Rainy Weather - Got Any Good Safety Tips

[Rianna]

I wanted to go pick up some things at the pharmacy today, but when I looked outside the weather and wet roads don't look so good. If I decide to go out anyway, what should I look out for? Anything I can do to stay safer on the wet roads?

[aokark]

Few general things I can think of would be to lower your speed and don't brake too hard... And you don't wanna take curves too sharp

[oswaldters]

Based on my experiences riding in the rain on a fairly regular basis, you'll find it not that much different really.  Just take it easy on the brakes, and watch out for those painted lines.  Even putting your foot down when you stop can be an interesting experience if you put your foot down on a stop line or turn arrow.

Needless to say, take extra care and you'll be fine - don't lean too hard into any turns.  This time of year the biggest hazard (aside from other drivers) will be any areas where there are a lot of wet leaves on the road.  

Scoot safely!

[Rianna]

Sharp curves? Got tons of those around here. Wet leaves? Got tons of those, too. Down in the woods here I can hardly see the road some days for all those leaves. We get some flooding at the bottom of the hills down in here, too.

Thanks for the tips, aokark and oswaldters! Really appreciate it! I may say the heck with it and wait until all those Black Friday shoppers find their way back to their houses. See how I feel after some morning coffee. If I'm up to the challenge and I go, I'll let y'all know how it went.

[WT100]

Follow the above and it depends how far you want to go with prep but if i was going very far in the wet i wold probably bleed a couple pounds of air pressure out of my front tire.  Watch your breaking.  Make sure you are using both breaks, nice and smooth.

Again it depends on if you run a hard front or not.

Be safe. 

[Rianna]

Thanks, WT! I like that tip about the front tire. I usually try to leave a lot of distance between me and the car in front of me when I stop even on dry roads. The folks behind ya can get too close for comfort sometimes at a stop light...

[Hoolander2]

I second the advice about the white markings on the pavement -- they're real slippery.  Try not to go fast over them and don't stop where you have to put your foot on one. 

Ditto about the leaves -- even if they're just on the grass or dirt. 

Use mostly the back brake.  As some of us know, front wheel locks up real easy on slippery surfaces and bike goes down so quick and hard you have no time to react. 

[juice]

Also be very careful on metal surfaces like manhole covers or rail road tracks , they are like ice when they are wet . But really just take it easy and you should be fine . Good luck .

[ts1]

Additional:
- Remain relaxed. Physics is just the same, only a friction coefficient has changed.
- Dress dry and warm, esp. on long trips.
- Be careful if temperatures drop, water might turn into ice.

This was today, winter came into the last warm area (south west) of Germany.
On my way to the office:

Shortly afterwards:

Rain and snow is daily routine for us Europeans.

[Rianna]

Wow, this is all great information. Sorry I missed some of it before I went. Thank you all so much.

Wow, you really got the weather over there in Europe, ts1!!

[oswaldters]

So did you go ahead and try some rainy day scooting?

[Rianna]

No I haven't. Not yet, oswaldters. I only went next door to help a neighbor get a snake out of their yard. Might go in a little while, though.

[oswaldters]

Man, I'd rather ride in a heavy downpour then mess with a snake.

[Rianna]

Luckily this was only a small one. Had one get in the house one time. Had to suck it up with shop vac.

[oswaldters]

I'll be happy to have nothing to do with snakes. 

Really would be unhappy to have one in my house.

I spent a lot of time in Africa - in the middle of nowhere sleeping on the ground.

Run into quite a few snakes in those days and I'd prefer to never run into any more, ever.