Weather and road surfaces

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

For most of my life I've lived in cities where riding in heavy traffic is an art in its own right. As is spotting diesel spills.

We now live in a rural area and the thing I've noticed most is how bad weather leaves mud and gravel in the road, particularly on bends.

We've had several bike accidents all involving single bikes coming to grief on bends where the rider hasn't realised the bend they usually hoon it round is now covered in debris.

I can understand how bikers who live in urban areas are not always aware of how rural road surfaces can change overnight. But for fun we all head out into the hills of course.

So just a heads up if your going out to play after the recent storms, many roads are very tricky this weekend. Take care out there.

[Guest]

It's the farmers round here that do it. Pulling vast amounts of mud off fields into the road, often on corners. You can come round a bend and be faced with 2 inches of sticky mud. Pays to be cautious when it's harvest and then when they are ploughing and prepping new crops.

[fastbob]

Right about now is the peak of the cereals harvest so you need to be particularly aware of soil and straw that has been dragged out of the fields by Combine Harvesters and Grain Trucks . Regarding Diesel spills , I encountered two massive spills on consecutive roundabouts in Fort William recently but my attempts to report them using the Police non emergency number were unsuccessful . And don't get me started on garages where you have to park and stand in a lake of the stuff to get petrol .

[Bender]

It's the speed that some bikes go into corners that gets me.

Couple of times lasts sat I was passed by bikes who went into corners way in excess of the speed limit with no idea of what's round the other side let alone what's on the road, I'm sure it's great knowing a road but some appear to have a death wish.

[manxie49]

Couldn't agree more....when I moved to the Island to live I had to change my riding style from what is was when I lived in Leicester. I Agree with Goat, farmers cause a lot of problems, pulling trailers out of fields, laden with mud that they spread all the way down the road, it also seems to be a prerequisite for tractors to leak oil and diesel. I've lost count of the times I've gone round a bend and come across errant livestock that's escaped from fields. But farmers have a job to do, the way I see it is its down to me to adapt, I've learnt to expect the unexpected over here. Everything from poor road surfaces to foreign bikers who forget what side of the road they should be riding on. I've had a couple of near misses, one with a German biker and one where it was my bike Vs a pile of horse shite right on the apex of a bend .... We live and learn, the danger comes from people who never seem to learn, they overcook things, and it usually ends in disaster..

[TimR]

How many of you notice the signs about especially near farms etc .

Especially on roads you ride often

How many of these do you pass and it not even register

Because you where there two hours ago and it was clear.

?

Gain information from each ride not from the ride before

[rob m]

It's the speed that some bikes go into corners that gets me.

Couple of times lasts sat I was passed by bikes who went into corners way in excess of the speed limit with no idea of what's round the other side let alone what's on the road, I'm sure it's great knowing a road but some appear to have a death wish.

 

Agree. When lockdown was eased and everybody was allowed out I saw some extremely stupid riding around where I live (about 2 miles from Boxhill) . I was out for a ride one Saturday when two Gixxers came past me and nearly had a head on with a bus on a blind bend, one nearly ending up the hedge. To be honest I see quite a lot of that around here. You generally see these guys puffing their chests out at Rykas cafe or Newlands Corner talking about how their godly their riding is afterwards.

Saying that, I admit that was me not so many years ago and the late 90's were a blur of speed, kneedowns and other tomfoolery. I'll admit it now but I rode like a prick at times. I'm very lucky that I've managed to get through unharmed although my licence nearly bought it a couple of times. It's clean now

As I grow older, I am becoming more risk averse on the bike, particularly with reducing my speed and reading the road, taking into account road surfaces. I bimble more now than ever and just enjoy the ride, I'd rather get home in one piece.

Anyway, talking of surfaces, my main source of terror is gravel. I hate it and seize up when I see it, particularly on bends.

[mention]Gerontious[/mention] and I toured France in 2017 and it was all over the place. Near Millau we ended up riding down a steep road with hairpins and it was wet with gravel on some of the bends. It was awful. I could feel my tyres losing grip. Horrendous.

[S-Westerly]

Early autumn last year the first big wind brought down tons of beech nuts. Came round a sharp bend and the road was absolutely carpeted with them. Fortunately it was a 30 mph zone so I wasn't going fast but it still made for a buttock clenching moment.

[bonio]

Here you can be inches deep in mud, shite, gravel or sand around almost any bend. I've had to adapt my riding to match the conditions. Except if I'm on the DRZ, which just laps it all up like a puppy.

[onesea]

Always worth remembering on country roads..

Shit on, shit off...

When ever a farmer leaves farm yard there is shit on road, when ever the tractor does magic and turns into field it will leave shit on the road....

[NeilM]

I go from one to the other frequently.

Home city/urban.

Coast rural.

I really do have to adapt.

Not just the road surfaces but road layout. At the coast we tend to have very very sharp bends which for obvious reasons you don't hit at speed in the middle of the west yorks connubation.

[Stu]

At the coast we tend to have very very sharp bends which for obvious reasons you don't hit at speed in the middle of the west yorks connubation.

 

I will have to introduce you to some more of them then

[NeilM]

At the coast we tend to have very very sharp bends which for obvious reasons you don't hit at speed in the middle of the west yorks connubation.

 

I will have to introduce you to some more of them then

 

Aye.... them from hornsea to Ull...... sharp as

[rennie]

Yes! He's been known to take us unsuspecting midlanders round a few sharp bends

[geofferz]

Slightly related: the new tarmac they lay is beautiful and smooth and great in the dry but I don't think it drains very well - super slippery in the wet

[Stu]

At the coast we tend to have very very sharp bends which for obvious reasons you don't hit at speed in the middle of the west yorks connubation.

 

I will have to introduce you to some more of them then

 

Aye.... them from hornsea to Ull...... sharp as

 

I know some really good ones! Just a bit further up the road too

[NeilM]

I will have to introduce you to some more of them then

 

Aye.... them from hornsea to Ull...... sharp as

 

I know some really good ones! Just a bit further up the road too

 

You know the ones I'm on about.

Those past Mappleton that double back on themselves!!!!

Us Wessies would have paid the farmers off and built the road straight

[rennie]

I'm sure I can remember someone ending up in a field on 1 of them ages ago

[Stu]

Aye.... them from hornsea to Ull...... sharp as

 

I know some really good ones! Just a bit further up the road too

 

You know the ones I'm on about.

Those past Mappleton that double back on themselves!!!!

Us Wessies would have paid the farmers off and built the road straight

 

Of course I know which ones! It's one of my favourite roads

[Stu]

I'm sure I can remember someone ending up in a field on 1 of them ages ago

 

Phil gale!

He tried to keep up

[Throttled]

For most of my life I've lived in cities where riding in heavy traffic is an art in its own right. As is spotting diesel spills.

We now live in a rural area and the thing I've noticed most is how bad weather leaves mud and gravel in the road, particularly on bends.

We've had several bike accidents all involving single bikes coming to grief on bends where the rider hasn't realised the bend they usually hoon it round is now covered in debris.

I can understand how bikers who live in urban areas are not always aware of how rural road surfaces can change overnight. But for fun we all head out into the hills of course.

So just a heads up if your going out to play after the recent storms, many roads are very tricky this weekend. Take care out there.

 

Which is why I am slow into bends and often keep the rear brake on.

[skyrider]

I'm sure I can remember someone ending up in a field on 1 of them ages ago

 

Phil gale!

He tried to keep up

thats what happens when you ride in groups

[Stu]

I'm sure I can remember someone ending up in a field on 1 of them ages ago

 

Phil gale!

He tried to keep up

thats what happens when you ride in groups

 

No thats what happens when people don't ride their own ride on roads they don't know