
We had enough time to safely stop so we all hit our brakes, and then
suddenly for no apparent reason the bike in front of me went into a severe
skid. The rear wheel locked up without
warning and the back end of the bike shot out to the right. Only the skill of the rider saved her from
going down, but in the process her bike swerved in front of me quite suddenly
and crossed between me and the bike directly in front of me. Fortunately I was not too close (that’s why
we ask people to use the 2-second rule in group rides) so she had room to take
this action and not run into someone.
What happened? Sure - the road was wet from the brief
shower, but not that wet. No, what
happened was that during the braking process she crossed over one of those turn
arrows that is painted on the road, and that painted surface was so slick that
her rear tire locked up without any warning and sent her into a skid. In other words, she lost her traction - and
in motorcycling traction is everything.
What causes a loss of
traction? Lots of things - and it
doesn’t have to be raining or wet. The
obvious is something on the road surface such as sand, gravel or debris. But there are many not-so-obvious changes in
the road surface that are just as important.
For example, painted areas are everywhere (direction arrows, crosswalks,
etc.) and each one presents a change in road traction. Add a little water (rain or a lawn
sprinkler) to the traction change and you could have a problem.
There are other changes
in the road surface that are much less obvious but equally important. I’ve noticed a lot of pavers being used in
the road now as decorative crosswalks.
I bet those pavers are a lot slicker than the road surface - wet or dry,
and they are almost always positioned right where we are making a turn. You should cross those pavers as cautiously
and as straight as possible.
And then there are oily
spots... often you can’t see these slick spots, but they are there and they are
particularly treacherous after a rain storm.
I remember putting my foot down at a toll booth and nearly having my
foot slide out from under me because of the oil. It was like being on ice.
The bottom line? Keep your eyes on the road - the road
surface that is - and always be on the lookout for some change on that road
surface that might adversely affect your traction. You’ll be glad you did.
-- Tom Ireland, RC