Ok so I fell off

[Weeruthie]

:Oops: Had my first fall yesterday, skidded on a painted direction arrow in the rain.... I'm fine bit sore & bruised but I'll live bike has a few good scratches but hey adds character..... so the guy behind me stopped to help and he was a biker too told me I was sitting wrong & leaning forward too much.... I was a bit too shaken up to really ask him what he meant..... anyone got any suggestions, tips to keep me upright next time?

[p.dath]

It might sound a bit simple - but just avoid wet painted lines on the road ...

Ideally, avoid surfaces different to the one you are currently on, as when you go from one surface to another your traction may change.

[CookMySock]

ya just gotta slow down in the wet, and be really ready when braking on slippery white bits.

I went crackling into a merge strip in the wet once - lotsa diagonal white strips on it. I was forced to release the brakes and blend back into the traffic - there was no way I could have stopped. The front tyre was going slip-grip-slip-grip-slip-grip as I crossed the white lines and the traffic island was coming up quick with nowhere to go. :shit: Disaster averted!

Steve

[YellowDog]

Like has already been said, try and avoid the slippy stuff.

Bikes slip all of the time. Staying cool and holding your line is usually the answer.

So where did it happen?

What were you doing?

[Weeruthie]

Was coming up to a round about on Oteah Valley North Shore, rush hour monday morning, in the rain, guess I was probably breaking as I hit the direction arrow and the bike just went..... skidded on my arse across 2 lanes of traffic..... luckly both drivers were switched on and stopped in time before they hit me.... one was a biker too and so was very nice to me and gave the bike a once over before I jumped back on and headed off to work..... Bloomin sore today though!!!

[p.dath]

In that case, come along to a NASS session. Next one tomorrow (Wednesday).

They are really good!

edit: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=77111

[Weeruthie]

Yeah been planning to come along but always seem to be busy.... won't be on the bike again this week.... leg's pretty messed up.... on holiday next week.... but think I had better get my butt in gear the week after....!

[98tls]

:Oops: Had my first fall yesterday, skidded on a painted direction arrow in the rain.... I'm fine bit sore & bruised but I'll live bike has a few good scratches but hey adds character..... so the guy behind me stopped to help and he was a biker too told me I was sitting wrong & leaning forward too much.... I was a bit too shaken up to really ask him what he meant..... anyone got any suggestions, tips to keep me upright next time? The "guy" was an idiot,you couild ave been upside down leaning backwards no difference,as has been said avoid any painted road surface,wet or dry.

[Neon]

It might sound a bit simple - but just avoid wet painted lines on the road ...

Ideally, avoid surfaces different to the one you are currently on, as when you go from one surface to another your traction may change.

I think that's good advice no matter what the weather. I avoid white lines as a matter of course. :sweatdrop

[YellowDog]

OK - I know where you were. I do that run quite regularly (Postie bike).

When you are riding in the wet try to plan a little further ahead so that your brakes are no more than a guiding force and you don't need to reduce speed in a rapid fashion.

Slipping off is no fun hope your discomfort is short lived.

[Weeruthie]

yeah just moved house at the weekend so was the first time I've ridden that road.... planning ahead sounds smart

[Cheshire Cat]

Welcome to the binning world :lol: isnt it just the beez knees!??!?!?!(sarcasm):blink::shutup::sweatdrop:ba sh:

[Maki]

And watch out for manhole covers. You just want to take it easy when it's wet...

[Katman]

Braking technique needs to be modified for wet road conditions.

Rely less heavily on the front on wet roads.

[TuonoTom]

What Katman said, seriously.

[Jantar]

I wish there was the internet and a forum like this when I was a learner. On my first bike I was feeling proud that my riding was getting so precise that I could approach an intersection, ride straight up the middle of the white line under braking, and stop nicely before the intersection. Until one day it was raining and :Oops:

[kevfromcoro]

Dont know why they cant put some gripy stuff on that paint the road.
its as slippery as shit when its wet
mayebe a bit sand when they put it on.
been like that for years

[98tls]

I wish there was the internet and a forum like this when I was a learner. On my first bike I was feeling proud that my riding was getting so precise that I could approach an intersection, ride straight up the middle of the white line under braking, and stop nicely before the intersection. Until one day it was raining and :Oops: Jesus i am so glad there wasnt considering some of the advice sought and advice given.At times it seems the blind can indeed lead the blind.No doubt its called something else in cyberspace.:Oops:

[discotex]

I personally doubt it was just the white lines... There's often diesel spill on those particular roundabouts and the first day of rain after a while makes them slippery as ice even when you're not on the painted bits. Combine the two and bad shit happens.

It's ok if you just take it really easy and slow down early.. No idea what the stuff about you being too far forward would be about.

[marty]

Or how about, instead of just blaming the road, we consider what the OP said?

rush hour monday morning, in the rain, guess I was probably breaking as I hit the direction arrow and the bike just went

Overloaded new rider, conditions poor, riding skills low = high crash probability

And it's braking, breaking is what you do after you have braked and crashed.

[vifferman]

Dont know why they cant put some gripy stuff on that paint the road.
its as slippery as shit when its wet
mayebe a bit sand when they put it on.
been like that for years
To my understanding, it's supposed to have anti-slip stuff added to it at least, that's how it used to be. I suspect that nowadays the road painting contract goes out to the lowest tender, and they in turn will use the cheapest materials.
Crushed glass (powder) is now added to some lane markings, as it makes it more reflective ad a bit less slippery. However, the lane markings also provide a good surface for oil and other substances to adhere to.

Vifferman's Tip Of The Day: When you are riding, choose a path that doesn't go over lane markings, by looking at where you want to ride. As you come up to the markings, scan the road, and look next to the arrow/line whatever, and your bike will go there (if you're riding properly).
After a while, this will become a habit.

[marine0089]

I ride like a complete nana in the wet. Is the only way I feel safe.

When you get a bit cocky it only takes a slight slip of the wheel to send your heart racing and slap you right back into the nana status :sweatdrop

[ital916]

I am glad you alright.

My 2c.

Someone telling you not to ride on painted surfaces at all, is giving you advice you cant use. Good luck getting around the nz roading system without having to ride on painted surfaces ranging from various degrees of dry to wet (as well as tar snakes and bad seal, and so on).

The best way to do it, is to find a quiet car park and ride over some painted lines in the wet. NASS is a good place. This way, you can get a feel for what your bike does when it hits a painted surface. Like katman said, rely less on the front in wet conditions.

Nothing is learnt from becoming scared of painted surfaces. You know there is a problem, now all you have to do is conquer it, and there are heaps of members here willing to help you out.

Scaremongering I tells ya lol.

[ital916]

To my understanding, it's supposed to have anti-slip stuff added to it at least, that's how it used to be. I suspect that nowadays the road painting contract goes out to the lowest tender, and they in turn will use the cheapest materials.
Crushed glass (powder) is now added to some lane markings, as it makes it more reflective ad a bit less slippery. However, the lane markings also provide a good surface for oil and other substances to adhere to.

Vifferman's Tip Of The Day: When you are riding, choose a path that doesn't go over lane markings, by looking at where you want to ride. As you come up to the markings, scan the road, and look next to the arrow/line whatever, and your bike will go there (if you're riding properly).
After a while, this will become a habit.

I hav found dodging between lane marking can be just as risky in the wet as riding over the markings. If coming up to some lights for example in the wet with big painted arrows. Well, I have seen the arrows, I know they are wet. I brake in advance, ride over them gingerly and then turn or whatever at the lights. You wont see me zig zagging to avoid all road markings...tis nigh on impossible.

[rie]

it's okay to fall off. it happens. it could have been a combination of slipperiness and shit-happens. i promise that your rate of dropping your bike for noob-relatedness will diminish significantly with your time on the saddle.

however: generally speaking, you shouldn't be leaning weight on your handlebars. no matter where you are riding. (i'm not saying that you were in this case, but just something that will help in the long run)

also, learn to pick up your bike by yourself.

[vifferman]

I hav found dodging between lane marking can be just as risky in the wet as riding over the markings. If coming up to some lights for example in the wet with big painted arrows. Well, I have seen the arrows, I know they are wet. I brake in advance, ride over them gingerly and then turn or whatever at the lights. You wont see me zig zagging to avoid all road markings...tis nigh on impossible.
You've missed the point, Sir.
I don't "zig zag" all over the road. It's actually remarkably easy to choose a path that avoids most of the lane markings, without any swerving required, as they're fairly consistently placed on the road.
In the last 10 years of communtering in D'Auckland (in all weathers, apart from snow, but I comuntered in Chch twice during snowage), I can recall only three (3!) instances of any tyre slippage on lane markings: one where I cut the corner and the front tyre (a crapy Cheng Shin) momentarily lost some grip; and twice when I've accelerated while changing lanes in the wet and the back tyre momentarily spun up on the lane divider. In one of these instance, there was road works, and the lane marking had been 'painted' over with shiny tar or black paint.

I've also had some momentary wiggles over tar snakes, but they're a special case, as they tend to be randomly placed on the road, and they're usually thin, so loss of grip is momentary, usually minor and returns before you've had time to react.

[CookMySock]

Someone telling you not to ride on painted surfaces at all, is giving you advice you cant use. Good luck getting around the nz roading system without having to ride on painted surfaces ranging from various degrees of dry to wet (as well as tar snakes and bad seal, and so on). [....]

Nothing is learnt from becoming scared of painted surfaces. You know there is a problem, now all you have to do is conquer it, and there are heaps of members here willing to help you out.Yup. The bottom line is, you have to be ready for the inevitable, especially in the wet.

Number one, get off the offending brake - front or rear, and then immediately reapply and reassess.

Number two, very quickly get your eyes up and forward, and plan a way out just in case you trap yourself with nowhere to go. You don't want to plow straight into the back of a car, traffic island, power pole or something else solid and expensive, when a simple steer-around-it was a trivial option when taken early enough.

Number three, after you have a plan forwards, check behind you to make sure there isn't someone ELSE in the same predicament as you. If so, get out of their way before you get rammed.

In the end, experience is something you get just after you could have really done with it, so don't beat yourself up too much.

Oh, and "just slow down in the wet" is all you really need to do. ;)

Steve

[Weeruthie]

Cheers guys...... I like the nana stuff..... think I'll be riding like that again for a wee while.... mibe was getting a bit cocky for a newbie..... feel a bit like a nana today curled up on the sofa nursing the bruises..... NASS for me I think.... Thanks so much for all the advice... appreciated