Making my bike safer after falling off

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm on Bontrager AW1 hardcase tyres in 700cx25 they stick well and roll well. They are also puncture resistant.

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/bontrager-aw1-hard-case-all-weather-tyre-id82446.html

 

[Kestevan]

The Zaffiro tyres are not just cheap, they're bloody lethal.... both I and friends have had incidents of "uncontrolled dismounts" whilst using them...neither at high speed, but both in damp conditions.

Chuck em and get something (anything) with some wet weather grip... you don't have to spend a fortune to improve the Rubinos or Michelin Lithion will be 1000% better*

* probably wont help much on diesel or ice though.

 

[Jody]

regarding braking,,when you do have to do an emergency stop get up out of the saddle and lean forward putting more weight on the front wheel. Just be careful not to do an endo..

Don't do this ^. If you are going to emergency brake get your weight back, stretch your arms whilst keeping them loose and keep your bum low behind the seat. If you do as above expect to loose some teeth.

Not the best example but you get the idea

 

[Dan B]

Don't do this ^. If you are going to emergency brake get your weight back, stretch your arms whilst keeping them loose and keep your bum low behind the seat. If you do as above expect to loose some teeth.

Of course, if you have the time and the presence of mind to do all that then it probably wasn't much of an emergency. Or, you've been practising.

(Which is a good idea. Also fun, finding out how hard you can brake before the back wheel leaves the ground)

 

[Jody]

Of course, if you have the time and the presence of mind to do all that then it probably wasn't much of an emergency. Or, you've been practising.

(Which is a good idea. Also fun, finding out how hard you can brake before the back wheel leaves the ground)

Practice and mainly riding off road helps. Some might not do it but its second nature to me when braking really hard.

Just made me cringe when someone suggested getting your weight forward over the front wheel when braking heavy.

 

[Karlt]

I had Zaffiros at one stage. Never noticed slipping issues but they were slow. Rubinos much faster, but one online retailer at least reckons the 25mm size are discontinued.

 

[RichardB]

Just made me cringe when someone suggested getting your weight forward over the front wheel when braking heavy.

It's not black and white, though. Back to my motorcycle days: if you want to do a stoppie (come to a halt with rear wheel in the air) you need maximum adhesion from the front tyre, and you achieve that by braking progressively and shifting your weight forward over the tank and bars to add to the weight transfer. I know that's a stunt, but it illustrates the point that if you want maximum adhesion from the front tyre you need to shift your weight forward. Similarly, with a chopper with raked-out forks, they often don't bother with a front brake because with the weight so far back the front wheel would never gain enough traction and would slide if you braked hard. There is an ideal position for the CoG of the bike for maximum braking, and it's not too far forward and not too far back. Think of a MotoGP bike: a kind of triangle with the rider in the middle.
This doesn't apply 100% to bicycles, because the rider is the main mass, and there is no engine and transmission to bring the CoG down, so the CoG is always going to be high, and adding to that by moving weight forward is not a good idea. But equally hanging your butt over the rear wheel while braking hard (if that were possible) might not give you maximum traction for the front wheel either. My guess would be to stay right where you are, in the centre of the bike. Just thinking aloud, really.

 

[Profpointy]

It's not black and white, though. Back to my motorcycle days: if you want to do a stoppie (come to a halt with rear wheel in the air) you need maximum adhesion from the front tyre, and you achieve that by braking progressively and shifting your weight forward over the tank and bars to add to the weight transfer. I know that's a stunt, but it illustrates the point that if you want maximum adhesion from the front tyre you need to shift your weight forward. Similarly, with a chopper with raked-out forks, they often don't bother with a front brake because with the weight so far back the front wheel would never gain enough traction and would slide if you braked hard. There is an ideal position for the CoG of the bike for maximum braking, and it's not too far forward and not too far back. Think of a MotoGP bike: a kind of triangle with the rider in the middle.
This doesn't apply 100% to bicycles, because the rider is the main mass, and there is no engine and transmission to bring the CoG down, so the CoG is always going to be high, and adding to that by moving weight forward is not a good idea. But equally hanging your butt over the rear wheel while braking hard (if that were possible) might not give you maximum traction for the front wheel either. My guess would be to stay right where you are, in the centre of the bike. Just thinking aloud, really.

I thin you may be slighlty mixing up two things - as you correctly say maximum breaking is indeed mostly front wheel just about when the back wheel lifts - however that's not at all the same as deliberatley shifting weight forward to cause a "stoppie" which is essentially a stunt. Keep your weight back and you'll have even more force on the front, thus even more breaking before reaching "stoppie" territory. Shifting weight forward allows pulling the stoppie stunt with less severe breaking.

All the above based on physics rather than bike handling skills - and though I have a (rather fine) motorcycle I doubt I've the skills or balls to try a stoppie.

 

[jcycle]

re car pulling out use a day light this type for example has a daytime setting 80 Lumens and nearly a runtime of 7 hrs which will cover the duration of most rides.

this might be worth a read
http://www.slobc.org/safety/documents/road-survival-guide.pdf

 

[mjr]

Sorry but daytime running lights are antisocial and lumen values aren't very meaningful.

 

[BlackPanther]

There's only one way to guarantee you won't fall off.



I tend to take the trike when it's slippery, but to be honest my regular recumbent wouldn't hurt too much if I came off as its only a few inches to fall. Interesting video below shows the difference between falling off a df bike and a recumbent.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KsPwgLshOUY

 

[BlackPanther]

Sorry but daytime running lights are antisocial and lumen values aren't very meaningful.

I don't understand how they can be antisocial? Now all new cars have daytime running lights, bikes are even less visible amongst the sea of lights in heavy traffic. I always have front and rears on in the day, and consider them to be an absolute essential in the rain. Bright Cree front with a diffuser, aimable helmet light for potential side road emergers, Blackburn rears, all on solid. I never run any lights on flashing as this is annoying.

 

[mjr]

I don't understand how they can be antisocial? Now all new cars have daytime running lights, bikes are even less visible amongst the sea of lights in heavy traffic.

I think that illustrates how! Motorists are doing the visual equivalent of screaming as they drive along, so now some cyclists are joining them in doing a visual "look at me, look at me, look at me" and beggar any cyclists with lesser lights and walkers and animals and whatever. I mean, why don't we find some way to rig up permanently-running airzound horns and then they'll definitely know we're there, right?

No. The solution to that problem is to crackdown on motorists who drive faster than they can see to be clear - not to accept it and try to use relatively puny bike lights (cars have got engines to generate electricity so they can always go brighter than us) to try to stop them running us down.

 

[oldstrath]

I think that illustrates how! Motorists are doing the visual equivalent of screaming as they drive along, so now some cyclists are joining them in doing a visual "look at me, look at me, look at me" and beggar any cyclists with lesser lights and walkers and animals and whatever. I mean, why don't we find some way to rig up permanently-running airzound horns and then they'll definitely know we're there, right?

No. The solution to that problem is to crackdown on motorists who drive faster than they can see to be clear - not to accept it and try to use relatively puny bike lights (cars have got engines to generate electricity so they can always go brighter than us) to try to stop them running us down.

In principle I agree. In practice, riding home into setting sun today, on went the Scorpion in TT mode, green flash and all. Objectively, does it help? Probably not much. Subjectively, yes, a lot. Am I hurting other cyclists, pedestrians, etc. No, because there were none. By all means, let's campaign for better enforcement of good driving, but also recognise human frailties, of all kinds.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I don't understand how they can be antisocial? Now all new cars have daytime running lights, bikes are even less visible amongst the sea of lights in heavy traffic. I always have front and rears on in the day, and consider them to be an absolute essential in the rain. Bright Cree front with a diffuser, aimable helmet light for potential side road emergers, Blackburn rears, all on solid. I never run any lights on flashing as this is annoying.

I had cause to wait at the side of the road recently and entertained myself counting the bikes going past. I think at least 3 were running very bright flashing (front) lights and it was annoying as anything, and I think quite dangerous as they were bright enough to dazzle. This was just before 8am and it was raining, but even so it was painful on the eyes.
Personally I think the idea of daytime running car lights is idiotic.