Wet winter tyres

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703014#Comment_119703014

I try and use both the front and rear breaks most of the time but if I'm only going slow and just want to stop the bike along with putting a foot down ill usually only use the front. This morning I was pressing both breaks but the wheels where still slowing going. I tested it off the bike in the office and the breaks where locking the front and back wheel no problem so the issue was only outside in the wet.

I checked both breaks they don't look loose or anything and if they where too tight obviously the wheels wouldn't move ha. I find I cant really get my hands further down the break levers comfortably so tend to have them near the top is this an issue?

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703021#Comment_119703021

Well the GP5000s are on the way to me today so I hope they do me over the winter at least!! ha.

magicbastarder

you mean the wheels aren't locking? i'm not sure if you're saying that the brakes themselves aren't functioning efficiently in the wet? i.e. is it the brakes or the tyres you're having trouble with?

disc or rim brakes?

Large bottle small glass

What size tyre have you, what pressure are you running them and what's your weight?

I've slipped once with gatorskins and seen a friend fall once; boths times the pressure was on the high to very high side.

Were you braking at time. Learn to brake better; you need to have weight on wheel to increase braking force available before slip occurs.

Are you using front brake?

iwillhtfu

Gatorskins are the worst tyres you could have in any conditions other than cycling across glass. I'd take any tyre at all over them, they're basically blocks of rubber.

Gp5000 are a great tyre but probably a bit fancy for commuting. For commuting tyres I usually filter to continental and price low-high then get one thats reasonably priced. 4 seasons are a nice balance on price and performance and they've another I think they're called sport or something along those lines that are good.

OP definitely easy on the braking and watch the corners in the wet on those gatorskins.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703217#Comment_119703217

I'm guessing its the tyres on very wet surface that I'm having problem with and them not having enough grip. There rim breaks they where only serviced couple months ago and I've had no issue with them in the dry weather or average wet day. This only happened in the heavy rain in last few days. Normally if I hit the breaks the wheels will stop no issues but it was all much slower this morning and after going off the bike twice yesterday I'm just a bit paranoid with everything the bike is doing now especially with such **** weather.

magicbastarder

again - are the tyres locking, or are the brakes not 'biting' enough?

if you're pulling the brakes, and the bike is taking a long time to slow down, but the wheels aren't locking; the problem is then probably not the tyres, it's the brakes.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703224#Comment_119703224

700 x 25c pressure I'm not sure probably around 100 psi and I'm around 11 and half stone haven't checked in a while haha.

When I fell I wasn't going very fast infact I was on the path near few shops to be honest the path surface around there is slippy in the wet anyway but I have to go through it to get to next part of the road. I got back on the bike again few minutes later and the back wheel went again. The front brake would be the main one id use but the high speeds or going down hill id try use both.

magicbastarder

also, be wary about braking or changing direction on road markings; paint is not nearly as grippy as tarmac.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703294#Comment_119703294

I don't know what it is then because everything was fine the other day its only since the heavy rain. Had no issue with the brakes and no issue with the tyres infact was going at a great pace all week before this bike felt really good it was literally just as I got to that area and came off the bike twice. The lack of grip and bike not slowing down as quickly has to be because of the rain its the only thing that's changed over the last few days nothing was changed on the bike.

In relation to the tyres locking they weren't this morning on the road they where just slowing down but as soon as I tested them off the road they where when braking so I dunno because they where fine in the drier weather and in the lighter rain.

magicbastarder

brakes will work better in light rain than heavy rain; if the pads and rims are a little way dry, you'll quickly generate enough heat under braking to dry them. but if they're saturated, the friction is very much reduced and it takes noticeably longer to build up the heat to drive the moisture away and provide good braking.

depending on where you're cycling, you'll also potentially be dealing with grease on the roads contaminating the water and thus your braking surfaces.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703417#Comment_119703417

Makes sense! Thanks for the help anyway I don't wanna come across like a thick or anything haha its just easier to explain these things in person when you can actually see the bike etc its just everything was running grand until that heavy rain hit yesterday I had no issue taking corners going from one surface to another so on my first taught was the tyres.

magicbastarder

taking corners is down to mechanical grip and would not be the brakes (though combining cornering and braking in the wet is best avoided if possible)

ratracer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703300#Comment_119703300

If you are going too fast on a path near a shop to be able to slow down, you are simply going too fast!!! What if a person came out of the shop, you’d plough into them??

From reading your comments in the thread, it sounds like you are just not familiar with braking in the wet? It requires much more stopping distance than in the dry/ damp. Practice it more, sometimes it’s just safer to ride just a little slower in the muck weather. And I agree that Gator skins are crap in the rain, I used them until a few years ago when I slid out the back end at a relatively slow speed.

Someone earlier mentioned Hutchinson Fusion tyres, these also get my nod, I find them great on the winter bike!

07Lapierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703006#Comment_119703006

If you had brakes on "Full" the brake lever was touching the handlebar and so you couldn't pull the lever any more? if that happening, its not your tyres, its your brakes need adjusting.

Your tire pressure does seem a bit high which could contribute to your issues in wet weather.

You can calculate the supposed correct tire pressure using this calculator below.

https://silca.cc/pages/sppc-form

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703498#Comment_119703498

Id say it was mainly that **** slipply tile like path I was on. l wasn't really doing very much out of the ordinary on the bike it was something very simple I did to cause it and for it to then happen literally just after I jumped back on the bike! To be honest it didn't help that it happened right outside a homeless hotel in Tallaght and I was surrounded by 4 fellas that started asking me questions about how much the bike cost! haha.

magicbastarder

Someone earlier mentioned Hutchinson Fusion tyres, these also get my nod, I find them great on the winter bike!

twas me; i probably should find a new place to buy them; i got a pair from a chap based in cork, but he's since shut up shop, and decathlon used to stock them but don't anymore.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703513#Comment_119703513

I don't go quick through that section I've went through it a million times. Infact I slow right down and wait for everyone around me. The surface is just very slippy the path looks more like tiles. I've cycled plenty in rain and was fine there was an awful lot of surface water around yesterday so it was a different experience altogether. I've went through ridiculous conditions on different bikes more heavy duty and never came off them so road bikes are obviously another issue. But yeah the braking ill just have to work around it a bit more and find better methods.

How Soon Is Now

Outside View of the Abberley Court Hotel - Picture of Abberley Court, Tallaght - Tripadvisor

Was just here it happened I dunno how familiar yous are with that area but you have to go very slow through it because all kinds goes on in front of you so there wasn't much speed involved in it haha.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119701970#Comment_119701970

Every day is a school day!

Have come off on Gators myself and put it down to lack of tread, but clearly it's just them.

https://www.bretonbikes.com/homepage/cycling-article-blog/160-the-importance-of-tread-pattern-on-cycle-tyres

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703516#Comment_119703516

Probably just my hand position on the levers more than anything. They tend to be higher up the levers I cant get them lower.

CramCycle

So the main take aways are:

1. In the wet, give yourself more time to stop. The wetter it is, the longer you need.

2. Don't turn and brake in the wet

3. Lower your tyre pressure

4. Don't brake on certain surfaces.

Try these things first before spending money.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703168#Comment_119703168

General use commuting and whatever else I end up doing at weekend.

How Soon Is Now

Thanks lads!

secman

I had gators on Bike for a week, was told at the time they were bullet proof re punctures but they failed to mention lethal on wet surfaces, more like plastic than rubber in the wet. Got rid immediately and put GP4000 on at the time, day and night comparison on wet roads.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119704082#Comment_119704082

Yeah they where the ones recommended to me at the time in a shop because I had just got a puncture and wanted something that would hold up a lot better. To be fair up until now I've had no issues with them and I've had them at least a year so I guess they served there purpose on some very **** roads and surfaces!

Its been bucketing out the last while cant wait to finish work ha! At least I got the GP5000s delivered there already this morning from Amazon so ill drop into a shop over the next few days see if they can throw them on for me cause I aint gonna get time to mess around with them until maybe Sunday and if there a bastard to fit might be best to leave it to someone who's doing that stuff more often and has more experience with them.

Plastik

I'm a fan of Conti Ultra Sports as a decent budget do it all tyre, my go to. I've GP5000's on a couple of bikes, and they're absolutely mega, but can't be arsed using them on the bikes that do the donkey work.

I run the conti grand sport race on my commuter and can’t really tell any difference between them and the gp5000s I have on the food bike.

they will certainly be staying on during the winter months.

gn3dr

Also think about how old your tyres are. Even if they are not worn they harden with age and become slippy. This is why they give you an advisory fail on an NCT for car tyres older than 6 years old.

I also decided this year to run GP5000's all winter. The difference in cost vs sliding off seems worth it to me