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is it me or are the roads super slippy at the mo?

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  • December 3, 2013 at 7:03 pm #20302
    lookmanohands

    It seems like the lack of rain (down south anyway) has combined with the grit/salt that the local councils have put down and the damp dewy air to produce a suface worse than ice. Never thought id be wishing for rain. Hopefully when it does come itll wash the roads clean a bit.

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Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 74 total)
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  • December 7, 2013 at 11:23 am #764781
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    bashthebox

    That’s the thing – the roads
    That’s the thing – the roads are just treacherous from October until March. If it’s not leaves, it’s ice, and if it’s not ice, it’s oil, and if it’s not oil it’s mud washed off the fields.
    Either accept you’re going to fall at some point, or brake early and steadily into corners, take them far slower, and don’t take any risks descending.
    It then takes SO long to rediscover your cornering and descending mojo when the roads dry out. Sad times.

    December 7, 2013 at 11:19 am #764779
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    dave atkinson

    I binned it this morning, on
    I binned it this morning, on the lanes outside bath. was only doing about 12mph on a steep off camber corner, feathered the back brake and the wheel just locked up immediately. then the front broke away and down i went. mostly i was just muddy 🙂

    That was on Conti GT 25mms which are blackchili compound and normally very predictable. to be honest i think i would have needed ice spikes to stay upright, was just a whole corner of packed down leaves covered in morning dew…

    December 7, 2013 at 10:15 am #764777
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    sm

    Oh yes, and now use tyre drop
    Oh yes, and now use tyre drop to get the correct PSI for my tyres.

    December 7, 2013 at 10:14 am #764775
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    sm

    I had similar issues earlier
    I had similar issues earlier in August when we had light rain on dirty roads (admittedly I had crap tyres at the time!). Broke my elbow on a fall. I’ve since upgraded to Continental Grand Prix GT and have had not such problems, no movement at all. I also went up to 25mm. Made a huge difference.

    December 7, 2013 at 9:29 am #764773
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    glynr36

    Had my first slide yesterday,
    Had my first slide yesterday, Open Paves but still running a higher pressure, dropped 15 PSI out of each end for todays ride.

    December 6, 2013 at 10:58 pm #764771
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    kie7077

    Agree about Gatorskins being
    Agree about Gatorskins being slippy, I think it’s due to their rigidity and long wearing compound. Currently been using Michelin Pro 4 Service Course and their grip is awesome… But after 800ish miles the rear is looking quite cut up by road debris, price and weight are good though.

    December 6, 2013 at 9:37 pm #764769
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    dottigirl

    Gatorskins are known as
    Gatorskins are known as ‘Skaterskins’ in some quarters, due to their ‘slippage’.

    I’m on Conti 4000s (23s) and rarely skid/slip. On a club rides this autumn, I’ve been hammering it down hills with others a way behind. Many have complained about skidding/slipping, but I haven’t noticed.

    If you want something more hardwearing (or if you have a larger frame), the Four Seasons is a suitable alternative, and if you have the clearance, 25s are supposed to give a better grip.

    December 6, 2013 at 5:48 pm #764767
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    David Arthur @davearthur

    It’s easy to blame the tyres.
    It’s easy to blame the tyres. I slipped on a roundabout last week on a pair of Vittoria Open Pave 23mm tyres at 90psi, and they are about the best tyres you can get.

    Letting a bit of pressure helps a bit, I run my tyres at about 90-95 year round these days, especially in the winter. Only inflate them for crit racing really.

    Best thing is to be super careful through the corners and bends, scrub off speed before you get to the corner, safely make the turn, then carry on.

    December 6, 2013 at 2:47 pm #764765
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    Roberj4

    Panaracer tires are superb
    Panaracer tires are superb for grip in winter but are a very expensive option. I’m running 25c Gatorskins which at 110 psi I did tumble on diesel in January so now run them at 90psi on a damp day much better

    December 6, 2013 at 2:24 pm #764763
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    tom_w

    Our club had two riders crash
    Our club had two riders crash last week on the same night and we also had numerous nasty slidey moments in corners and people complaining of wheelspin on hills. The roads looked pretty much dry that night (hadn’t rained for days) and this was on reasonable tarmac with no obvious moisture/leaves/loose grit/big lumps of salt/etc. so I’m putting it down to the salt as it was nowhere near freezing. We’re Oxford based.

    I’m switching over to 27mm Open Paves at lower pressures in the hope of finding a bit more grip, but I don’t think it’s really got much to with tyres considering the mix of brands and designs my clubmates are running.

    December 5, 2013 at 9:47 pm #764761
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    chokofingrz

    I also had a rare mishap
    I also had a rare mishap recently – front wheel slid out at low speed when crossing a small central ridge in an uneven but dry cycle path. Moral of the story: that’s what you get for riding 25c slick summer tyres in November! There is something to be said for selecting a wide grippy tyre for the winter months and sacrificing some speed.

    December 5, 2013 at 9:16 pm #764759
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    Ting

    As always I’m on 23mm
    As always I’m on 23mm Gatorskins. Touch wood no offs yet but now I’ve said it I’ll be sure to bin it tomorrow!
    Just take it easy – easy to do when it’s pitch dark and you can’t see properly. To be fair I’m mostly on arterial roads but I’ve not had too many problems even when I’m in the lanes.

    December 5, 2013 at 1:14 pm #764757
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    Anonymous

    I don’t think peeps can pin
    I don’t think peeps can pin the blame on a particular brand of tyres; the road conditions at the moment are such that pretty much all tyre brands’ grip will break away.

    December 5, 2013 at 11:58 am #764755
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    nebz

    I had my first off 2 days ago
    I had my first off 2 days ago whilst descending a hill (slowly). I was wheel spinning going up so i knew it was slippy but i still lost it on the way down. Turns out i could barely walk on the road and i had difficulty re mounting my bike as a result. I won’t be using back country roads in wet weather again!

    December 5, 2013 at 11:03 am #764753
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    giff77

    lookmanohands wrote:Oh and

    lookmanohands wrote:
    Oh and the grit/salt is mixed with wee as well! Went to a 2 hour presentation about it with work last year….yummy

    Another reason to use full mudguards.

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