Braking in wet

[Davidtav]

Yeah. So today I have ridden up to my boat in Scotland. Mostly great. Weather good mainly. Last 50 miles was rain. … this thread is about the last ten miles. Which is on single track roads and heavy rain. … on two occasions I encountered a vehicle coming the opposite way and braked. Both times I had gone over a brow and encountered traffic. I’m sure they expected me to veer to the left. But I knew both times that I risked a low side I braked and stopped in front of them. To the annoyance of the motorist on one occasion. I wasn’t going too fast. I was doing between 35 and 40 mph … yeah it is giving me things to think about. But I kept the bike vertical. I kind of think I did the best thing. Appreciate your views 

Edited September 25, 2022 by Davidtav

[onesea]

Single track roads are a challenge often they have grit in the middle.

Positioning to be visible is important, cars drive to see car not motorbikes. So I try to position on the outside of bend so they see me first.

However that can mean crossing gravel in the middle of the road when braking/ slowing.

Sadly like when I had a landrover on coming cars seem to expect motorbikes to be able to leave the road to get out of there way at 50mpg.
 

Scotish also tend to be over familiar with “know” there roads and tank it which doesn’t help.  Given the scenario They where probably going to quick, I would not ponder to much you can only go slower and position to the left as you get to the brow of a hill.
 

Look on the bright side you achieved something 1) you made a Scotsman happy he could say why he hated the English that day 2) you pissed of a Scot’s man.

Edited September 25, 2022 by onesea

[Davidtav]

14 minutes ago, onesea said:

Single track roads are a challenge often they have grit in the middle.

Positioning to be visible is important, cars drive to see car not motorbikes. So I try to position on the outside of bend so they see me first.

However that can mean crossing gravel in the middle of the road when braking/ slowing.

Sadly like when I had a landrover on coming cars seem to expect motorbikes to be able to leave the road to get out of there way at 50mpg.
 

Scotish also tend to be over familiar with “know” there roads and tank it which doesn’t help.  Given the scenario They where probably going to quick, I would not ponder to much you can only go slower and position to the left as you get to the brow of a hill.
 

Look on the bright side you achieved something 1) you made a Scotsman happy he could say why he hated the English that day 2) you pissed of a Scot’s man.

That is pretty much what I thought. Yes I could have been more positioned to the left when approaching the brow. That is a very good point I will take on board

[Stu]

I think the only difference I would have done is maybe being going a bit slower in those conditions but that's only going on your description actually being there might have been different  

 

You stayed on and thats all that matters  

[Davidtav]

5 minutes ago, Stu said:

I think the only difference I would have done is maybe being going a bit slower in those conditions but that's only going on your description actually being there might have been different  

 

You stayed on and thats all that matters  

Yeah I’m thinking 35 to 40 on the straight. I probably slacked off when approaching the brow. It is a good point OneSea made 

[Stu]

Just now, Davidtav said:

Yeah I’m thinking 35 to 40 on the straight. I probably slacked off when approaching the brow. It is a good point OneSea made 

 

Well the saying is "ride at a speed you are able to stop at the distance you see" 

 

you managed that 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

The old advice works. Ride at a speed you can stop in the road you can see. Which on single track roads can feel quite slow but when you meet someone coming the other way in the wet you might be glad. 

 

You're wise to be wary of uneven road surfaces to the side of the road. 

[bonio]

In the situation you describe where you can't see ahead, single track roads are a problem, as you can't plan ahead and stop where there's space for two of you. When you do meet a car, you can't reverse, you don't want to stop in the grit and filth by the side of the road, so you haven't any option except to stop completely in their way. I don't see a way round it.

Edited September 25, 2022 by bonio
for clarity

[onesea]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

 

Well the saying is "ride at a speed you are able to stop at the distance you see" 

 

you managed that 

The problem is with locals on small roads, they tend to get over familiar and forget that bit…. So approaching brow of hill backing of a bit for the Scot rushing for his haggis supper is probably a wise idea…

[MikeHorton]

11 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

The old advice works. Ride at a speed you can stop in the road you can see. Which on single track roads can feel quite slow but when you meet someone coming the other way in the wet you might be glad. 

 

You're wise to be wary of uneven road surfaces to the side of the road. 

Good advice there I was always told the same make sure you can stop in the distance you can see and half the distance on a single track

[manxie49]

Sounds like you handled it quite sensibly.  Personally, from my own experiences, I do tend to scrub the speed down a little on single track roads, especially in crap weather.  I often find myself doing 25-30mph, especially around some of the single track roads in Scotland and Cumbria.  As has already been said, some of the locals can be over familiar on those roads and be a hazard to themselves and others.  Being able to stop safely in the distance you can see to be clear is sound advice, as is, always expect the unexpected around every bend.

[Davidtav]

First car I met, no issues at all really. We were both sensible. He backed up a bit and I navigated around him. Second car, although I wasn’t going fast, it might have still been too fast. I was probably quarter a mile from my destination. Wet and cold. Mind half on getting the kettle on shortly … and I came up to a line of traffic which had just left the ferry. First car was an Audi which had the hammer down. There was still no issue really. I stopped way in front of his car.