It started raining, what do I do now?
10-06-10 | 04:58 PM
#1
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It started raining, what do I do now?
I have been commuting for about 2 months, and have enjoyed it thoroughly. Today it is raining. I don't have a problem getting wet, but was wondering if there were any safety issues with riding on racing slicks, I have Ritchey race slick tires (700 x 23). I don't want to start home and realize I am going to most likely eat **** at some point. The rain is light, but there will be a nice slick surface on the road.
Is this going to be dangerous with my tires? or should I be OK if I ride cautiously
.
Is this going to be dangerous with my tires? or should I be OK if I ride cautiously
.
10-06-10 | 05:07 PM
#2
Plays in traffic
Joined: May 2006
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From: Rochester, NY
Bikes: 1996 Litespeed Classic, 2006 Trek Portland, 2013 Ribble Winter/Audax, 2016 Giant Talon 4
The typical bike tire can't hydroplane until over 100 MPH, so you don't have to worry about that part.
Just be careful with the reduced grip of wet roads. Painted and plastic road markings, tar strips, and metal are especially slippery, as are wet leaves in the road. Brake earlier to clear the rims too.
Just be careful with the reduced grip of wet roads. Painted and plastic road markings, tar strips, and metal are especially slippery, as are wet leaves in the road. Brake earlier to clear the rims too.
10-06-10 | 05:25 PM
#4
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From: PNW - Victoria, BC
Bikes: 2002 Litespeed Vortex - 2007 Trek Madone 5.9 - 2004 Redline Conquest Pro - Specialized S-Works Festina Team Model - 93 Cannondale M 800 Beast of the East
The typical bike tire can't hydroplane until over 100 MPH, so you don't have to worry about that part.
Just be careful with the reduced grip of wet roads. Painted and plastic road markings, tar strips, and metal are especially slippery, as are wet leaves in the road. Brake earlier to clear the rims too.
Just be careful with the reduced grip of wet roads. Painted and plastic road markings, tar strips, and metal are especially slippery, as are wet leaves in the road. Brake earlier to clear the rims too.
Your best option for normal but wet roads is getting tires with a slick (no tread features) tire with a grippy compound. As for paint, man-hole covers, gratings..... listen to tsl.... he knows what he speaks of.
Or, you can listen to Sheldon Brown:
Tread for on-road use
Bicycle tires for on-road use have no need of any sort of tread features; in fact, the best road tires are perfectly smooth, with no tread at all!
Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth tire will be slippery, so this type of tire is difficult to sell to unsophisticated cyclists. Most tire makers cater to this by putting a very fine pattern on their tires, mainly for cosmetic and marketing reasons. If you examine a section of asphalt or concrete, you'll see that the texture of the road itself is much "knobbier" than the tread features of a good quality road tire. Since the tire is flexible, even a slick tire deforms as it comes into contact with the pavement, acquiring the shape of the pavement texture, only while in contact with the road.
People ask, "But don't slick tires get slippery on wet roads, or worse yet, wet metal features such as expansion joints, paint stripes, or railroad tracks?" The answer is, yes, they do. So do tires with tread. All tires are slippery in these conditions. Tread features make no improvement in this.
Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth tire will be slippery, so this type of tire is difficult to sell to unsophisticated cyclists. Most tire makers cater to this by putting a very fine pattern on their tires, mainly for cosmetic and marketing reasons. If you examine a section of asphalt or concrete, you'll see that the texture of the road itself is much "knobbier" than the tread features of a good quality road tire. Since the tire is flexible, even a slick tire deforms as it comes into contact with the pavement, acquiring the shape of the pavement texture, only while in contact with the road.
People ask, "But don't slick tires get slippery on wet roads, or worse yet, wet metal features such as expansion joints, paint stripes, or railroad tracks?" The answer is, yes, they do. So do tires with tread. All tires are slippery in these conditions. Tread features make no improvement in this.
10-06-10 | 05:40 PM
#5
LET'S ROLL
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From: NEW YORK, NY - USA
Bikes: 2014 BMC Gran Fondo, 2013 Brompton S6L-X
biking in the rain on Bontrager Racelite slicks, 700X25
#!
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10-06-10 | 05:44 PM
#6
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From: Seattle, WA
Just be more vigilant, and get most of your stopping power from the front wheel. Paint or metal in the road will make your tires slide - it can be effectively the same thing as hydroplaning. If you go over a metal slab, keep in a straight line, and don't brake until you get to the other side.
10-06-10 | 05:50 PM
#8
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From: Sacramento, California, USA
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If this is the first rain in months, be very careful of oil that seeps up from the asphalt, particularly at intersections. You should be fine, just take it easy.
10-06-10 | 05:56 PM
#10
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From: PNW - Victoria, BC
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Beyond all the advice, I actually enjoy riding in the rain, once I'm out and in it..... unless it's below 40 degrees, then it can get a bit miserable.
10-06-10 | 07:52 PM
#11
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10-06-10 | 08:05 PM
#12
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From: Toronto, Canada
Hydroplane on a bicycle tire and you'd be on your butt quick... thankfully you have to be going very fast! What is more dangerous is rain washing away all the micro-grit that gives your bicycle tire grip. Usually road paint, sewer grates and street-car tracks are gonna get ya!
10-06-10 | 09:36 PM
#13
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From: Aurora, CO
Bikes: CAAD9-1, Windsor Cliff 29er
I've often heard the argument that bike tires can't hydroplane. That's all well and good, but is hydroplaning the only cause of a tire slipping? I honestly don't know, but I doubt it. It seems like debunking hydroplaning is a bit of a straw man argument, people don't care how they go down in the rain, just whether or not they do.
10-06-10 | 09:45 PM
#14
In the right lane
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10-06-10 | 10:14 PM
#15
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I've often heard the argument that bike tires can't hydroplane. That's all well and good, but is hydroplaning the only cause of a tire slipping? I honestly don't know, but I doubt it. It seems like debunking hydroplaning is a bit of a straw man argument, people don't care how they go down in the rain, just whether or not they do.
Like most people in this thread have pointed out, anything other than pavement ( or dirt ) is dangerous when things get wet. Metal grating means your tires have very little traction, and could lose their grip if you messed up. Same with paint, like road striping. Or leaves on the edge of the road. Or even some pavement - stuff you're more likely to find in urban parks where bikes shouldn't be anyway. Watch out for all of this stuff. Don't turn too steeply here.
I've locked my rear wheel a couple of times when it was wet and I had to make panic stops. The back wheel starts to slide sideways in an arc ... it's scary for a split second, until you let up. Rely mostly on the front brake; the weight moving forward as you stop keeps the tire pressed up against the roadway.
This is probably obvious, but don't lean as far into turns because you have less contact area with the road this way, and your tires already have less grip.
10-07-10 | 11:47 AM
#17
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One word: fenders.
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10-07-10 | 11:58 AM
#18
Bike addict, dreamer
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Queens, New York
And avoid puddles, they may be hiding unpleasant surprises!
For not getting wet in cold temps it's hard to beat Pearl Izumi's Amfib tights and bibs. O2 rain shells are cheap and effective for the upper body. Columbia hiking outerwear is also good and they often have sales or look for an outlet shop.
For not getting wet in cold temps it's hard to beat Pearl Izumi's Amfib tights and bibs. O2 rain shells are cheap and effective for the upper body. Columbia hiking outerwear is also good and they often have sales or look for an outlet shop.
10-07-10 | 12:27 PM
#19
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From: Edmonton, Canada
Rain is great riding, but you do have less grip. I've never fallen due to rain, though, and it's unlikely you will. Slicks are actually better in rain because they give you more contact surface. I have skidded my rear tire on a couple of occasions, but it's easy to recover from a fishtail.
Go slow on corners, and give yourself lost of braking distance. Enjoy.
Go slow on corners, and give yourself lost of braking distance. Enjoy.
10-07-10 | 01:19 PM
#21
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Painted and plastic road markings, tar strips, and metal are especially slippery, as are wet leaves in the road.
Beyond all the advice, I actually enjoy riding in the rain, once I'm out and in it..... unless it's below 40 degrees, then it can get a bit miserable.
10-07-10 | 01:57 PM
#23
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From: Buffalo NY
Bikes: Gerry Fisher Nirvana, LeMond Buenos Aires
I've often heard the argument that bike tires can't hydroplane. That's all well and good, but is hydroplaning the only cause of a tire slipping? I honestly don't know, but I doubt it. It seems like debunking hydroplaning is a bit of a straw man argument, people don't care how they go down in the rain, just whether or not they do.
Happy riding,
André
10-07-10 | 01:59 PM
#24
ride for a change
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From: Minneapolis, MN
Bikes: Surly Cross-check & Moonlander, Pivot Mach 429, Ted Wojcik Sof-Trac, Ridley Orion. Santa Cruz Stigmata
I love riding in the rain. It's sort of a small yet welcome challenge. Heed the advice posted above. It's all good.
10-07-10 | 02:10 PM
#25
Freewheelin' Fred
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From: Sacramento
Bikes: Surly Cross Check
+1 Slow down
+1 Slicks
+1 Fenders
Disk brakes are also great and grippy tires. I had some Armadillos that slid all around, but my Marathon Supremes get good grip on wet pavement.
AND, you really don't want to change a tire in the rain, so I'd make sure I had some decent flat protection
+1 Slicks
+1 Fenders
Disk brakes are also great and grippy tires. I had some Armadillos that slid all around, but my Marathon Supremes get good grip on wet pavement.
AND, you really don't want to change a tire in the rain, so I'd make sure I had some decent flat protection