Safety: Autumn Riding
Autumn has arrived, and winter is just around the corner! The balmy days of summer are past, and the rain is gonna be around for a while. The temperature, as you may have noticed, has been much cooler and also pretty wet. So, it is time to prepare for wet weather, risky puddles, soggy leaves, slippery railroad tracks, slick manhole covers, and decreased visibility. Here are some guidelines to keep you safe and to keep you doing what you love to do – riding your bike!
- Adjust your pace. Lower your speed, especially when going downhill. Anticipate that you will not be able to brake as effectively and will need more time.
- Plan to brake early. Give yourself twice as long to come to a stop as you normally would.
- Try not to ride through puddles. You can’t always tell how deep they are or what’s in them. The puddle might be there because there is a huge pothole with steep sides or a big rock in the middle of the puddle. Riding through a puddle could potentially flatten a tire, damage a wheel, or throw you off your bike. ✎
- For all the same reasons, you should stay away from wet leaves – especially piles of wet leaves. In addition to the hidden hazards, wet leaves offer less-than-zero traction. Even if it is not a pile of leaves, try not to ride through leaves.
- Avoid metal surfaces like the plague (e.g., railroad or light-rail tracks, gratings in catch basins, utility access hole covers). Most of them, particularly tracks and gratings, are not level, and any decrease in traction could lead to a fall. When you do have to roll over metal in the road, rain or shine, never try to turn, brake, or accelerate.
- Although Portland uses anti-skid fillers in their thermoplastic resin white lines on the roads, extra care is advised when they’re wet. They can still be super-slippery.
- Rain reduces the range of visibility. Stay out of motorists’ blind spots, assume they can’t see you, and make eye contact with drivers whenever and wherever possible.
- Wear clothing with bright colors and reflective strips. Put reflective strips on your pedals and cranks, downtubes, etc.
- Use your lights – day and night. Carry spare batteries if you need to, and be sure your rechargeable lights are fully charged each time you go out. Give drivers every chance to see you.
- If you are riding with others, they will love you for your fenders. 😍 Try to get a full rear fender that is no more than 8” above the road – lower if possible. Without a rear fender, it isn’t just your back that gets soaked and dirty; riders behind you experience the consequences too. If your rear fender is too short, it keeps you dry but spays a rooster tail for the one behind you to ride in.
Continuing to ride in the autumn is not only possible but can also be enjoyable. Keep riding, but stay safe. In Nikki Hilton’s immortal words, “Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.”
Dave McQuery, Membership Secretary