Riding on snow can be tricky and is best avoided if possible. However we know that some of you have to brave the snow on your bikes, so here are Steve Farrell's snow riding tips.
Steve never lets snow stop his from riding from London up to MCN HQ in Peterborough, so we think he is qualified to give some advice.
Steve's tips for winter riding:
* Allow extra time for your journey. * Wear two pairs of socks, inner gloves and GORE-TEX kit. It’s best for keeping you warm and dry. * In snow, stay in tyre tracks and try to keep rolling at a vey slow and consistent pace. * Avoid compacted snow in favour of slush. * Only use the rear brake and be prepared for the front tyre to slip about.
my tip is try it on a small bike first it can be quite good fun but only for fun not for a to b work as you will fall off !!!!!!!
so leave it at home and try some one elses bike !lol
I ride for work 95% of the time but have to admit that this morning I looked out and thought f**k that for a game of soldiers and took teh VW. No style but warmer and, given the once a year numpties in their four wheel tractors, safer. Roll on next week when the thaw sets in and I'm back on 2 wheels
yes, my tip would be.....................DON'T lol! ..............seen two scooters out this morning on way to work, both sliding all over the place, one nearly lost it and that was for starters lol! Cars have their place although may not be as much fun................and weather like this it's definatley in one of them rather than risking all on your bike! Each to their own tho, ride safe for those that do brave it but rather you than me pmsl!!
Use to have great fun on a Triton & Steib s501 outfit in the snow and ice, but my advice to anyone would be to leave the bike locked up in the garage if it snows
For riding in the snow the less weight you have to fight against the better, lower center of gravity is good, as is some sort of crash bars, because you WILL need em. A smaller trail (not trial) type bike is ideal, except if your going a long way when they are often painfull even if you don't deck it. Wrap-around hand guards are great for saving your levers for when the ground comes up to meet you,... I used to swop me blinkie stalks for real flexible ones too. If it is a traillie that you are going to use, your tyres will be good enough anyway, but a commuter might do better with some slightly grippier tyres than you'd usually use.
Clothing,.. waterproof and warm, but not too many layers, enough to let you move around when needed, but not too many so that when you stop, you start to cook!
The other hazard of cold weather is ice. Watch out for those bridges that freeze before the roads do, and be alert for black ice in shady areas. More than one rider I know has crashed on unseen ices in open roads,on winter nights. If you must cross an icy patch or even a suspected one, keep the bike slow, straight and steady, and minimize the input, Squeezing in the clutch and free-wheeling across the ice will keep you from applying either too much or too little power to the rear wheel. As a rule, you will be steadier with your feet on the pegs or floorboards than dragging them. Also watch for sand placed in corners to deal with the ice.
If you have the proper gear and avoid the slick spots, riding in cold weather can be as comfortable and fun as riding on warm days. And the investment you make in cold-weather gear simply enhances your investment in your bike
my son stubbornly rides his 125,in the snow as saves fuel in the car, 25miles at 6am , i worry so give him the extra petrol money, ........think that his plan...worry mum, roll on that track day!!
![Tips for riding in the snow - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8mobileLQ.jpg)
![Tips for riding in the snow - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8desktopLQ.jpg)
