Rain

[Black_peter]

Well it was bound to happen.
Even though we have been at drought levels all summer rain is bound to
happen. Natually it is bound to happen during a commute on the bike.
As the radar was showing more not less rain on the way and as I have
got caught out several times this summer I decided to work with rather
than aginst it... So I dressed for the rain instead of dressing for the hope
it wouldn't rain. Well OK it helped that it was in fact raining.
Just knowing that I was dressed to stay dry helped my attitude 100%.
Riding in the rain is kind of important.
First off if you ride in the rain on purpose you will be less likely
to be freaked out if you get caught out. Second, you will have to smooth
up your riding, easier braking, more thoughtfull turns and less pushing lights.
Third and perhapes most important is that you will learn that 75% of your
street riding is under the potential of your tires/brakes. This should mean
that you learn to trust your bike better.
A few tips.
*Rain X on your face shield. Just turning your head will blow off any drops.

*Add at least a car length. As you speed up and as you brake.
This extra room will keep you braking and accelerating "lazier".
So you start braking 75 ft before the stop rather than 50.
(or 30 feet rather than 5!! )

*touch the brakes if you haven't used them or touch them
if you expect to use them. This will sweep the water off before you need the brakes.
Other wise the first bit of braking is used up here.

*Your tires are cold! Just keep this in your head.
No matter how long you have been on the road your tires are cold.

*Mind your feet! Put both feet down and firmly. The road my not
seem slick but; Intersections are where cars will drip more oil, gas and anti freeze. Slick stuff.
Also your boots may not have as much grip as your tires.

[tzortn]

Also keep in mind that the lines found at many interections and parking lots become very slippery when wet.

[Black_peter]

Hell they can be slippery when dry!
Good addition!

[macgyver]

Sewer covers also get a little slick so avoid running over them when making a turn. Also watch out for leafs as they may be like ice when wet.

[sven]

I actually like riding in the rain. Add:

Smooth counts twice as much--accelleration, shifting, braking, cornering. The nice thing about this is that with things breaking loose a lot earlier but more gradually, so you can really feel what is happening. Rumour is that pavement isn't any softer, though....

RAIN-X comes in a bunch of formulations, and the "wax" seems to last the longest and work the best for me. Save the "wipes" for glass. They are made from recycled newsprint and diapers imbedded with millions and millions of tiny, sharp teeth...

...my $40 lesson is your gain.

You are "doubly invisible" in the rain. My rain gear and bike are a shade of green not found in nature and that makes blind people flinch and squint in direct sunlight. Doesn't help a bit.

Chain looks fantastic after a few hours no matter what it looked like before--keep it that way by wiping and lubing after you get back home (or get and oiler and still wipe).

Good reminder topic!

[The CyberPoet]

More tips:

Use a gear higher than usual. If you'd do 45 in 3rd, do it in 4th. The accompanying reduction in torque (and lower RPM) will reduce your likeliness to spin a tire unexpectedly and lose grip.

The single biggest factor in safety is planning -- planning on where the bike will go, where the tire will run (avoiding tire grooves if the road-bed is rutted), planning on how to get away from the over-spray coming off trucks & cars to keep your vision from being overwhelmed by dirt on the road carried up on their mist...

The second biggest factor is tires. A good wet-weather tire is a god-send and will keep you from losing traction prematurely. Deep traction groove channels, high silica content and narrow tires reign supreme -- here's one of those situations where wider is definitely NOT better because wider is going to hydroplane (lift up atop the water) much earlier. The same tire recommendations I make all the time are superb wet-weather tires (Z6's in 120/70ZR17 & 150/70ZR17 sizes). Living in Monson-central [Florida in the summer], I get a lot of time to test tires in the wet.

Avoid the center of lanes in the last 100 feet before a stop light. Rain drives oil, diesel and transmission fluid up out of the road's surface pores/holes, where it becomes super slippery, especially when rain first starts falling. The last 100 feet (or more) is where cars idle waiting for light to change, leaking their fluids into the pavement during dry weather -- that fluid will want to come back up when it rains.

Tzortn's recommendation of avoiding painted (often heat-applied plastics) lines on roads in the wet is spot-on. If you you know you'll have to cross a set of those lines, such as making a left-hand turn, slow way down even compared to the speed you might otherwise consider safe in the rain.

If you start to hydroplane (or suspect you are hydroplaning), clutch in, throttle off, brakes off (unless you have no choice because of traffic) and point at where you want to go. Letting the bike settle down in terms of suspension and removing all the other inputs aside from steering will help it re-establish grip faster. If you need to slow down (i.e. - not requiring a panic stop) faster than you can coast down, drag the rear brake lightly, which will help push the front tire down into the water harder while shedding the speed.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[esdparamedic]

Great tips guys...

Coming from a newbie, this is all great advice. Thanks to all.

[omega0003]

Great tips. I actually got caught out in the rain this morning. It was fun. I was a little nervous at first but I gave myself plenty of time to stop and took it easy on my turns.

[notec]

My 2cents......watch the train tracks that arent perpendicular to the road......I found that out the hard way.....luckily I am a big guy and was able to catch the bike and hold it an inch off the ground.....not an easy feat....trust me.

[Sixpoint]

Also - if you haven't applied RainX and get caught in the rain, I've found that by going into a semi-crouch on the bike and using the high pressure air stream coming off the top of the windscreen, you can clear water from your faceshield. Only works at 35mph or faster for me, but works well at highway speeds. Looks a lot like the automated carwashes that use high speed air to dry your car, the water beads down your faceshield, giving you clear vision again.

[The CyberPoet]

Following distances -- the simple "German" method (the way they teach in all German driving schools -- works at ANY speed):

Pick an object the vehicle in front of you just passed (light post, signage, etc). Start counting.
Clear weather - there should be a minimum of 2 seconds before you arrive at the same object. This factor is based on the concept your brakes are top-notch, as good as the guy in front of you, and the fact that the average person takes 1.5 -1.8 seconds to process the brake light signal of a vehicle they are paying attention to into actual muscle stimulus pressing on the brake. If you're overwhelmed by scenery, distracted by other thoughts (boss, GF, etc), not watching the vehicle ahead of you, double it.

Night - add 1 to 2 seconds depending on clear the air is and how full the moon is.
Rain - add 2 seconds.
Snow - add 3 seconds.
Ice/slurry/slush - add 4 seconds.
Fog - add 5 seconds (or until you can only barely see their lights on the outer limit of your vision-distance).

Combine as needed.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[D dot T]

Very good information. Thanks!

[stickygreen]

some good info in here

my truck's broke down, so my bike's my only ride for the time being.
i knew i was going to have to make my 30 mile ride to work in a bad storm and was a little nervous. i had never ridden in much more than a sprinkle.
after reading the thread, taking in the info, i felt more comfortable about the rain and found i enjoyed it

[Wade-Kat600]

Add the "if you start to lose it...."

Rear coming out:
Get off the seat get your butt to the low side in an extreme fasion - you've gotta be thinking dirt riding in this situation - lean the bike away from the slide quite a bit and counter steer - you may use your front brake - and get off the throttle - power on again as needed but just do it lightly. Remember - counter steer but be light on the bike - you really can push em around - if you dont panic it works out fine in most cases.

Front tire lock:
Before you release the brake get the clutch in and the wheel pointed in the direction of movement - then release and cross your fingers that you're not too far out of shape to pull it back. Position your weight so the bike will be balanced when it starts to roll again. Even in a really out of shape lock where the bike is starting to go down you can pull it back - just ride and try to keep your cool.

[md86]

Did we forget "your wet brakes MAY not work as well" ? I rode to work in the rain last week , and when I went to use the brakes , it's like there was NOTHING there . But if you drag them once in a while to clear them , they'll work like they should .