The DUMBEST Crash - Don't underestimate wet muni tracks.

[Baydestrian47]

So, here I am riding home from riding around near Ocean Avenue. I am in the left lane, the one with the muni tracks. I see at least five cars piled ahead of me, and none on the right lane. Also, its raining. Despite my MSF training, I know I have gotten complacent over my first 1,000 miles on my bike. I am laying in bed right now, seriously beating the shit out of myself mentally because I know its a mistake that was caused by complacent riding.

Simply put, I change lanes at about 15-20 miles an hour...My handlebars shake, bike starts going down on the left and throws me. Thank god for Taichi jackets and Arai RX-Q helmet, because thank god I wasn't seriously hurt. But my CBR250 was.

I walked away, with nothing but foot bruising, a mild concussion, and a bruised kidney.

And the lesson here...don't cross wet tracks at anything but a 45-90 degree angle.

And my question to the more experienced riders out there, how can I ever change lanes in this condition and scenario?

And for the more SF versed people...at the freeway entrance onto 280 going to SF from Ocean Avenue near the Bart Station, how the fuck can I make that left turn safer going over all those damn muni tracks?

 

[Cincinnatus]

Slow down.

You were going too fast for conditions (rain, tracks, sudden congestion), and you ate it.

You should have started slowing down as soon as you realized you were going to change lanes, and noticed where the tracks were. Then determine the best place to cross those tracks at the best angle to maintain traction on pavement. And 45 degrees is the limit to the angle under rainy conditions. You have to think of the size of your contact patch, and how to maximize it.

Just be glad you didn't get run over by oblivious cagers.

 

[packnrat]

to much speed for condition's and movement for you lane change.


and you need to get a better helmet, that one failed in its job.

why were you in the tracks? did you need to turn left? if so why go into the right lane?

i kinda know this area i deliver via a rig on that st. even my tires scuff on wet tracks/steel. all 18 of them can scuff or slip at some point, even to make the truck go side ways a inch or three. and yes at 20 mph. but then my tires are not made for grip.

good you are at home and not the icu ward. bones can be so very strong..and yet so brittle.




.

 

[kongjie]

I'm a motorcycle noob but have been a bicycle rider for a long time. In my experience a hard helmet hit that results in a mild concussion does not mean that the helmet didn't do its job. I thought the job of the helmet is to keep the shell from cracking, but a little yolk scrambling may be unavoidable. Perhaps expectations with cycle helmets are different?

 

[sckego]

I have to make a left across a double-pair of tracks every morning. I get as much turn done as possible before crossing them, stand it up and cross at a 30* angle to them (but with the bike pretty much upright), and then drop back down into the turn after I'm across. This tends to freak out the cagers stopped in the oncoming lane, since I've stood the bike up and am heading straight for them laughing), but it works. Pretty sure if I tried to continue actually turning across the tracks while they were wet I'd go for a slide.

Changing lanes across tracks is tougher, and will probably require planning ahead... start at the outside of the lane you're in, make sure the other lane is clear, and make an aggressive turn so that you're crossing the tracks at a decent angle, then straighten out once you're in the other lane. As you've discovered, the tracks are slippery when wet, and the less time your tires spend crossing them, the better.

 

[Baydestrian47]

I have to make a left across a double-pair of tracks every morning. I get as much turn done as possible before crossing them, stand it up and cross at a 30* angle to them (but with the bike pretty much upright), and then drop back down into the turn after I'm across. This tends to freak out the cagers stopped in the oncoming lane, since I've stood the bike up and am heading straight for them laughing), but it works. Pretty sure if I tried to continue actually turning across the tracks while they were wet I'd go for a slide.

Changing lanes across tracks is tougher, and will probably require planning ahead... start at the outside of the lane you're in, make sure the other lane is clear, and make an aggressive turn so that you're crossing the tracks at a decent angle, then straighten out once you're in the other lane. As you've discovered, the tracks are slippery when wet, and the less time your tires spend crossing them, the better.

Thank you for the reply brother! Yeah, definitely should slow down, wait for some cars to pass, and then just take it aggressive at least 50' degrees.

As for the helmet, I pretty much smacked the shit out of my head against the ground.

Mild concussion meaning I was woozy and disoriented when I get up. I am pretty sure I know a mild concussion, and was alright. My helmet saved my life.

 

[rebekahlynn]

start at the outside of the lane you're in, make sure the other lane is clear, and make an aggressive turn so that you're crossing the tracks at a decent angle, then straighten out once you're in the other lane.

+1, tracks freak me out, rain or no rain, so I go awkwardly wide on my turns

 

[Jbox88]

First, riding in the rain on a street bike is never a good idea. If it can be avoided, I highly recommend doing so.

Second, too fast for road conditions. Simply slowing down and going over the track one wheel at a time (steer instead of leaning), should be fine.

But, hey! Grats on the first one, happens to the best of us.

 

[OldFatGuy]

And my question to the more experienced riders out there, how can I ever change lanes in this condition and scenario?

I'm not sure if it's the "right" way to do it, but I shift my weight to the rear as my front wheel goes over whatever obstacle I'm going over, then forward again as the rear wheel crosses it. It's kept me upright more often than not.

 

[Ol' Gravy Leg]

And for the more SF versed people...at the freeway entrance onto 280 going to SF from Ocean Avenue near the Bart Station, how the fuck can I make that left turn safer going over all those damn muni tracks?

I know those tracks well. As sckego said, stand the bike up of the tracks. No input whatsoever. Don't brake; don't turn; don't shift weight; constant speed.

 

[DaveT319]

I was up in Tacoma a couple weeks ago in the rain, and they also have tracks in the road. They scare the shit out of me. Every time I had to go over them, I made sure I was as straight up and down as possible, and tried to take them at as large an angle as possible.

To me, I'm not sure that his speed was so much the issue, as just the inherently slick nature of wet tracks, and that he didn't go across them close enough to perpendicular. Granted, you want to take it nice and slow when riding in the rain. But at the same time, you don't want to increase the time that your tires are in contact with the wet tracks by going too slow.

Bottom line, you've learned the hard way just how dangerous wet tracks can be. Above all else, make sure you cross them as close to perpendicular as you can.

 

[Gixxer343]

to much speed for condition's and movement for you lane change.


and you need to get a better helmet, that one failed in its job.

why were you in the tracks? did you need to turn left? if so why go into the right lane?

i kinda know this area i deliver via a rig on that st. even my tires scuff on wet tracks/steel. all 18 of them can scuff or slip at some point, even to make the truck go side ways a inch or three. and yes at 20 mph. but then my tires are not made for grip.

good you are at home and not the icu ward. bones can be so very strong..and yet so brittle.




.

The helmet did the job it is designed to do which is prevent damage to soft tissue and bone as well as reduce the chances of traumatic brain injury. The movement of the brain inside the cranial cavity is an unavoidable side affect from a sudden stop of the head. The RX-Q is one of the best helmets available, so if it didnt do the job then I dont know what will. Just my .02

 

[afm199]

How? You don't. If you have to go around the block or make you turn, you do. I won't cross wet tracks at less than 60-70 degrees or more.

 

[ride]

I have tried to figure out riding my honda on wet grounds too and it has felt slightly slippery (I am new to it all). Is there a technique of how to manage riding safely in mountainous areas (I currently live in Munich/Germany and Bavaria is very mountainous in places - and wet too).

 

[matt1216]

Don't beat yourself up man, I've been there and done that too. Basically I underestimated the slickness. Just do like what everyone else says and go easy, be smooth and hit them as straight on as possible.

 

[Underdog]

First, riding in the rain on a street bike is never a good idea. If it can be avoided, I highly recommend doing so.

I wonder how they get any street riding done in countries like Britain, for example... wait a moment. Isn't this where the Isle of Man TT is?

OP, bikes can and DO lean in the wet, over muni tracks too. It's quite possible that you were trying to over-correct a simple twitch, and ended up with far too much handlebar/breaking input than you needed. Although most of Cali is headed towards the dry season, you're fortunately been blessed with a few wet months during summertime; simply tackle on wet parking lots and DO TRY controlled 8 figures and turns. If the wheels twitch and complain, learn to resist the urge to correct. You'll soon learn that smoothness is all you need.

 

[tankerman]

We've all had our mishaps so lets not get all high and mighty regarding some one with the balls to own up to their own mistake. Riding in the rain requires an extreme amount of smoothness especially when in contact with steel. Riding in the city where there is a lot of wet roads and steel can be daunting but very doable as it is in many parts of the world. Experience, practice and situation-all awareness are the keys.

 

[browncheetah]

tracks and cracks requires extra attention.