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KonaKurt
Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 489
Location: Oxfordshire, UK
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 Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 1:26 pm |
This may sound like a stupidly obvious thing to say, but I will anyway because it's happened to me four times this week, once nearly sending me into the side of an overtaking HGV!
At this time of year, take great care when riding on wet leaves! They can be VERY slippery when against hard tarmac surfaces, or even large piles of them in woodland etc etc.
They are especially slippery when they have decomposed a little into that slushy mush. Add fresh rainfall and hard braking, and you could spin like a Jamacian bobsleigh.
KK.
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weeksy59
Joined: 11 Jan 2009
Posts: 697
Location: West Berks
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 1:32 pm |
Wet tree roots are slippy too.
In fact, most things are slippery when wet 
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P-Jay
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 886
Location: South Wales
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 1:35 pm |
Fooking right, got the back end out on my Honda!!
It's bad enough on my 20Kgs DH bike, but a 180Kgs, 115bhp Motorbike is a tricky bugger to get back.
PJ |
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KonaKurt
Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 489
Location: Oxfordshire, UK
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 1:40 pm |
| P-Jay wrote: | Fooking right, got the back end out on my Honda!!
It's bad enough on my 20Kgs DH bike, but a 180Kgs, 115bhp Motorbike is a tricky bugger to get back. |
Not 'alf!!! You're doing well to steer that bugger back in line!
KK.
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MacAndCheese
Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 766
Location: West Sussex
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Sarnian
Joined: 19 Nov 2008
Posts: 947
Location: Donky Island
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 3:34 pm |
From time to time my old regiment used to work with the army's railway squadron, one day I got chatting to one of the engine drivers and made a joke about delayed trains and wet leaves on the line. He started to tell me that leaves have a chemical In them very similar to Teflon, and when squashed this seeps out and makes things slippery, so the trains slide on the track and can't stop.
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Turrican
Joined: 15 May 2008
Posts: 522
Location: In the woods
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x-isle
Joined: 10 Mar 2007
Posts: 294
Location: Somewhere he probably shouldn't be
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 5:11 pm |
Not only slippery, but can hide hidden dangers.
I was hot tailing it down a trail last week through a leaf covered track when bang, big pot holle full of leaves.
It woke me up!
Craig Rogers
Orange 5
www.craigrogers.co.uk |
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JamesBrckmn
Joined: 12 Jul 2009
Posts: 116
Location: Surrey
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 5:12 pm |
the other day i was going along the wet and grassy side of a path, to avoid the puddles in the middle, but then i suddenly saw a random hole in the ground ahead of me, so i braked suddenly with my rear brake forgetting i was on wet slippery grass and almost lost my back end. I ended up with my back wheel in the hole, and my front wheel in the path  I'm glad i didn't go into the hole front wheel first though
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supersonicLives Here
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
Posts: 47929
Location: Chapeltown, Sheffield
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 5:13 pm |
Yeah, the railways have special leave clearing trains in operation at this time of the year!
Infact wet wood (insert joke) is so slippery that old ships used it as a bearings on the prop shafts.
Zaskar LE 1996
Zaskar Carbon Team
MYSPACE |
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redvee
Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 4202
Location: Bristol
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Posted Tue Nov 3, 2009 6:38 pm |
| weeksy59 wrote: |
In fact, most things are slippery when wet |
Album titles are worse.
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scale20
Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 485
Location: North Wales
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 1:08 pm |
Did the beast at Coed Y Brenin at the weekend, it was very nice and slipery 
A lot of the trail was covered in a carpet of leaves, not only were they slippery but they were hiding all sorts of killer objects underneath. I'm not sure wether it was better because you couldn't se the wet roots underneath so you didn't flinch as you hit them.
It all still made for a fast adrenalin fueled ride though 
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P-Jay
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 886
Location: South Wales
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fcumok
Joined: 31 May 2008
Posts: 162
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 1:52 pm |
Hit a few unexpected slippery roots hiding under leaves the past few weeks. Adds to the excitement though 
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yeehaamcgee
Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 6004
Location: Worth Nails
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 2:39 pm |
| P-Jay wrote: | Well, luckily it was at about 8mph as I was turning around at the bottom of my street.
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Reminds of when my brother made an ars* of himself once on his Gixer 11.
He'd had some massive argument with somebody in the street, then got on his bike, and did a burn out as he rode/wheelspinend away angrily.
Unfortunately, he cocked it up, and ended up high-siding himself HARD into the ground
Anyway, the guy he was arguing with laughed, and called him a fool - so he woke in hospital with a broken face the following day 
Mae'n enw i wedi ei grafu, hefo hoelan wedi rhydu, ar y lechan las
New
Old
Hardtail
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x-isle
Joined: 10 Mar 2007
Posts: 294
Location: Somewhere he probably shouldn't be
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 2:43 pm |
Also watch out for wooden structures.
Coming back off Canock Chase last night, I ride across a wooden bridge over a stream.
It's at the end of a fast road through a housing estate and it's a lean to turn onto the bridge.
The bridge was VERY slippery. Sideways across the bridge got across, but as the bike was about to throw me off I lept off the big heading for some grass as I didn't facny planting it on the concrete.
Luckily I landed on my feet and cringed as I the bike hit the deck.
No injuries and more importantly no damage to the bike.
Just be carefull!
Craig Rogers
Orange 5
www.craigrogers.co.uk |
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Daz555
Joined: 11 Aug 2008
Posts: 1263
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 2:59 pm |
| P-Jay wrote: | | Needed a fresh pair after that though. |
I tell you, nothing makes the old chocolate starfish clamp tighter than having a tyre go for a quick wander whilst you are happily barreling along on a motorcycle.
It's not even the thought of hurting myself. It's the bike. Also, if I EVER chucked my bike down the road I know my wife would go completely completely through the roof - she hates bikes as it is.
You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape. |
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slimboyjim
Joined: 03 Oct 2008
Posts: 80
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 4:16 pm |
Yesterday I assumed that, on an off-camber leaf-covered section, following the track left by a previous rider would mean there was some kind of rut to stick your wheels in. There wasn't... Lost both wheels and slid down to the roadside looking like a numpty
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podgeorge
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
Posts: 63
Location: Malvern, Worcestershire
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 10:44 pm |
Wet leaves are a real bugger, at the weekend i was coming down some singletrack, and came to a corner covered in leavers (quite tight) so i used a bit of back brake which combined in the wet leaves and leaning slightly round the corner sent the bike flying from underneath me and then dragged itself and me into a rather large dense thorn/gorse bush. I then spent about 2 mins picking the thorns out when we got back to the car!
Land Rover Tahora '07 |
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KonaKurt
Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 489
Location: Oxfordshire, UK
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Posted Sat Nov 7, 2009 10:20 pm |
| Sarnian wrote: | | From time to time my old regiment used to work with the army's railway squadron, one day I got chatting to one of the engine drivers and made a joke about delayed trains and wet leaves on the line. He started to tell me that leaves have a chemical In them very similar to Teflon, and when squashed this seeps out and makes things slippery, so the trains slide on the track and can't stop. |
A chemical simular to Teflon?! I never knew that, that is very interesting to remember. You could almost use it as a 'green' lubricant!
By the way, whoever mentioned wooden structures (like bridges) becoming very slippery this time of year is darn right. I saw a poor little girl slip on one covered in autumnal slime. Luckily daddy was at hand to rescus her!
KK.
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