All weather riders, the cold, the dark, THE POT HOLES!

[Stradders]

Having only passed my bike test end of last year, I have been riding my bike as much as I can, figured by the time the summer comes, I'll be an expert in wet weather riding!! and very comfortable on my bike during the warmer and more enjoyable months.

I have been a bit put off recently though with the number of emerging pot holes on the roads. Its not so bad in the morning as I can see the roads quite well, but come later afternoon (when I finish work) once darkness sets in its very difficult. Some of the pot holes I have seen would trash my bike and me with it, car drivers do not make easy either when I'm trying to ride more cautious, and their glued to the back of my bike!

Anyone experience the same, how are you all getting on with this type of thing? Perhaps the car is the way forward untill the weather is better

 

[PipBoy]

I feel your pain there. I am in a very similar situation. Been riding only since last November. Been using the bike for everything I can and having a blast. We had alot of rain in December and since then the roads have been horrible! the US101 runs though town here and the southbound has recently been refinished. Riding that direction is great but turn around and head down the southbound and its pothole city! For now they have just put up "rough road" signs. I'm just dealing with it because riding is just too damn fun. the cage is no better because it's lowered. Good luck!

 

[youngy]

The bike is staying garaged til the weather, warmth and light improve.

Those potholes are bad enough in the car!

 

[Norbert]

in the winter, i dont ride when it's dark.
it is harder to see potholes and there is a much higher chance of hitting black ice.

 

[Motogiro]

We can ride here all year round and since the rains we've had a tremendous amount of pot holes. There are very deep potholes here. There is one pothole on Miramar Blvd. that would definitely without question fold your front end back and leave you on the roadway. I don't even know how it could be legal for a city to ignore this and I'm going to take a picture of it today and send it to the city and the local news. If you hit it with your car wheel, your front end is toast and I can't imagine the poor b*stard that hit's it on a bike. If I get a chance I'll post a picture of it...

Give your self extra extra distance from the car in front of you so you have time to evade holes. Being to close to a car will reveal the crater too late. Here in sunny SoCal the shadows hide them so be alert. Of course night riding needs a different speed.

 

[Andz]

Pot holes.... a friend of mine hit one on his ZX-14 on Saturday morning. So hard that the shock mount broke off the swingarm. Bottom line, including subframe etc the repair costs are almost half the price of a new bike. :spank:

 

[discgolfdude]

I feel your pain, I ride year round. My wife and I only have 1 car, and she drives it. So far this year hasn't been to bad weather wise, but the roads are really bad with the pot holes, mostly due to the stupid studs that cars use. They tear up the roads so bad, then when a hole does appear they get patched with the stupid cold patches that just get ripped up in a week or so!! Like Motogiro said, just give yourself extra space behind cars, and drive within your means. If you don't have to ride in the dark, don't. Be safe!!

 

[greg]

use the main beam when you can, or get some better lights?

i usually follow a few specific routes and so know where all the holes are

also watch out for puddles, you don't know how deep they are

another problem is all the farmers seem to be intent on turning the roads into dirt tracks :S


in the UK at least if you can prove the pothole damaged your vehicle you can claim money back from the council for repairs, try and get a picture of it

 

[Hoshiko]

What about a pair of lights pointing to the road infront of you. Just an idea

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Anzo USA - Performance Lighting

 

[foxbass]

Round London I'm thinking of employing a bloke to walk in front of me waving a red flag while I wobble in and out of the riding line avoiding canyons. :surrender:

 

[dolau]

round here they are resurfacing whole areas after the winter salting and before the new financial year starts - I think that planed surfaces in between works traffic lights are just about the most dangerous surface on two wheels... followed closely by brand new or old Shellgrip surfaces- either of which are like riding on marbles