The Totality of Times we Tend to Test, or Toss Tyre Traction

[mbrST1100]

Time, or rather it's reception is a weird thing during such incidents...

... transmitted from a CAT S60 thing ...

[David W]

So far, no one has said they deliberately toss the traction of their front tyre. (That implies that when riding a public road, we never "pop a wheelie" on purpose. And we do not intentionally go over a rise in the pavement so fast that our bike becomes airborne when it comes to the crest of that rise.)

And no one has said they sometimes risk front tyre skidding as a way to test how much, or how little, traction that front tyre has. (The rear tyre is another matter.)

When practicing ones riding away from traffic, one person has said that if conditions are ideal, he might grab the brake lever on a standard bike to get the front tyre to squeal, and then immediately release that lever. His list of "ideal conditions" is extensive enough so that he did not list them without someone requesting such a list.

A tentative First Commandment of Bike Control is therefore: Invest your money in good, predictable rubber for your front. Keep your front tyre planted so that its traction is there to use when you need it. If your front tyre seems to possibly be losing traction, devote your full attention to minimizing such loss, and to regaining any front traction that is lost. (But it is still premature to use this thread for preaching.)

It wasn’t on purpose, but I lost the rear end; that caused me to use the whole road on the Isle of Arran, Scotland.
I came around a corner on a damp road and lost the rear end one way; then corrected it and lost it the other. I then managed to get myself back on track.
I remember two things. The first one was if I go off the road into that gorse, I will never be found. Nobody knew I was even on the island. The second was that it came to me in a flash of why/how I managed to sort it out. Sadly 5 seconds later I had forgotten. ...

Peter, I think the way you managed to sort it out was that you made full use of the traction that you did have left: your front's traction. You used that traction by quickly and smoothly using your steering to keep your balance.
(Those comments are just off the top of my head.)

[alans1100]

[/size]When practicing ones riding away from traffic, one person has said that if conditions are ideal, he might grab the brake lever on a standard bike to get the front tyre to squeal, and then immediately release that lever. His list of "ideal conditions" is extensive enough so that he did not list them without someone requesting such a list.

One should always stay in touch with your bike's braking ability regardless of the system in place e.g. ABS as opposed to Non ABS.

Having ABS isn't an issue for me but what if the system fails? They do from time to time though in the 19 years since new mine hasn't but I don't rely on it.

On some longer trips when I have a straight section of road with no other traffic around I will just hit the brakes at our state highway limit of 100/110 k/h (depending on the road status). Coupled with the CBS I get three distinct levels of braking; foot, hand and both together.

I quite often get my brakes tested if I need to ride at night. Coming home from the city a few nights ago I had a kangaroo just off the edge of the road - All you can do is just hit both brakes to slow as quickly as you can and be ready to let go of the brakes to avoid the animal if it decides to cross the road. Lucky that night it kept feeding.

Even had a fox that night in the middle of the road - a double avoid move that was - fox went right I aim left and I brake, fox doubles back and I had a rather quick RH avoid and just missed it. At night I try to keep just left of centreline of the road if there's no on coming traffic - just gives a little more room to move either way.

[mbrST1100]

When practicing ones riding away from traffic, one person has said that if conditions are ideal, he might grab the brake lever on a standard bike to get the front tyre to squeal, and then immediately release that lever.

errr... why waste brake power??!
When in fun-mode (or while having to brake in anger) on a dry road, a mewling front tire (NOT squealing though, cause that's already locking up) is a sure sign of having just the right brake pressure applied.
During MSL we're always practice till we get the silent "wee-wee-wee-wee...", cause that's the sign for the maximum possible (also ABS will work right there) you need to train/program your muscle memory and instincts for.
But we also train to momentary let go (and grab the lever again right away) if the unfortunate "EEEEEEEHHHTT..." appears... uoops, that was a little too ambitious...