Riding in the Wet. Advice.

[krisg]

Right guys.

I've never been out in the rain on my bike.
I have done, Mildly damp roads.

So what's the advise.
Apart from,
Slow down
Break gently.
Avoid Man holes
Avoid White marks.

How do you keep water of your visors, so you can see.

etc etc etc.

(Might need to convice the mrs I know what I'm talking about, if its raining on sunday.LOL)

[Gnasher]

The faster you go the better the rain gets blasted off your visor!!!! GO FAST FAST FAST ! Otherwise you seem to be on top of it. Its all common sense you'll be fine.

[samwise]

Turn your head and the water will be blown off your visor, assuming the visor is clean to start with, so that the water will bead.

Smooth inputs on brakes and throttle help

Oh, and good waterproof, warm gear, so that you can concentrate on the riding rather than that freezing cold waterfall going down your neck and back

[Wee Jack]

Krisg,

Wet roads are actually easier to ride than "midly damp roads". When the roads are just damp they are generally very greasy , but when the rain has had a chance to wash the scum away there is more grip. The most dangerous surface is encountered in the summer, a couple of minutes after it's started raining at the end of a long dry spell.

Smoothness is the key to safe wet weather riding and once you've done a winter you will find your summer "dry" riding is much improved.

Plan ahead , avoid harsh braking and keep it smooth.

If you can manage it , do and advanced riding course , because the observational and riding skills taught on these courses are exactly what you need in the wet.

As far as rain on the visor is concerned - there are various lotions and potions available that are supposed to assist in slicking the rain off but they dont last, the forefinger of your left hand is the only reliable visor clearer I have found. During the worst of the winter salty roads , it's worthwhile carrying a small damp sponge tucked in somewhere , as the finger wiper does not work on cruddy salt encrusted visors.

Lastly some sort of visor insert to kill the inside misting is a godsend - fogcity or pinlock. Pinlock being my prefered system.

[Paul-S]

Don't go too slow

You need heat in your tyres to create grip - if you back off the throttle too much you lose heat = lose grip, which instinctively makes you go slower - viscious circle.

Less front brake and more rear if you have to but you would be better if you could get used to riding without brakes - just rolling off, tipping in and gently opening the throttle on exit

Ensure you get your turning in points correct and remebmer the drill Exit-Entry-Apex

[z-weiser]

two tips from the Z

1) polish your visor with wax polish (don't spray it stright onto your visor as the solvents will do nasty things to it - spray it onto a cloth allow the solvents to evaporate and then wipe the wax onto your visor and then polish off!!) this makes the water bead up and roll straight off the visor even at lower speeds!

2) white lines and grids/manhole covers are a menace when you stop also - look out for those bug left/straight arrown in the middle of lanes and road names - they are all painted in the same ultra slippy white paint and when they are wet your foot will slide off them really fast resulting in you trying to do a one legged squat with 200+kg of bike!! not great!

other than that you seem to have the common sense stuff covered and the other tips above are also really good!

oh and one other thing - don;t ride too slowly - ride with purpose and the cornering forces will push your tyres into the road and grip better - that's not to say ride like a loonie - but being too tentative can be as bad as riding too fast!

be confortable and confidence will come with experience!

Z

[Steve C]

Hello krisg

Obviously, in wet conditions, the most important thing is that you have less grip, so the bike will let go sooner in a corner if you're over too hard, and your stopping distance increases but, as WJack says, greasy roads after a dry spell are horribly slippery.

Most have already said - more planning as you ride and smooth smooth smooth. Your grip will be about 40% less but with care, gentleness and good anticipation, you should hardly notice it. Slow down a little for every manoeuvre but do things with confidence - just without anything too sudden. Riding in the wet can be great fun because it pulls you into another zone of riding with higher levels of planning, anticipation and smoothness.

Personally, I suggest that you go to a safe space and practice your breaking and turning in the wet - you can grab more than you'd expect on the front which is still the brake that will actually stop you. Practising gives you the chance to try, try pulling a bit harder and so on. If some twerp pulls out without looking, you can still grab that front brake if you need to, especially if you're upright.

Hold in your mind that the biggest dangers in the wet are things like fresh diesel on bends and corners (pay special attention on roundabouts, even more so near fuel stations) and car and van drivers that can no longer see where they are going, have 40% less grip as well, but drive as though it's a dry sunny afternoon.

If you go over a white line and you're cranked over, the bike might slip but with decent tyres, it will stop when it gets to the other side and whilst alarming, you're safe. While they are best avoided, the same can be true of manhole covers, but they're bigger, so you go further. Try not to panic because increasing tension on your riding is the opposite of what you're looking for.

Main thing is to practice, improve your confidence and smoothness, and remember you're out there because you enjoy it - even when the rain is dribbling down your back

[russh]

I'm not to sure about the ride fast in some of the previous posts (IMO). Ride what you feel confident with. I go along with Steve C above. As for the evil diesel mentioned by Steve C, I find you can often smell it before you see it, as happened last night on the way home!

As for visor cleaning, as wee jack says your left pointy finger is the one, many gloves have a special chamois / suede covering on this finger just for this.

And always wear hi-viz of some description, on a grey day it makes so much difference.

Oh, and just bear in mind visibility in cars is reduced in the wet, especially through the side windows so they have less chance of seeing you.

And enjoy

[FatFergie]

Practice
Relax
Wear the most waterproof clothing you can afford

I wouldn't necessarily avoid lines and covers; If you're just upright riding over them it's no big deal and you shouldn't let it influence your position at the expense of other issues. They can be slippy so don't go mad on them!

I use rain-x and find it quite good, a vee wipe is also good as is a suede finger.

I quite like the rain, I like the way the bike feels smoother but it has to be the right kind of rain. The worst is light drizzle in the dark in traffic and the best is moderately heavy in daylight with no traffic.

[krisg]

Thanks guys great advise form all of you.
Its just if it rains on Sunday. LOL.

I'm obviously going down with a group so I can watch their Road possitions, Speed etc and take it from there. Obviously i will be riding at my comfort level. But seeing others ride can teach so much.

Cheers.