Originally Posted by
Machka
In my crash situation, I was coming down a curvy paved road slick with white mud. It looked like construction traffic or something had been using that road, and then it had been drizzling all day. As I started the descent, I thought I was getting myself into a bad situation, and I skidded a few times on the curves, but remained upright.
I rounded the last corner, and was on the straight stretch to the bottom of the hill, but just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, I noticed there was a 4-way stop at the bottom of the hill. The two people ahead of me sailed right through, but as I approached the intersection, cars pulled up from all directions.
I had to make a fast decision ... stop, and potentially slide out ... or go through the intersection and possibly get hit by a car. I grabbed my front brake .... and ended up in a heap on the pavement.
So here's my question ... was there anything I could have done differently to create a better outcome in that situation? Or was I doomed?
In that situation, I would shift my weight as far back as possible (and maybe below the saddle if your saddle is set low) and then use both brakes. As the roads were wet, I would modulate both brakes (particularly the front brake) to get an idea of how much traction I have before a more steady grab...and hope it's enough to get me stopped before the intersection at the bottom of the hill.