First bail for a newbie

[musik_man]

I've been lurking around this site for quite a while now, great way of getting info about pretty much anything it seems. even if the opinions can be quite different...

But anyway, came of my bike last night and thought I'd chuck up a post to see if Im learning the right stuff from it!

Here's the way it went down:
Cold, wet (it being Chch in the almost-winter) and cruising up to an intersection with a red light. Braking to slow down, front wheel hits the arrow in the middle of the road (which I didn't see) and slips out from under me. I bail off.

The damage
Brake lever is snapped and front mudguard is twisted so now rubs on the wheel. Also had my phone in my pocket which I landed on, so sore leg. Scratches on the fairing, one front indicator snapped off/pushed out of mount.

The lesson(?)
Use more back brake in the wet?
Watch out for paint, it's really slippery, and ride down the side of the lane when braking at intersections so that I dont ride over arrows.
Possibly put a road tire on the front when I get it replaced
Put everything in chest pockets or my bag.
Fix the bike and get riding again!

Any comments would be great, I figure if I learn from this one I wont need to do it again!

[Jantar]

Bad luck with having such damage at low speed. Painted road markings are very slippery when wet, so avoid them as much as possible.

Ride more to the right hand side of your lane rather than in the middle as this gives you better visibility past other road users and automatically puts you out of the way of many road markings. Don't assume that this will mean that you miss all road markings though, as there are still enough on the right to be a hazard.

[frogfeaturesFZR]

Also the centre of the lane is where you are more likely to find dropped oil, diesel etc. Ride in the car in fronts tyre tracks, its a little drier. Big thing with rain is to really use your eyes, they can save you a heap of grief. Good luck with the repairs.

[Elysium]

Avoid those white road markings like the plauge in wet weather, doesn't matter how slow you go you will still slide on them.
Also keep a good distance from cars in front of you when riding in the wet because too many idiots like to brake hard and without warning and that doesn't give you much distance to brake on when your tyres start to slide on the wet.

[n0regret5]

hah..i remember locking my front wheel of my old NC24 on a patch of painted sign in the wet, almost dropped the old girl. an old workmate once told me never to ride over the paint if you can avoid it, even on a hot day. it was the reason for his smashed hip and resultant shorter leg..
which makes you wonder, why couldn't they paint it with the stuff they surface skateboards with? that'd be choice..

[Renegade]

i think you got it covered pal, you will see where the the drier road surface is, anything shiney aint your friend.

[musik_man]

Thanks heaps for the replies! Yea I think I will be staying away from the markings all the time now. Talked to my dad and he was saying that that's how he had his worst crash (back in the day). Surely there's something grippier they could use!?

Another question I had was about just general slowing down. In the car I use engine braking most of the time, but on a bike? Say Im riding up to a corner and need to change down, is it better to stay in the gear Im in and brake till just before I turn, then quickly change down while the engine is in lower revs, or change down when approaching the corner?

Also when Im coming up to some lights/stop sign etc, sometimes I ride dont change out of gear until I've pretty much stopped, then clutch in and down through to first. Other times I'll change down through all the gears (blipping the throttle if Im really paying attention) This is usually if I think the lights might change soon. Other times I clutch in as soon as I start to slow and use just the brakes. This I the method I like the least as I was taught to always be in gear when cage driving, just in case.

Am I doing alright? Basically which of these methods is the safest and least likely to screw me up in the long run?

(sorry about the long posts!)

[McDuck]

It is best to stay to the right at trafic lights that way you have a better chance of not bign taken out by a car not seeing the red, (or you). It is a good idea (and i still need to work on this a bit) to always be in a gear that you can move of quickly in. Dont come up to an intersection in 5th, come up in second etc. I also find my bike flicks through the gears better when moving.

[chubby]

All of the above is sage advice and I feel compelled to add a couple of things from a little cruise I took yesterday.

1. Watch out for zebra crossings. the white can be murder as well, generally ok for just riding over but hell on braking or accelerating. I was in Lyttleton and crossing the roads, accelerating gently (as you do) and then major rear tyre spin, lasts only a split second but it does say hello, its wet. Wet day so no-one noticed the extra marks on me.

2. In the rain you seem to become aware that every corner has a metal grate somewhere on it. Enter slow so you can see them and adjust your line (that little sideways shuffle is another undy wetter).

See also a previous thread on keeping the visor free of water runs. that misty drizzle at 50kph play up with your view.

[chubby]

PS Change down prior to the corner so that you are in the gear you want to accelerate in, use your brake. Get to your corner speed before the corner so the suspension on the bike has a chance to settle back to normal, therefore distributing the weight where it should be. Entering a corner on braking isn't a good idea as it loads the front wheel. Accelerating during a corner helps keep the weight more on the back tire, allowing better steering and traction.

Everyone is a little different but i firmly believe in slow in, fast out....

[Maverick]

Sorry to hear about your bin, sounds about a replica of my first bin 7 or so odd years ago.
Yes white paint is slippery, take care around it.
Rather then favoring one brake over the other try to maintain equal and smooth braking front and back, if one starts to slide then let it out and start again.


[QUOTE=musik_man;1579247]
Other times I'll change down through all the gears (blipping the throttle if Im really paying attention) This is usually if I think the lights might change soon.
QUOTE]


This is what I do and recommend. Several reasons, one being especially going around blind corners, that you never know what might be around the bend.
If you have to come to a sudden stop, every ounce of braking ability you have, engine or otherwise could be needed.
Secondly it allows you to smoothly put the throttle on and accelerate out of the corner without fuddling about trying to downshift mid corner.
Set yourself up for the bend at the right speed and gear, maintain stable power through the bend, and accelerate out of the corner. (generally speaking).

[90s]

Corners & gears - slow in (slow down & change down into corner) for fast out. Don't take too much speed in. Use your bike's engine braking, its much more effective than a car's. Don't coast with the clutch in ever.

Learn correct road position - ride in cars right wheel track position generally.

Look down = go down. If a wheel starts to slide its generally recoverable if you let the bike take its own course - look up and ahead to the horizon and the bike may miraculously correct itself. Look at the locked wheel or down and - as you found out - down you will go

Learn countersteering

Have fun!

[musik_man]

... slow in, fast out....

I picked this up from my lurking and it seems to suit me well. Yet to try out anything on the open road (bring on August!) but I'll approach it the same way. I wasn't quite sure about the best way to do the "slow" part, the "fast out" isn't too bad though. Personally I dont mind slowing down, it means I can enjoy the gas on the way out more! Still enjoying how responsive it is riding a bike, I get bored when I have to take a car now

[musik_man]

... Use your bike's engine braking, its much more effective than a car's. Don't coast with the clutch in ever.

This is good to hear! I hate the feeling of free-wheeling along! Nice to know the gut was right for once...

Look down = go down.

...although this was pretty much what happened. Instinct needs some work. (aka practice). The only other thing was that I was thinking that I'd rather go down than end up in the middle of the intersection! PRobably why I ended up on my a$$ but possibly the better option?

Learn countersteering

Countersteering?! Love the stuff. My main mode of transport is of the unpowered two-wheel variety so it's slightly intuitive, except that now I cant use my weight to lean the bike. When cornering I think of "pushing" the bike down with the inside hand. I find this means I do it right most of the time. Im hopefully doing a course in the next month or so on basic emergency measures and town riding etc, so should be good!

[Mikkel]

Good that you're not hurt too bad and that the bike hasn't suffered too badly!

The other guys have posted some good feedback - especially what 90s is saying about keeping your eyes up is important. However, I have to comment on this:

Here's the way it went down:
Cold, wet (it being Chch in the almost-winter) and cruising up to an intersection with a red light. Braking to slow down, front wheel hits the arrow in the middle of the road (which I didn't see) and slips out from under me. I bail off.

Also when Im coming up to some lights/stop sign etc, sometimes I ride dont change out of gear until I've pretty much stopped, then clutch in and down through to first. Other times I'll change down through all the gears (blipping the throttle if Im really paying attention) This is usually if I think the lights might change soon. Other times I clutch in as soon as I start to slow and use just the brakes. This I the method I like the least as I was taught to always be in gear when cage driving, just in case.

If indeed you didn't see the big white arrow on the road surface I think you need glasses. Maybe you didn't realise how slippery they can be - in which case it wasn't a matter of you seeing them or not, but ignorance leading you to be unaware of a potential hazard in plain sight.

Your paying attention comment says a lot IMHO - you're riding a bike mate, if you don't pay attention you're going to get hurt! If you were aware that paint is nasty in the wet, saw it and still braked on top of it you have already experienced what inattention feels like.

Ride safe and keep the rubber side down!