aquaplaning

[spin-up]

What can you do when you start aquaplaning? I read some tricks to prevent you from falling down but can't find it anymore. It was about moving your center of gravity and about the right way af steering.

I just got back from training with my friend in the mountains. It was raining, the roads were wet. In a downhill I had to use the brakes making a left turn, this was were the asfalt was renewed and very slippery. My backwheel started gliding away to the right side.

Somehow I stayed up, not because being the very routined cyclist but by instinct and by luck. I tell you your HR hits 200 when you do this.... Anyway what's the trick? (except of course not riding in rainy weather but its always raining in the Benelux..)

[guest (norway)]

it is dangerous and stupid to cycle in rain especcially downhill
when starting aquaplaning there is actually not much to stop this
next time just wait until the roads are dry or take a mountainbike

[cougie]

It's not stupid to ride in the rain. In the UK - when would we cycle ?
I've descended Alpine passes in pouring rain - with no problems apart from immense cold !

You can't aquaplane a road bike tyre like you can a car. The width is so much narrower that you would have to be doing incredible speed to get the tyre to aquaplane.

Brake in a straight line before the bend and release the brakes as you go round the corner. It's because you were locking the back wheel up that you felt it drift out.

[Legspeed]

Good point cougie, try not to brake in the middle of a turn, regardless of the weather conditions.

If you do start to slip out, though, you can sometimes correct by countersteering. Turn the front wheel slightly in the direction of the skid and slightly shift your center of gravity in the opposite direction of the skid.

[Tam]

If you do start to slip out, though, you can sometimes correct by countersteering.

I don't understand. Maybe if you could show me a picture. :D

[spin-up]

Hey who says I wasn't going at incredibly speed! Faster that lightning it was!!! No just kidding, I always hit the brakes on a downhill because well, I'm not much of a hero, afraid to jump over the side doing 65. You guys don't have that? When you go downhill your childrens faces appear in front of you saying, mom, stop the showing off, you have us remember!

Anyway, countersteering it was. So you mean this time I had to steer to the right, in the direction my backwheel was going, or to the left in the direction of the turn? Sorry for being so into details I really want to know. And try out.

(Hey Norway after 2 seasons of montainbiking in bad weather you think I want to touch that thing? Not in the summer!!)

[gerard]

He Spin-up

When I rode my mountainbike in wintertime I also experienced familiair faces popping up between the trees; I sold the bike, bought a roadbike and guess what happened: the faces disappeared and never returned (not even way above 65 km/h on the Galibier descent to Bourg d'Oisans, so stay on the road.

Gerard

[cougie]

I've done that descent too. Lots of fun.

Next day - I blew my tye coming down the Alpe !