I have been biking a couple of years , commute Brentwood to the Wharf rain or shine.
But for some reason the first frost of the year unerved me and a rode like a big coward .
For the experienced bikers out there , how do you know when you are pushing the limit of the bike in frosty conditions, other than skidding along on my but.
Last year I was on a Suzuki vanvan, which was great any weather as it was light and had very big tyres on it , This year I am on a Yam MT03 . And the tyres are a bit sketchy in the wet at the best of time
Just don’t push it it’s not worth it. Do everything gently and ride within the limits for the conditions and your skill.
I saw a guy fly round the outside of me on a corner but u didn’t think wow he’s a great rider I thought good luck mate id rather take it easy and get where I’m going in one piece.
Dont take this advice it’s up to you if you try this or not but it’s a way of finding how the traction is out there. On a flat straight bit of road when it’s clear and safe to do, lock up the rear wheel with the back brake. Not fully so you slide but just a little so you hear and feel the brake skid.
If it locks up quickly and with little pressure on the brake then your rear wheel traction is low and you can decide how you wanna ride the bike.
Sounds like you seriously need to get your tyres checked out, or consider replacing them. Doesn’t sound safe to me :ermm:
Assuming you’ve checked the pressures are ok and the tread is within legal limits, etc, I would start planning a different type when you need to get them changed.
Don’t know what works well with your bike but I went from the horrible factory-fitted Dunlops (extremely sketchy, I will never buy Dunlops again after that experience even though they were cheap OEMs) to Michelin Pilot Road 2s on my Bandit 1250 and the difference was incredible. Find out what works best with your bike on wet roads, and give them a go.
And as Shiver says, take it easy on wet/icy roads, especially going round bends. I would say “avoid the shiny bits” but that is misleading as ice is not always very obvious. If it’s cold enough to be icy, assume it is icy.
As it’s an MT03 you’ve probably got Pirelli Scorpions. I’d say they are good all-rounders but can move a bit on frosty surfaces. My front end hopped out going round a turn this morning but thankfully it’s a bike with pretty good feedback so when it happens you can usually pull it back in. Wouldn’t recommend too heavy on the back brake as rear wheel easier to lock up than on other bikes, due to the forward riding position taking the weight off the rear. I’d say stick to the main roads for less frosty bits and ramp down the speed so acceleration/braking less harsh…just need to take my own advice.
Be smooth - all you need to know - I’ve only crashed once in the winter in 25 years, and that was on a sudden sheet of black ice on a 250 Superdream, so it didn’t matter anyway.
Does planning start the night before by checking the weather? When we’re laying in the Ambulance or A & E we can decide if it is worth it in the predicted conditions.
Tyres, as said, most OE tyres are sh1t. £250 for some decent tyres will seem like good value from A & E. What of the pressures? 32/36psi is prolly too hard on most bikes in many conditions, certainly winter.
Your on road planning. This is you biggest friend and for most of us our downfall. You know how it is, you slow down for a hazard, the twott behind gets too close compromising your margins for safety. React to the twott and you open yourself up for trouble elsewhere. We cant do all that here. But the general rule of thumb is knowing when not to ride in/tyres/looking further afield all around you (so you know in advance whats likely to be happening in the short term)/make bigger circles of any turns/allow for manhole covers appearing from underneath the vehicle in front.
you should be getting more grip than your van van thats for sure, so either somethings wonky with the tyres, then its just perception.
rather than just riding slowly, you want good bursts of acceleration and deceleration to warm up both the tyres and the brakes. (by burst, i mean within reason naturally)
1 for planning ahead. That includes looking at the forecast the night before.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned in relation to riding safely in cold weathers is clothing. If you’re cold, your body tenses up. Get yourself some warm kit. I use a mixture of motorcycle and cycling kit: armoured goretex on the outside and windstopper on the inside. Toasty. For fingers, when it gets really cold, like today, I might put some thin rubber gloves under my riding gloves. Ask you friendly cleaner at work.
When you’re on the bike, confidence comes from feedback. Feedback is what the suspension is telling you about the state of your tyres in relation to the road. Get the suspension set up and get some good tyres on the bike.
I’m running Dunlop Sportsmarts this year after many years on Michelin 2CTs and recently Pilot Pures. The Sportsmarts are amazing. From cold - sitting outside all day cold, you can ride confidently immediately. They seem to warm up well and perform when they must be properly cold. £215 from FWR at the moment.
I can’t be the only one who does this: leave home, not looking forward to the ride in the slightest as it’s bloody cold. Get on bike, ride up the road telling myself that the tyres don’t feel right and neither does suspension, pull up at lights with another bike, lights change and we’re off, spend the next 5 miles riding in a ‘spirited’ fashion, tyres and suspension problems miraculously cured:D even though it’s still just as cold as when you left home.
I think it’s just getting over that initial fear of the tyres being stone cold (which they are). Then you can relax and enjoy the ride. Just my tuppence-worth.
Its either the bike or you mate. The tyres / suspension set up on your bike may be shite - let someone else ride it and listen to what they think. Some bikes just don’t fit people and once you lose confidence in your bike you stiffen up and every little twitch is amplified through your stiff arms.
I had a similar experience on a riding course- was convinced that the bike was shite, blamed everything from the screen, tyres, suspension. The instructor rode it, told me there was nothing wrong and I flew round on it for the rest of the course.
