Railroad Tracks = Hazard

[Winterhawk]

I ate my lunch last night about Midnight in a rain storm. I was on my Yamaha Seca Turbo and hit a hole before a diagonal railroad crossing then my tire hit the rail at an angle and I went over the bars kind of when the front end washed out.

Bike was OK with a broken signal and miner scrapes on the fairing.

My left hip hurts a little from landing on the rail and my right forearm is scraped from sliding in some gravel.

I guess I'm ready to play football with Moosie now after going down like that and riding home in the rain. It was hard picking the bike up but it is lighter then a touring bike. I wouldn't of thought that I could take a lick like that and still walk / ride away.

Everyone just be careful in the rain especially around the Railroad Crossings.

[trbig]

I'm glad you're mostly OK. As you found out, try to always change your angle and cross the tracks straight instead of an angle. That wet steel does get awefully slippery, and the front tires love to follow any groove they can find like that.

Tod

[psycoreefer]

Just as slippery in the rain...

look out for:
man hole covers,
the Painted lines at intersections/between lanes
drain grates near the curb.

I personally hate the great big arrows, slippery as heck.

[prometheus578]

Yeah, but did you slide... or roll?

(glad you're alright)

[webbcraft2150]

Lets not forget those slick little dots they like to glue to the road. Here in Austin, they like to dig a big hole in the road and then cover it with big steel plate till they get around to doing it right, real interesting with just a little bit of water on it.


Off topic but reminds me of the time....my big brother any I were racing our bicycles, he had just got a brand new 10 speed "racer", old school, drop down handlebars, real skinny tires. I have a lead on em with my 5speed Stingray. All of a sudden he's gone. Those 27" skinny tires fit well in the curbside storm grate. I don't remember if he tucked, rolled or slid. I do remember learning a bunch of new swear words.

[Guy_b_g]

....and in the fall....wet leaves.....and those of you in central Calif...(esp Modesto) tomato trucks dump tomatoes in the corners during harvest, as well as grape trucks sometimes...very slick.

[blue giant]

Glad to hear you're ok!

Sorry about the bike but at least you get to ride another day!




Paul

[Axel]

RR Xing

I read something about speeding up as opposed to slowing down is better for tracks .
Nice Seca .

[madmax-im]

Re: RR Xing

Originally posted by Axel
I read something about speeding up as opposed to slowing down is better for tracks .
Nice Seca .

Well its kinda like skiing on a patch of ice...you want your skis' straight and you get over it without any sudden movements...so speed isnt as important as having your wheels perpendicular to the RR trax

[Winterhawk]

look out for:
man hole covers,

I was going down the road one night in Kansas and a man hole cover was missing. Saw it and swerved just in time.

I rode the Seca Turbo to work tonight in the continuing monsoon. Ran good but I took it really easy as I'm a little sore still where my side landed on the track.

[olebiker]

Originally posted by Winterhawk


I was going down the road one night in Kansas and a man hole cover was missing. Saw it and swerved just in time.

The idea of an open manhole scares the crap outta me. I mighta died from a heartattack. Glad you weren't hurt too bad.

[planedick]

Tar snakes

Here in CA CA land and I'm sure in other southwest states, those tar snakes get hot and the tar is liquid and makes corners more than just a little interesting. Definately worth avoiding if possible.

A tar snake is a strip of tar put there by the road crew to seal cracks in the asphalt.