What's up with the roads (ice rinks)

[Stig]

4 times in the last few weeks I've almost lost the front - twice this morning, which resulted in me sailing straight on at a T-junction (thankfully nothing was coming!)

Is it just me, or are the roads greasy as hell at the moment?

[dern]

Not noticed, in fact I was thinking on the way home yesterday how bloody good my michelins have been over the winter. Maybe you've just been unlucky.

[Chilli]

Stig said:

4 times in the last few weeks I've almost lost the front - twice this morning, which resulted in me sailing straight on at a T-junction (thankfully nothing was coming!)

Is it just me, or are the roads greasy as hell at the moment?

What tyres have you got on?

[Steve_T]

Ok so far, but I'm quite close in to the City. I take it you're slip sliding away further out of the smoke?

[Stig]

Bridgestone 020s. Admittedly, the front it a bit worn, but there's still plenty of meat on it. Maybe it's just struggling to get any heat in it (which, let's face it, is fiar given the weather at the mo).

Bike is a TDM900 by the way.

[Fire99]

My TLR has felt a little twitchy over the past couple of weeks.
Front is a Diablo Corsa... (which will need changing soon)
Rear is a new Michelin Pilot 2 Road thing and seems pretty good..

Im on the east coast and its pretty chilly so gotta take it easy.

Saying that the road surfaces are just awful. dodgy repairs with dodgy coatings..

[Steve_T]

I have 020s on my SV and they're ok, but don't give mega amounts of feedback. The Pilot Road 2s on the Falco are superior as far as I'm concerned, definitely in the wet. Perhaps a newer design of tyre would give provide more info through the bars?

Aside: I think I'm captain slow compared to most on here, but is it me or are there a bunch of slow filtering buggers around at the moment? It's been really irritating me recently.

Steve.

[Fats25]

Stig said:

Bridgestone 020s. Admittedly, the front it a bit worn, but there's still plenty of meat on it. Maybe it's just struggling to get any heat in it (which, let's face it, is fiar given the weather at the mo).

Bike is a TDM900 by the way.

I has this about 2 weeks ago before changing tyres - had BT020's on the bandit which have just been replaced to 021's. Front was a bit square, and rear was almost bald, so I replaced both.

Much better since then.

[Busa_Rush]

It is slippery at the moment, both my car and bike have been a bit twitchy, I think it's the kind of salt they use these days, apparantly it's got some kind of binding agent to help it stick to the road but it's slippery too, seems a bit daft to me.

[Stig]

Steve_T said:

Ok so far, but I'm quite close in to the City. I take it you're slip sliding away further out of the smoke?

Yup, slip moments have been near home (in the sticks). Commute from near Henley to West End every day.

Doesn't help that the roads near home are in a shocking state. The surface is mirror smooth in most parts

Great value for our council tax - not.

[black-k1]

Busa_Rush said:

It is slippery at the moment, both my car and bike have been a bit twitchy, I think it's the kind of salt they use these days, apparantly it's got some kind of binding agent to help it stick to the road but it's slippery too, seems a bit daft to me.

I’ve heard that the latest ‘binding agent’ for road salt is sugar beet pulp, which does tend to leave a bit of a slimy film on the road. Watch out though as it also does a very good job of combining with the salt into something that likes to ‘eat’ aluminium.

[Fire99]

black-k1 said:

Busa_Rush said:

It is slippery at the moment, both my car and bike have been a bit twitchy, I think it's the kind of salt they use these days, apparantly it's got some kind of binding agent to help it stick to the road but it's slippery too, seems a bit daft to me.

I’ve heard that the latest ‘binding agent’ for road salt is sugar beet pulp, which does tend to leave a bit of a slimy film on the road. Watch out though as it also does a very good job of combining with the salt into something that likes to ‘eat’ aluminium.

this is getting very close to me ranting about the amount of road tax, fuel duty i pay etc and the state of our road system..
Bikers definitely get the rough end of the stick!!

[Chris_R]

Yeah noticed the same...as I binned my bike down the road this morning
Back end stepped right out pulling onto the main road from our estate and swung round 90 degrees in a split second.
Tyres have been excellent up to this point and only 1000 miles on them.
Gutted

[Hooli]

Steve_T said:

Aside: I think I'm captain slow compared to most on here, but is it me or are there a bunch of slow filtering buggers around at the moment? It's been really irritating me recently.

Steve.

sorry thats probably me. only just started working in london & im damn sure i filter slower than 90% of bikers out there. my excuse is a gsx14 with rentals is a wide bugger to squeeze in gaps.

[Steve_T]

Hooli said:

Steve_T said:

Aside: I think I'm captain slow compared to most on here, but is it me or are there a bunch of slow filtering buggers around at the moment? It's been really irritating me recently.

Steve.

sorry thats probably me. only just started working in london & im damn sure i filter slower than 90% of bikers out there. my excuse is a gsx14 with rentals is a wide bugger to squeeze in gaps.

Not seen a gsx14 for ages, they're pretty rare. It mainly seems to be the content bashing BMW GS - might be great in the middle of nowhere, but it's bloody useless at filtering past transit vans. Although last night was a newbie on a TDM - definitely not Stig, I'd never catch him!

[Hooli]

yeah even i can normally keep a GS in sight. slogging in from essex then down to millbank for the last three days & all of next week. bloody 14 is heavy my arms, shoulders & chest ache from it. still it might get me healthy & no way would i do the train option.