James Burleigh
Well-known member
Oh, man.... Tonight I came out of my office building in San Francisco at 6:30 PM and it was pouring rain. I hate riding in the rain in rush hour, especially in the dark. But I was prepared, because I watch the Weather Speculators twice a day: at night before bed and in the morning before heading out.
So in addition to my usual Widder electric vest (actually wasn't that cold this evening), Aerostitch, and waterproof AlpineStar boots, this morning I packed in my Givi trunk a towel (for drying the seat and controls as well as my hands before putting on gloves), waterproof gloves, and a rain coat (although on the way home in the rain I usually just stick with my Aerostitch and not the rain jacket over top of it 'cause I don't mind getting home with a wet crotch like Aerostitch's are famous for; the raincoat is really for riding in in the AM because it's a drag getting to work in khaki pants when your 'stitch leaks at the crotch--sorry I made you think about my crotch twice in this post already; my bad).
So as I was slogging my way home in the rain in the dark with a dazzling blizzard of white and red light from the thousand headlights on the opposite side of the freeway and the thousand brake lights in front of me refracting through the beads of rain on my face shield and making the world around me appear like a hallucinogenic drug haze, I realized I wanted to share with my FJR buds how I have found that I alter my riding behavior when commuting in the rain in the dark. So, let's see:
JB Safe and Sound in the Garage After the First Big Wet Commute of the Season
So in addition to my usual Widder electric vest (actually wasn't that cold this evening), Aerostitch, and waterproof AlpineStar boots, this morning I packed in my Givi trunk a towel (for drying the seat and controls as well as my hands before putting on gloves), waterproof gloves, and a rain coat (although on the way home in the rain I usually just stick with my Aerostitch and not the rain jacket over top of it 'cause I don't mind getting home with a wet crotch like Aerostitch's are famous for; the raincoat is really for riding in in the AM because it's a drag getting to work in khaki pants when your 'stitch leaks at the crotch--sorry I made you think about my crotch twice in this post already; my bad).
So as I was slogging my way home in the rain in the dark with a dazzling blizzard of white and red light from the thousand headlights on the opposite side of the freeway and the thousand brake lights in front of me refracting through the beads of rain on my face shield and making the world around me appear like a hallucinogenic drug haze, I realized I wanted to share with my FJR buds how I have found that I alter my riding behavior when commuting in the rain in the dark. So, let's see:
- Use higher gears (lower revs) to reduce torque to the rear tire.
- Embrace Reg Pridmore's advice to Be Smooth!
- Widen my bubble, particularly following distance.
- All but eliminate lane sharing.
- Stay in line with cars at signals vs. move to the front.
- On city streets with cross-traffic, rather than try to separate from the knot of cars, stay within them for protection from left-turners.
- When next to a car on the left and overtaking it, swerve the handlebars enough to bring the plane of the dual headlamps into the car's left side mirror to alert the driver of my presence.
- Eliminate any bursts of throttle (acceleration).
- Drive at the average speed of traffic (vs. faster than average in dry conditions).
- Eliminate contests of speed or cat and mouse--rain is kryptonite to my Superman.
- Let go of visions of being home at any particular time and concentrate on here, now, and getting through it.
JB Safe and Sound in the Garage After the First Big Wet Commute of the Season
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