Riding In the Rain

[Outlaws Justice]

Riding in the Rain



I always find that many people have a fear of riding in the rain. What can you do if you are caught out in the rain while riding or are forced to ride thru rain for any one of many reasons? So what can you do?



You need practice. I find when teaching that rain is one of people biggest fears. One of the reasons I do not mind teaching the BRC or ERC in the rain. It really helps the students out so much more than learning in sunny weather. They learn right at the start that riding in the rain can be controlled. So find that parking lot, and get to work! (On a rainy day of course!) When you and start to practice in the lot there will be no traffic but it will still help you rebuild your confidence. Then work up to residential areas where you will have some traffic and so on.



So you say: "Yeah, sure, but the feeling I have is that wet surfaces don't give any warning. One moment you've got grip, the next it's gone. How then, can you practice ...?



You must realize that cars hydroplane much more easily than do bikes with good tires. The rounded profile and carefully designed tread patterns on bike tires really limit hydroplaning - you would be down in a second if they didn't. Car tires with lots of the right kind of tread will resist hydroplaning, but as the tread gets worn cars hydroplane pretty easily. And being on the verge of hydroplaning really feels like the car isn't planted. It's just going to take you some time. You can ask just about anyone that has crashed on a motorcycle. What ever caused them to go down, sharp right hand curve in a downhill, decreasing radius turns etc, will cause them to be uneasy for a while. Just hang in there, practice, and practice and you will be fine.



First and foremost you have to get past the fear, it takes over your brain and does not allow your mind to make decisions and take corrective action. No conditions give warning. I ride Dirt as well, it can be firm, loose, slippery etc. You have to ride the bike, look ahead, think of what you want to do and do it all without FEAR. If you are scared you are not doing the many things that riding the bike requires. The bike will hold traction much better than most of us can ride it!!!! Even in the rain!!!! You need to trust your tires!!! Try using your rear brake when it's wet to test how much traction you have available. And as others have said, a lot of it is mental. Just need to relax and be smooth on the throttle and brakes. Trust is a learned behavior. If you have some past experience with the available traction in the wet then your trust of your bike, tires will improve.

In the wet explore available traction with the rear wheel primarily, and only with the bike straight upright. You can do the rear brake test, or acceleration test (in a controlled environment). I was impressed once when I was able to loft the front wheel in the wet, not that I was trying... but it's just a testament to the grip of good tires these days. Of course I have spun up the rear as well in assessing traction in the wet, but this is all part of the learning experience... this is where you will build trust of how much traction is there. Good tire tread depth is much more important for those of us who ride in the rain!



Other than working with some trainers and doing some practice there is not much else I can actually tell you. When you are out on the road and it's raining, don't let the drivers behind you push you out of a comfortable range of speed. I'd rather be safe than appease the person behind me by speeding up, I hope this helps.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Parking lot practice in the rain can be deceiving? I't doesn't replicate actual conditions that you wouild find riding out on the street iwith traffic besides getting wet. You can't train how to deal with all of the other variables that come associated with riding in the rain. Example how to avoid the wash from the other vehicles, deal with actual road surface conditions that coated with grease and oil, especially if it's the first rainfall in a good while. The list goes on.

 

[Ghost Weim]

The fear has me when it comes to riding in the rain. I plan on doing a lot more practice this year - which should build some confidence.

 

[Outlaws Justice]

Parking lot practice in the rain can be deceiving? I't doesn't replicate actual conditions that you would find riding out on the street with traffic besides getting wet.

Water on the pavement between it and your tires, Sounds Close. And The fear of loosing traction, If you can start slow in a parking lot you can work thru some of the fear issues many people have.

You can't train how to deal with all of the other variables that come associated with riding in the rain. Example how to avoid the wash from the other vehicles, deal with actual road surface conditions that coated with grease and oil, especially if it's the first rainfall in a good while. The list goes on.

Wash from other vehicles is has more of an impact on your vision and making you wetter, but has little impact on traction unless the water is so deep to cause waves, and in that case I do not think we would be riding bikes, but using boats.

As for dealing with the other factors, I am not sure what the parking lots are like where you are, but here they are covered in grease and oil since the same leaking cars are parked in lots. Also the lots around here are strewn with dust, dirt, pot holes etc. All of these things can be worse that the roads, I would say you can pretty much replicate most conditions on the road depending on your choice of parking lots in this area.

 

[davidsa1]

I have no fear of riding in the rain, but getting soaked sucks.

 

[wrightme43]

I likey me some rain riding. I used the parking lot practice method to get more comfortable.

It worked good for me.

 

[Fz6Sa]

If I did not ride in the rain, the whole season here in Denmark would be less than a month.
We rarely have 3 consecutive day without rain, so if you wonna ride, you ride in the rain.

I have newer considered riding in the rain a problem, - the is of course the traction and splashing issues, but IMO that just adds to the experience of the ride.
You ride in a different way in the wet, - use more of your skills ....

 

[steveindenmark]

If I did not ride in the rain, the whole season here in Denmark would be less than a month.
We rarely have 3 consecutive day without rain, so if you wonna ride, you ride in the rain.

I have newer considered riding in the rain a problem, - the is of course the traction and splashing issues, but IMO that just adds to the experience of the ride.
You ride in a different way in the wet, - use more of your skills ....

I am trying to promote Denmark for bikers and you are frightening them all away ;Ø).

We do have quite a lot of Summer in Denmark but the Danes like to scare monger so non of you "Foreigners" come here....I am English.

As well as all the technical stuff about riding in the rain. Get some decent wet weather gear including gloves. It is a lot easier to ride in the rain if you are dry and comfortable.

I rode back from Dusseldorf to the Danish border in Monsoon weather. I was dry and warm, it was great. When I got to the borderthe sun came out.

Which goes to show that Denmark and Yorkshire are both "Gods Country".

Steve

 

[agmom98]

If I did not ride in the rain, the whole season here in Denmark would be less than a month.
We rarely have 3 consecutive day without rain, so if you wonna ride, you ride in the rain.

The same can be said for where I live on the Texas Gulf Coast. We just have to watch out for the first few minutes, as the roads get greasy, especially in the hot summer, but as someone else said on this thread, good riding gear can make a big difference in comfort, so that all attention can be focused on riding skills and not the rain that's seeping in.

 

[bluenova]

For the most part I have no problems riding in the rain or in sub-zero temperatures. I can quite happily take fast (90 kph +) shallow corners or slow (30 kph -) tight corners with out any issue and I have no confidence issues with accelerating/braking in the wet.

The corners I do have a problem with in the wet are the medium ones, such as the bendy motorway on/off ramps we have in Belgium where the flow of traffic is doing around 70/80 kph (45 mph) around a loop. For some reason these turns feel quite squirmy when leaning over compared to taking faster/shallower corners. I'm pretty sure it's just psychological but even though I commute every day with 50% rainy days a year and take these on/off ramps everyday, I still feel uncomfortable at that speed/turn angle, yet taking a slow 90 degree turn or fast sweeping bend I have no problem with. Answers on a postcard.

 

[Doorag]

If I did not ride in the rain, the whole season here in Denmark would be less than a month.
We rarely have 3 consecutive day without rain, so if you wonna ride, you ride in the rain.

I have newer considered riding in the rain a problem, - the is of course the traction and splashing issues, but IMO that just adds to the experience of the ride.
You ride in a different way in the wet, - use more of your skills ....

+1 same in the UK

 

[Dunno]

When riding in the rain. Use your arse & body weight.

Trust your bike & your tyres.

The more weight you transfer off the side of the bike means the less you have to lean the bike to negotiate the corner.

Try it in a straight line on a dry road. Shift your weight & keep your head down. Your body will follow your head. Shift your weight & lead with your chin. Stick your head out & your body & bike will follow.

Easiest way to corner a bike in the wet is to minimise lean angle & use your body mass by hanging off the side of the bike. This also works in the dry & can be a great training tool for new bike riders. There is a reason that MotoGP riders hang so far off the bike :thumbup:

 

[keira]

I took my MSF in the rain, and had a blast. By the end of the weekend, I was so well trained in rain riding, that when it came time to take our little test, the rain had stoppd and pavement had dried, and everyone in the class needed more practice, because we had never ridden in the dry!

For me, the splashing and spray from other vehicles is what keeps me off the road in the rain, not the wet itself (though I don't enjoy beign rained on, either). Though it has nothing to do with traction, I would argue that being able to see is a huge safety factor.

 

[CrazyBiker]

I got trained well in India riding in rain without gear for 5 years. lol.

 

[rider1a]

I always find that many people have a fear of riding in the rain. What can you do if you are caught out in the rain while riding or are forced to ride thru rain for any one of many reasons? So what can you do?

Having toured quite a bit in the rain...some things I have learned along the road of experience:

1. Keep yer tires and maximum recommended pressure. Believe it or not, the high pressure tires are less likely to hydroplane since there is less surface area to be displaced and cause the tires to rise during high-speed riding.

2. Watch out for the first 15-20 minutes of a rain storm, especially if it has been really dry for some time. The initial shower causes the road to release more oils etc...especially on asphalt.

3. Keep an eye for the middle lane where car's often leak various car oils. Turning in curve and hitting the middle lane can cause a sudden RELEASE of traction. You also have road debris more likely to get accumulated in the middle .

4. For reason number 3, I tend to ride in the left wheel path of the car in front of me since part of the water has been pushed aside. I increase my distance by five seconds or more when the rain starts.

5. Watch out for any painted surface, including metal grates and railroad crossing....especially in turns! In Texas we have several roads with cattle-guards that happen at the critical part of turns.

6. Invest in some good, traction tires. The Road Pilot 2 are highly regarded for this reason. I would not run your tires down to the last possible thread or wear line for safety sake.

Besides that, invest in some good rain gear plus make sure your helmet has some decent anti-fog stuff added to the inside. Just relax and remember to have slow, smooth throttle and turning action.

I ain't this good...

 

[xj750_Pete]

One will be surprised with the amazing amount of traction there is available in the rain. Having just been in an accident in the rain, just remember to keep a good following distance behind the car/cager in front of you and like others have said, stay in its tracks. Also try to keep an escape route in mind.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Wash from other vehicles is has more of an impact on your vision and making you wetter, but has little impact on traction unless the water is so deep to cause waves, and in that case I do not think we would be riding bikes, but using boats.

Vision/Visibility is critical riding in the rain, since we don't have windshield wipers. If you don't educate and train how to minimize getting all that nasty wash on our visors, all the training in the world in those parking lots isn't going to help your riders if they can't see! Next time you have to drive in the rain in traffic where the speed is high enough to kick up a lot of wash, try not using your windshield wipers the entire time. See what kind of measures you take so that you can see.

Not saying parking lot practice is bad, just hard to duplicate actual traffic and road conditions.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

For me, the splashing and spray from other vehicles is what keeps me off the road in the rain, not the wet itself (though I don't enjoy beign rained on, either). Though it has nothing to do with traction, I would argue that being able to see is a huge safety factor.

Like I said, it's not all about traction, but visiblity too. You have to learn how to see riding in the rain. If you don't emphasize that to your students, you are missing the picture.

 

[Fz6Sa]

Vision/Visibility is critical riding in the rain, since we don't have windshield wipers.

I've got visor wipers on the thumb of my gloves .......
I would think that constitutes as windscreen wipers .....

 

[ozzieboy]

Here it comes. The moment you've all been waiting for...Ozzieboy's quick guide to becoming a rain riding guru

Traction, visibility, smoothness, attitude and equipment.

Good tires at the correct pressures and a feel for how much traction you will have given different amounts of water on the road, the road surface etc.

You need to be able to stop or turn to avoid things so you will need to be able to see at least that far in front which is affected by your equipment, speed, severity of the rain, whether the road surface is porous, how much traffic is on the road and the previous instruction etc.

You need to ride smoothly so as not to tempt tires into losing traction and in order to do this you will need to follow the first 2 instructions and plan ahead.

Learning how your bike handles, keeping a sane hand on the throttle, maintaining your bike and tires and just making an effort to learn will make you far more comfortable and it will no longer be an ordeal.

Choosing and maintaining the right equipment for the job will make all of the above vastly more simple. For example, don't choose a qualifier for a tire at the start of your rainy season if you are planning on riding your bike regularly (Pilot roads really are very good in the wet).

Keep your visor clean and anti fogged and keep something on hand in a dry place for further cleaning if necessary. Decent wet weather gear will make you more comfortable and you will be able to devote more attention to the task at hand rather than the puddle of water in your left boot.

There is nothing wrong with building up slowly from low to high density traffic situations and nothing wrong with car park training, as long as you don't leave the carpark thinking you're ready.

Learn. Make an effort to learn to improve the experience and you will soon find you actually get to like it:thumbup:. Well I did anyhow.

See...LOL....wasn't that pile of malarkey worth the wait :thumbup::rockon::cheer:.

Cheers
Mike