I dropped the bike - lucky not too bad

[gooch]

It has been raining all night here in northern NJ. I have been using the GZ to commute to my job (<10 miles) each day, in the opposite direction of NYC traffic.

Most of my commute is on Rt. 4, a local highway that runs from the George Washington Bridge to Paterson, NJ. My entry ramp to the highway is essentially an uphill U-turn. The pavement on the ramp is not asphalt, but old uneven concrete. It is always a bumpy turn in dry weather - this is the first time for me doing it wet.

Slowed down for the turn and went into it. I think I was doing just below 20, which is about what I do in dry weather. Given the weather, I took this turn too fast. The bike felt a little off balance during the turn, and then went into a skid towards the end. I also think I may have slowed down, as I barely touched the yellow lines on the ramp (it is a 2 way ramp).

All in all, I am really fine. My head did not hit the ground, I only skidded for a few feet. There is a slight bit of shredding on the outside of one of my gloves, and that is it. The bike twisted my ankle when I went down, but it could have been much worse (slide into oncoming traffic, for example).

Worst part (since the injury is minimal) - my wife and I live with my parents, and my mother and I work for the same non-profit. Which means that, a few minutes after I had the bike upright, she pulls up. She was not thrilled with my getting the bike in the first place.

Best part - three different people stopped and got out of their cars to help. If I had been really injured, there is no question that help would have come quickly. They helped me get up and get the bike to the side of the road, and for that I am thankful.

The only damage to the bike is that the handlebar weight on the right side is slightly bent. My leg seems to have prevented most of the bike from hitting the ground (not sure how I feel about that :). My ankle hurts, but I am walking and expect to be fine by the end of the weekend.

The rest of the ride to work was uneventful - I was more careful in the turns, and did not feel any slipping at any other point. If I get rain on a commuting morning again, I think I will go for a highway entrance that is a bit less tight instead of attempting this one again - too many variables when it is wet I think.

Any thoughts?

[alanmcorcoran]

Live, learn, move on.

I am not comfortable myself on two wheeled vehicles when it is wet out. Fortunately for me, in Southern California, that is "hardly ever." I did ride a moped through three pretty rough winters in Upstate NY, but even then, I wouldn't take it out if there was still snow on the road. (Still managed to drop it a few times anyway.)

You really have to be super cautious in wet conditions because on turns, oily areas, dirty areas etc., there is a tremendous variation in traction. Paint, leaves, algae (YES algae! A friend of mine broke his collarbone when he went down in a turn slipping on some wet green stuff on a wooden bridge) and a long long list, becomes quite slippery when wet and that's no good if you are leaning into a turn. I think the GZ is light enough that the potential for serious injury is quite bit less than a 700cc and above, but, if you hit a guardrail at the wrong angle you will be just as done.

For me, I wll only ride in the rain if it catches me by surprise. And even then, I'll be clenching it all the way.

Very glad to hear you didn't eff yourself up that bad.

[Moedad]

...there is a tremendous variation in traction. Paint, leaves, algae (YES algae!...)

Alan, when you were riding your bicycle a lot (maybe you still do, I don't know), did you ever ride on the concrete riverbed at the junction of the Coyote Creek and the San Gabriel River bike trails? I made the mistake of riding through a wet spot there on my touring bike once. I was okay until I tried to make a turn. It was like somebody lassoed my front wheel and yanked it out from under me. Not only did I fall down, I got all wet and algae-ed. Embarrassing.

[Easy Rider]

Live, learn, move on.

For me, I wll only ride in the rain if it catches me by surprise. And even then, I'll be clenching it all the way.

Very glad to hear you didn't eff yourself up that bad.

:plus1: on all the above. If you think you were going too fast....and the evidence is pretty convincing.....then you probably were.

I am not really a good person to comment on the situation, however, because I can't imagine riding a bike in a BIG city.....shudder :skull: Where I live, our rush "hour" lasts about 5 minutes.

[alanmcorcoran]

I got all wet and algae-ed. Embarrassing.

Well at least you didn't bust your collarbone.

Yeah I've been down there. I've probably ridden that trail sixty or seventy times - I used to live in La Habra and was a member of the Whittier Wheelmen and that was a regular run. In fact, when I was training for my first double, I rode that down to PCH, then over to the Santa Ana River trail and back, sometimes three or four times in a week. Largely because of my experiences on bicycles, I always go straight through standing or flowing water - always upright, never leaning.

My buddy that broke his collarbone was about halfway through a double (it was my second) that went through Fallbrook. There was a weird backroad that went through a wooded area and there was a wooden bridge that a stream flowed over. The thing was an algae farm. He went down on it like it was ice. Ironically, I pooped out (not in good enough shape and it was like 95 degrees) a little past that point at about 96 miles. He sucked it up and finished about 6 hours later, broken collarbone and all. One year he did 12 doubles. (I've only ever finished one.) Guy was about 15 years older than me too.