AlpinePossum
10th May 2010, 20:19
Ok, so we all know the road maintenance crews here in Canterbury hate us bikeys.
They cover the roads in a layer of loose ball bearings over plate glass....
Ok. Slight exaggeration.
Today I hit a really bad section of the stuff on the plains and the bike (Suzi DR650 with dirt tires) just felt wildly loose and skitterish. Scary scary scary.
So I started experimenting.
Ok, more weight on the pegs. Helps a bit.
Weight a bit back.
Helps a bit.
Shit shit shit this stuff is EVIL.
So I slowed way down... ok. I'm coping... let's see how well I'm coping now, lets try sway from side to side and see if the tires are holding.
HEY! It feels better when I do that!
Less skittery. Whoops, I'm taking the weight off the pegs.
I'm not entirely sure why I started doing it, but this is what I ended up with..
Place enough weight on the pegs to almost, but now quite, lift my bum off the seat.
Now walk on the pegs (without actually lifting my feet off, just taking all the weight off the "up" foot.)
Left - right - left - right - left -right .... at a walking pace.
Not sure why it works, I think it wiggles the whole bike a bit an forces the tires to dig in a bit. But it worked!
Solid as a rock!
I ended up belting along at 100kph and every time I hit a pile of "ball bearings" I just "walked the bike" across it.
I'd love to hear whether this works (or doesn't work) for anyone else!
They cover the roads in a layer of loose ball bearings over plate glass....
Ok. Slight exaggeration.
Today I hit a really bad section of the stuff on the plains and the bike (Suzi DR650 with dirt tires) just felt wildly loose and skitterish. Scary scary scary.
So I started experimenting.
Ok, more weight on the pegs. Helps a bit.
Weight a bit back.
Helps a bit.
Shit shit shit this stuff is EVIL.
So I slowed way down... ok. I'm coping... let's see how well I'm coping now, lets try sway from side to side and see if the tires are holding.
HEY! It feels better when I do that!
Less skittery. Whoops, I'm taking the weight off the pegs.
I'm not entirely sure why I started doing it, but this is what I ended up with..
Place enough weight on the pegs to almost, but now quite, lift my bum off the seat.
Now walk on the pegs (without actually lifting my feet off, just taking all the weight off the "up" foot.)
Left - right - left - right - left -right .... at a walking pace.
Not sure why it works, I think it wiggles the whole bike a bit an forces the tires to dig in a bit. But it worked!
Solid as a rock!
I ended up belting along at 100kph and every time I hit a pile of "ball bearings" I just "walked the bike" across it.
I'd love to hear whether this works (or doesn't work) for anyone else!