Road HazardS

Slippery When Wet...

Tar Snakes

If you haven't figured this one out already tar snakes are those little black lines on the road used to seal the pavement. The hazard with these little devils is the ability to break traction in wet conditions.

Recently I was talking with a fellow biker who told me about his experience with tar snakes. While traveling down a country road in wet conditions he noticed his tachometer increasing in speed momentarily. Then it happened again and the back tire of his bike caught some traction after sliding on the road sealer. Luckily the results weren't tragic but enough to provide an unwanted thrill and alert him to this safety hazard.

So while the sealer put on roads helps to preserve and prevent bigger cracks from appearing, tar snakes can have negative consequences for us riders. Be alert and try to avoid them in wet conditions

Ride Safe!

Slippery When Wet!

Let's talk road hazards and specifically the times the road is wet. Obviously traction is reduced during wet conditions. The problem of not realizing wet conditions doesn't happen often but you know what the potential outcome could be. Wet roads in the daytime are pretty obvious. It rains, the road gets wet. You know that the oils in the road come up first and the road is especially slippery.

Roads however can be wet and slippery even without rain! I'm talking about dew. We often think about dew as something you find in the morning. By the time I get up in the morning while traveling the dew is usually gone from the road and just an annoyance when walking through the grass. But one day while riding home from a meeting that went late I started along the highway bundled up quite well as the weather started to get cold after the sun went down. As I was going down the road I saw a shine on the road and thought about dew. Under the right conditions dew can form as soon as the weather cools off and the sun is no longer directly shining on the road. You say "I've ridden in the rain and I can right safe" and so have I. The real problem is when you are unaware of the problem. When I finally stopped I scuffed my foot along the ground and found traction was quite easily broken.

So what's the message? Remember that roads can be wet at unexpected times. Traction is reduced. Emergency measures are harder to execute. Reacting to traffic and other road hazards can have negative consequences. Leave yourself more room and scrub off some speed. The few minutes extra are always worth it for me because I can ride again the next time.

Ride safe!