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Greater Raleigh Chapter # 70 SCRC
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Weather Tips |
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Hot Weather Wet Weather Cold Weather
Riding when the temperature is well in excess of 90 degrees can be dangerous to your health. Unless you take care to keep your body temperature under control even rides as short as an hour can result in heat-prostration or even sun-stroke.
Many riders know that if you keep your neck cool, because the large veins that feed your brain are so close to the surface, you greatly diminish these health risks. There are two very popular devices that are simple and effective in this regard.
One is called a 'cool collar' and is made from a tube of bandana material that contains some water absorbing beads sewn into it. The beads increase in size about 50 TIMES over when they are dry. Thus, when dry, these collars store easily and take up very little room. But getting them wet is not as easy as it sounds. That is, you have to take a dry collar and submerge it in water for up to 1 hour before it has absorbed all the water it can. That hour is often not available to you when you need it.
The reason the collar works to cool you off is that it takes even longer for the beads to dry out than it did to get them wet. That is, water will evaporate from them over a several hour period. Any evaporation activity cools - but only marginally so from the wearer's point of view. That is, within half an hour of putting one of these collars around your neck, even if it had been in a freezer before you put it on, the collar will be very nearly at the temperature of the air around it.
The bead filled collar cannot be rapidly cooled again once it has gotten warm. Thus, you usually find that people that use them have two - one of which is always sitting in an ice-chest.
Far better than these 'cool collars', is the original design of them (sometimes called 'Kool Kollars'). These are usually made of terry-cloth sewn together in such a way as to contain a pocket into which a zip-lock bag is placed. These are filled with ice! This type of collar REALLY cools your neck as the ice melts, AND they drip cool water. That dripping leaves the front and back of your shirt sopping wet over time which provides a huge source of evaporation - i.e., it helps to COOL!
At every pit stop you make you can refill the 'Kollar' with ice (just pour in a glass of ice water, ice and all).
One more way to handle high heat - those of you that wear skull-caps (helmet liners) can simply saturate them with water before putting them on. This works very well indeed, for about half an hour.
Further, of course, simply pouring water on your shirt helps a great deal - again, because it provides a huge area over which evaporation takes place.
While on the subject let me remind you that your wet shirt is not the only large area that evaporates - all of your exposed skin does the same. Thus, you NEED to DRINK lots of fluids too!_____________________________________
So suppose you're thinking about getting on a wet road for the first time, or perhaps you've done it a few times, or perhaps you do it so much you're not thinking about what the hazards are. Here's a list of critical rain hazards to out watch for...
Painted Lines - Crosswalks can be unsafe for motorcyclists, particularly if you're turning right or left and crossing the lines at an angle. Slow down more than usual and make the turn straight up, rather than in a lean. Any painted line is a hazard. Until the DOT addresses the issue and comes up with a tackier texture you're the one in control of your destiny.
Surface Textures - Many commercial and residential parking areas are paved with very slick concrete surfaces. Your wet entry can put you on the ground in a second. Again, ride slow and straight up and don't let the concrete bite you.
Rubber - If you thought you might save some money by buying long lasting tires, think again. Such tires are typically not as tacky and have less traction when the rain comes out. Next time you change tires look for the tackiest one that will take care of you better. How about that rubber they use around railroad tracks to decrease the sound as cars drive over them? Forget those little circles on the surface, these provide zero traction to you as you cross. Slow and straight up.
Steel - Manhole covers are enemy number one and railroad tracks rank a close second. Making a turn over the surface of them sets you up for trouble. Avoid such, or keep the bike straight up and cross over it slowly. Railroad tracks have a way of popping up on you just after a turn and you may still be into a lean when you reach them. Look for the crossing signs ahead of time, slow down, and stay straight up when crossing. Grated bridge crossings and metal plates are a nasty encounter in the rain. Look at where you want to ride, take it slow and don't try any fancy dancing, particularly a lane change.
Water - Puddles/Pot Holes... It only takes once to know how this one feels. You cruise through a puddle and after it's too late you realize you just went into a pot hole that wants to suck you into the underworld more painfully than Satan himself beating you down with a stick. Avoid puddles if you can. Use caution and predict the possibility ahead of time. Recovery from this rude awakening is not always easy. Pull over and take a few minutes of rest if you need to gather your wits.
Oil - It's everywhere and very illusive. Those little red and blue rainbows on the ground mean danger. Ride slow and straight up. If you're caught in the first rain following a few dry days remember the roads are covered with lots of oil and dirt that will be lifted from the surface in the first 30-60 minutes of a new rain. Take a coffee break if you can.
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Here is a link to an AWESOME site that gives detailed advise on cold weather riding. This biker lives in Quebec and does serious riding all year. Click here to go to his site... Motorcycle Travel Writing Website... and navigate by clicking his "next" button. [Linked with permission.]
There's also some great virtual riding to do at his site when you think it's too cold or wet to ride here... Check out his TRAVEL WRITING stories!
