so last year i was on my way home from work, a very familiar ride. took a turn too wide, hit a big patch of pea gravel in a hard turn. locked up my back brake in a panic, and ended up dumping my bike causing alot of damage.

just today i was going through another hard turn, and it was just getting dark. i did not see any gravel but as i was fully leaned, my back end started slipping. so i straightened the bike up, and took it off roading. saved it until i tried to get back on the road where i lightly dropped it.

so how do you avoid the wreck when your over gravel? i'm lucky there wasnt a fence or a car coming at me when i crossed traffic. just trying to determine what the best thing to do is..

thanks
steven

 

Lean angle is your enemy when on gravel.

 

I have heard that there isn't any gravel at the track......

You shouldn't be so hard into a corner on the street that you don't have time to react when something goes wrong.

 

Gravel is worst than rain....but of course a puddle of water can cause hydroplaning easily....

Road hazard is not meant to be ride on, therefore avoid at all cost, but if you have no choice, ride it thru using caution...there was a poll about most important skill, and most voted it's visual....view, take the safest line....and avoid the gravel, puddle water, oil, pothole....

Many rider dump their bike cause by careless mistakes....view your line!!!! Same like when you are walking down the street, don't step on dog ****...

Then when your roa clears up, pavement looks clean, you can take the turn harder....

 

That was an awesome analogy!

 

About taking taking your line thru the turn....you've got caught in a lean finding yourself too hot....causing yourself to ultilizing even to edges of the road, which most gravel, debrees accumulates....most cars tires takes center of road and pushes dirt, debrees to the side of road.

When carving a corner, going thru a turn, it's not about how hard you lean...or how much you lean...don't worry about using up the chicken strips....Cornering is about taking the shortest distance line thru the turn, thus fastest time.

Approach the turn at a comfortable speed using outside line in, then excel inside line out....basically trying to get thru the turn at minimum lean as possible.

 

i mean i wasnt blowing through this turn in anyway. i dont like to ride hard at night, especially in this area. its known for bad drivers. its pretty much a hard 90 degree turn, and there's a yellow sign warning for 15 mph and i wasnt doing more than 20. it was just getting dark and i couldnt see any gravel, so i didnt think anything of it until my tire was slipping.

 

90 degree, That's a street right/left turn....were you in 2nd gear? 2nd is safest speed for a 90 degree....

 

Best way to handle gravel, is to avoid it in the first place.
Slow your speed down, anticipate the possibility and avoid the gravel.

If you want to ride at the limits...buy track time.
If you want to avoid over-running corners and sliding on gravel...
SLOW YOUR *** DOWN!!

You were obviously riding too fast for road conditions and/or not looking far enough
ahead to anticipate hazards. Gravel doesn't magically appear, it collects in the low
spots of the road. You need to decrease your speed and increase your awareness.

I hope you take this as intended (an emphasis on safety) and not as a personal
indictment. The primary goal is to arrive home safely from your ride. It can be just
as much of a thrill, if you focus on perfection of form/technique instead of pure speed-rush.

Hope to hear your questions for a long time, so ride safe, Ern

Ern

 

So you were fully leaned, not blowing through the corner, doing 20mph and crossed the road and went off the road on tthe other side?