Cold Tyres

What you really need is to get some knobbly tyres

 

Knobbly tires in wet?! I have those and i slipped hard, popped back in my dislocated sholder and carried on but i never felt slippy on normal road tyres. Now im crawling like ive never rode in the wet before after being confident in the wet since i started riding last december. Riding really scares me now not like the last time when i knew why i slid (ice) but because i dont know why i slid and believe its the knobbly tires?!

Yeah that was a joke at the expense of a now-departed forum member who kept advocating off road bikes as the best for winter riding. I've ridden mine all through the winter but that doesn't mean I'd actually recommend it

Although the experience of riding on muddy tracks does make you better at riding on slippery roads, I've found. But you're still better off with road tyres. Metzler Tourances are bloody amazing in winter.

Also - cheers Beefy

You'll find your grip is just not as good in the wet buddy, as people say just take it steady all you can do and make sure tyre pressure is correct i learned the fall on my arse way what a difference that makes in wet conditions lol

oh and +1 on white lines in the wet there slippier than a ppi salesman.

After taking it very steady for the past week i've realized it may be how i ride and not so much the tyres that made my front go but im not sure?!

Ive realized i dont use my rear break enough (used to use only rear break on my sinnis and mix of both on the honda) as the break pedal isnt as easy to get too... takes a whole leg movement to break! On the sinnis the back break position and the break were spot on... on the honda they both felt right together but on this suzuki front feels natural and i hadnt even realized id been doing it!

I keep coasting (clutch in) on aproach to junctions ready to change gear and im realizing i sometimes coast while breaking... im sure thats not good and a bad habit i may have picked up from the start but wasnt aware i was doing it till now?!

I now cant stand down hill cornering, its as if i get vertigo and panic slowing down using the engine but not prepaired to apeed up even on the straights downhill!

And since the slip ive been so tensed up i feel i struggle to turn at all sometimes! Last couple days ive realized im too tense and holding firm wont help and i think ive loosened up a bit but how violently that slip threw me to the floor has really affected my riding. Just cant enjoy riding atm not like i was before... loving every journey!

Only a 16 mile commute to work then another 16 back every day through the winter

it pass's buddy trust me, ive had a few offs due to wet weather ive come off on a wet road due to braking to hard on a white line (30mph spill total wipe out lol) and a week later due to death gripping in the rain i didnt turn enough and went off again (i did a forward roll in the air , remember shouting tuck and roll! as i flew off then laid in a heap laughing my arse off).

Its took a while for me to loosen up again, all i can advise is whats worked for me. Ride ride ride , make reasons just to pop out for a quick spin your confidence will come back.

the downhill cornering, drop your speed down to as slow as you need, people can wait. try to go slower than you feel you would need to and accelerate into the corner gently you'll find it helps your grip on the road. coasting or Worse braking is more likley going to make you come off keep relaxed ands trust your bike to get you round

The type and quality of the tyres makes a big difference......as does riding style......smoother riding helps a lot, but it only comes with practice. .....keep going with it and your confidence will come back......

Coasting is never a good idea, keep it in gear and either change down as the speed decreases or change down several as you are about to stop.

If your back brake is in an uncomfortable position get it adjusted so it works for you, could be it suffered some damage with a previous owner and is bent.

Down hill brake before the bend and apply a little gentle power as you take the bend, to keep the bike balanced and in control, Still braking pushes the weight onto the front wheel and is more likely to wipe out.

At this time of year smooth and controlled is the way to go. Don't tense up as it makes things worse ( I know to begin with easier to say than do) but if you find yourself tensing then, you need to relax flap you elbows a little so you get movement available in your arms relax your hands don't have a death grip on the bars and try not to take any weight through your wrists. Look where you want to go and don't ride any surface you haven't seen first. If you can't see the tarmac drop back and give your self room.

Thanks guys, i do apreciate all the advice.

Since writing that a lot of confidence has come back, i have loosened up a lot and the back break is getting used a hell of a lot more but yea i should definatly adjust it for comfort as well as responce time.

I feel even though im slower now i ride better/safer and feel a lot more of what is going on between the bike and the road. This has its drawbacks, little wobbles from front tyre ie. When i breaked a little whilst on white lines today and felt it, or that road surface my tyres dont like etc.. make me paranoid again but ive piced up speed in the straights again and ive stopped coasting (caught myself doing it twice so far but each for about 1 second before i realize and stop doing it).

Cornering is still an issue tho, its as if im trying to fight against the bike. The hard part is trusting the grip between the tyre and the road, it doesnt feel good in the cold or wet! In the dry/warmish its seemed ok, i do think i should seriously concider full road tyres before the real winter comes. Im definatly not cornering correctly (or like i used too) so i need to make a concious effort to accelerate into the turns. At the moment im breaking (rear) on a couple of bends still and/or using the engine to slow me, and im cornering on the inside near the curb a lot and never used too! Again i think its the tyres making me too nevous to lean and trust the bike.

The downhills have also improved a bit, i do take it very easy tho (go faster uphill .

I'll keep at it, someday ill get there, dont know where yet but ill be there... eventually cheers

Somthing I hadnt thought about before now... the age of the tyres.

These tyres have the date stamp of 09 (same year as bike 1009) although the tread looks great there are visable cracks in the rear (i havent noticed any in the front).

Could that also be contributing to why I feel unsafe/slippy on the cold roads?

I'd just presumed as it's only done 6500 miles and the tread is fat there would be no issues but on second thoughts, rubber degrades, i don't know if the previous owners banked corners much and therfore im thinking (bear in mind im new to all this) they may be more worn down in the middle (upright position) and may be why im experiencing difficult cornering and no cofidence in leaning anymore!

Am I overthinking this or have I just stumbled on what could be an issue to a inexperianced rider on semi-offroad tyres on fast urban roads through Birmingham in winter?!

New tyres will transform the feel especially at that mileage and age.