Damn slippy wet london!

kenda tyres are shit on wet surface

looking at those trackstar bikes, now i know where i got my inspiration for my new build :D

is that another juicy dangler of a hint?!

i've subconsciously pieced together all of the clues so far and i reckon i have a good idea of what it's gonna look like. exciting.

i like all of the HHSBs pictured above, it's just another kind of bike and people shouldn't take offence! of the tracksar ones it's the red white and blue one all the way for me. i actually like the fact that they look like toys, even though they're built from mid to high-end components throughout. it's fun.

Despite apparently being the only forum member to use em....i swear by my maxxis re-fuse tyres....i've never had a dodgy moment on em yet...even after swapping my bald,skidded through rear tyre to the front.....:)
I now have a nice fresh new pair...:)

scott, I really rate the refuse too, love th zziipppp of a near rear. But they seem to be phasing them out, They used to be £13 from CRC now only ones I can find are around £20 from winstanleys or whereever it is...
Anyone know of secret stash of 23's anywhere?

My brake failed this morning! Coming down Caledonian road, I pulled on the brakes and felt the front one go, as if the cable had snapped. After a pretty hairy few seconds trying to come to a stop with just the back, I have a closer look. The anchor bolt is completely loose; no thread left to screw into the brake arm.
Bugger. Had to walk from Kings Cross, too wet to rely on my back brake. Now I'm really fucking wet and pissed off.

Time to flip that back wheel around.

1 Minute Ago #57
BRM

Time to flip that back wheel around.

I wish I could, but as a fake Fakenger, I just mash around on a crappy hybrid bastardized into a single speed.

i usually just try and straighten out the corner as much as possible by taking the widest line though it. failing that i errr slow down.

I'll see if i can get joe from BMW to bring some over with him at the end of may...he got my first pair for me...:)

put me down for a couple

I'll see if i can get joe from BMW to bring some over with him at the end of may...he got my first pair for me...:)

Scott can you throw me down for 6 please ;]

+1 for bonty racelite hardcases. Real grippy in the wet.

+1.
hardcases = tyre goodness

Kendas are crap in the wet, never mind if you're slow or careful or go in a straight line or any of the other (slightly patronising!) advice, it's like having an eel for a tyre.

I was given mine by an ex. Maybe he wanted me to die.

My brake failed this morning! Coming down Caledonian road, I pulled on the brakes and felt the front one go, as if the cable had snapped. After a pretty hairy few seconds trying to come to a stop with just the back, I have a closer look. The anchor bolt is completely loose; no thread left to screw into the brake arm.
Bugger. Had to walk from Kings Cross, too wet to rely on my back brake. Now I'm really fucking wet and pissed off.

Mine too! I broke two bikes coming to work today!

Snapped the Cuntsters brake cable and rode it home, swapped for the Ribble and then broke a spoke on it (weak from when the derailler went into wheel).

What a fucking shambles!! Didn't get in until 11am.. so much for my 10am meeting..

Cycle Surgery don't have any of the spokes I need in stock either so I have to ride it fucked or leave it here or something.. grrr

Take them kind of like a car would. I slow down before them. Take them wide, I also put more pressure onto the crank arm on the outside of the corner. I find this helps to counterbalance the weight of the bike being pulled into the corner.

Not sure if this helps. As i am yet to come off using this technique, I assume it must!

if you know it's slippery,its all about keeping it steady and slow in corners. keeping your weight away from the front and your body upright as possible so in the event that you do slip you can put your feet down and prevent the body against tarmac smash effect. If you have SPD pedals, un-clip them before the corner just in case. Absolutely nothing worse than being stuck to your bike when you wipe out.

Tread does not make a difference on a bike on a metaled road.

I'd beg to differ with you guys in some circumstances:
If the road is slippy because of rain on ultra smooth surface or road markings, tread does make a difference after you have slipped off the smooth bit. It is more likely to regain grip if you've got tread.

Here's a tip windy81, if you get your weight over the front of the bike when the going is sketchy, it's more likely to regain grip again for two reasons, increased force = increased friction and the front tyre deforms more giving you a larger footprint which also means more friction. This works well for me when the road is covered with that fine grit you sometimes get.

If you slip on wet ironwork (manhole covers etc.)or ice, I've found both tread or moving your weight forward doesn't make any difference - just keep your eyes peeled.

wow seriously impressed with all the responses - thanks everyone :-)

I am officially ditching the Kenda Eel! been riding all day today in the bollocks weather. I'll have a look at the hardcases along with some other makes this weekend.

cheers for the technique advice too. I've been riding in London for a few years so pretty confident (usually!) when cornering that's why this has thrown me.

I never corner on manhole covers btw, lesson 1 of riding on the street. It's definately time to start building the 'pub in the wet' beater methinks.

cheers :-)

I'd agree with those using Bontrager Hard Cases - great puncture protection and seem to grip well on wet city roads.

You can get them for £9.99 each from All Terrain Cycles.

sweet. Thanks for the link Andy

I run these, so far so good (about 4 months).

i don't think it's patronising to advise some one who fell off on the same slippery corner two days in a row to take it really easy on slippery corners. it's ceratinly easier and cheaper than changing tyres. especially as it doens't look like it's going to stop raining until next week.

fwiw, i'll avoid turning on any shiny surface in the wet if i can possibly help it. if that means snaking about to make your transition across the shiny stones or metal as straight as possible that's just what i do. it wasn't meant as a dig. just my first thoughts on the subject. i've ridden pure slicks for ages though so perhaps i'm over cautious about it.

having said that, controlled sliding about in the wet is one of my favourite things ever. one of the funnest cycling experiences i ever had was me and a friend trying out some recumbant trice tricycles (two steering wheels at the front and a single at the back) in the rain late at night in leicester square. they had three independantly lockable discs and were super quick with skinny slicks. you could pirouette those things about like you were spinning on ice. brilliant fun.

I'm investing in these

If the road is slippy because of rain on ultra smooth surface or road markings, tread does make a difference after you have slipped off the smooth bit. It is more likely to regain grip if you've got tread.

I think that the issue is the coefficient of friction, not the tread per se. Tread on a tyre seems to serve two purposes - dispersing water and increasing friction. The hydroplaning arguments show that the water dispersal is bunkum.Friction can come from tread, but also from material, contact area and mass.

A treadless soft compound, running at a lower pressure (more contact area) will be grippier than a hard compound at higher pressure. All things being equal then, a file tread might be an advantage, but other factors are also, probably more-so, important. Also, this only holds true for a smooth road surface, because tarmac has more 'tread' than any tire I'd want to ride.

/jobst-brandt-mode

A light rider running slicks at a high psi is not going to achieve much surface contact with the road. Dropping PSI will help, do consider your weight. A lighter rider will want to run a lower PSI.

I totally agree with the comments regarding setting your speed before entering the corner and keeping the pedaling as smooth as possible, let the bikes momentum do the work so you apply as little pressure as possible to the pedals. You want to get your head down so u get some wight over the front end and run the front at a lower PSI than the rear.

2p

I'd agree with those using Bontrager Hard Cases - great puncture protection and seem to grip well on wet city roads.

You can get them for £9.99 each from All Terrain Cycles.

orrrdered a pair from there thanks for the link dude. skad (yeah skad) though my back tyre last night and picked up a cheapo kenda this afternoon to see me though until my order arrives.

dooks - Wtf? you bought a Kenda tyre after reading this thread?...