No substitute for a car?

[Drago]

Or to quote my Missus...

"Man up you pussy. It's only a bit of water"

 

[Panter]

Ooooh, I got 3 alerts popped up for my little contribution, 3!!!

Must post more irrelevance

 

[green1]

Ian is right, you cannot aquaplane on a bike. Aqua-planing is a strict definition, it is not just skidding through lack of grip. Aqua planing is when a layer of water builds up beneath your tyre, causing it to sit on this water rather than the road, and generally, lose all control. This can only happen with tyres that have a flat contact surface with the road. Bike tyres which have a curved contact point with the road cannot build up this layer of water below them and cannot aqua plane.

Technically you could aqua plane on a bike but you would have to be travelling at over 120 mph to make it possible.

 

[Drago]

Apparently the underside of the Discovery os shaped like the hull of a boat to ease its passage through water. Kewl.

 

[green1]

Apparently the underside of the Discovery os shaped like the hull of a boat to ease its passage through water. Keel.

FTFY

 

[Rob3rt]

all I can say is to those of you who still ride your bike in very wet weather is:
1. you are still young enough not to care. 25
2. you don't have far to go. 40 mile
3. you are really really keen ( or foolish) - I am quite keen yes!
4. you don't realise the risks of riding in heavy rain from 4 wheeled vehicles. ( maybe goes with 1) - Risk is approximately the same as in the dry really unless you fail to recognise that it is raining and don't bother to adjust your riding accordingly. In other word's unless you are an absolute doofus!
5. you certainly are more devoted cyclists than me.- Based on your comments, yes I probably am.
6. you have no other choice. - I do, I could stay at home with a nice cup of tea and watch Hollyoaks!
feel free to add to this list if you think like me.

I do not commute, since I live so close to my office. Yet I chose to go out and ride in this weather for 40 mile yesterday evening, I will be out this evening, and probably some other evenings this week. Yesterday I got so wet my rims were full of water and my shoes are still dripping wet! But I still enjoyed it, it's just water!

 

[jonny jeez]

How many of you, also car owners, leave the bike at home and take 4 wheels when the weather is so bad?

I have the choice of a car, a bike, a motorcycle, a scooter and even a huge white van.

I mostly switch between the motorbike and bike. I never "choose" the car but do occasionally (like twice a year) need to use it to drive to the office.

That said, I wouldn't choose to ride recreationally if the weather was bad, I would if the ride was planned and committed...but not by choice "in the moment".

Even on the commute if the rain is honking down and its cold, I may (like 50% of the time) swap for the motorbike as it gets me there (and out the rain) a little quicker and i can wear heavy waterproof gear that also keeps me warm. In the summer i don't give a jot about the rain, its refreshing and actually quite good fun to ride in once you succumb to the fact that you WILL get wet.

 

[jonny jeez]

I am just saying that driving in heavy rain is safer than riding. In heavy rain, I will feel safer doing 15 mph in my car than on my bike.

I think you have the gauge of safety about face.

Cycling in the rain has more dangers than driving in a car. You have two less wheels for traction and no way to eficiently clear rain to see clearly, your brakes are more easily effected and your lights have less effect, but the thing is, this carries no more "risk" and is no less safe ...as long as you know how to deal with this.

Or rather, as long as you know how to ride.

I would never ride my motorcycle the same in the wet as the dry...its common sense, but that doesn't make it safer in the dry.

On the contrary, I would argue that I'm safer in the wet as I take my time and make a huge effort to be seen and to see.

 

[Drago]

2 less wheels for traction, but vastly less mass to accelerate or brake.

No wibdscreen or wipers, but when it's really bad I goggle up and have the advantage of better ambient hearing that in a car.

My Hope 4 pots aren't affected at all in the wet.

I've never yet been to an RTA (I refuse to call then RTCs) when a cyclist has been trapped, his life force ebbing away while Trumpton have to spend time chopping the bicycle to bits to free them.

For every advantage one mode brings, the other brings a disadvantage. Take it steady, ride with skill and awareness and you'll be fine. Take the pish and you'll upset the rain Gods and come a cropper no matter what sort of wheels you got under you. Anyone sets out in a car tomorrow's rain and feeling smug because its so much "safer" is a fool. It's all as safe or otherwise as you choose to make it.

 

[gavroche]

well, I accept and respect all your opinions
but personally, in heavy rain , I much prefer my car cos I also like my comfort and feel safer.

 

[Kestevan]

Skin is waterproof. MTFU and leave the car at home.

Although I admit I hate having to put wet kit on to ride home in the evening.

 

[Crankarm]

I have a 30 minute drive then a 17.5 mile ride to work then the same in reverse. Some evenings I do other things in Cambridge which means I am riding 40-45 miles 3 times a week and the rest 35 miles each day. I think I have the right balance between driving and cycling. I would feel sad if I couldn't do either. We are very fortunate in the UK to have something called freedom of choice. At the end of the day or late at night it's nice to arrive back at the car and put the bike in the back and drive the rest of the way home in comfort and dryness. Some times I think if circumstances were different on occasion I would like to take my 911 Carrera all the way to work .......................

 

[Moodyman]

I would like to take my 911 Carrera all the way to work .......................

Show off!

 

[DRHysted]

Well Yesterday it was a no brainer, I drove the car home. Not due to weather mind, but because I had just completed a 17 hour shift and had to return 7 hours latter for this shift, which should be 12 hours, but I expect that my forward planning company have failed to get a replacement for the employee who got admitted to hospital Tuesday. So it could be 12, but my money is more on 14 to 18, with me due back in at 18:00 Thursday.

So the car was used to gain maximum sleep time.

p.s. the car was at work because my first shift on Saturday was my first back from holiday, so I had no stores (food, drink, clothing etc) at work. So drive in with the car loaded with a weeks worth of goodies, and the bike in the boot, then ride (with my car left in the car park) until my last shift when I drive home with the bike in the boot.

 

[ufkacbln]

In weather like today ( persistent heavy rain) you can't beat a car for going from a to b and back.
I know some of you may disagree, I mean the hardcore of cyclists, but when I saw this guy with shorts on and water proof jacket, this morning, I thought: " he can't be owing a car otherwise he would be using it".
I know we all love getting on our bikes and ride but surely, there must be limits to when to ride and to me , pouring down rain is no good for riding. Give me a car anytime in those conditions.
And of course, there is also the safety aspect,apart from comfort of dry and warm conditions that the car gives you.
How many of you, also car owners, leave the bike at home and take 4 wheels when the weather is so bad?

For me, I save 35 minute seach way over a colleague who drives in!

On a wet day the traffic increases and she takes up to an hour more than me.

Simples!