what to do when you notice sand on the turn...on your line?

[raulduke]

I ussually think..."OH SH*T" 

Then I try to keep my line and make no inputs at all, cross my fingers and roll through it...assuming I cannot swerve to avoid it.

[Sause]

no great changes of any kind; steering, braking, accelerating.  I think to myself, "just smoothly roll through it" and keep looking through the turn.  yeah avoid it if you can but shtuff happens and sometimes you find yourself in it.

Roads in jersey suck but when I find a good one and I notice sand too late this is my plan. Kinda fun to feel the bike slide a couple inchs but I wouldn't be saying that if it ended badly.

[mbalmer]

hello folks,



anyway...i was on unfamiliar roads yesterday and having a blast.

Even familiar roads throw surprises at you. A familiar road I know was clear one day and had a gravel spill the next. Luckily, I was on my bicycle.

[Crazy Canadian]

This happened to me at DITR last year.  I was in a long string of riders going fast around a hard 180 with a cliff to my right that was maybe 2000' drop or more.  I was approaching the left corner when I saw break light, break light, from the guys in front of me.  Just then I saw that a rain had pushed a lot of gravel onto the asphalt and there was about a 10 yard strip I couldn't avoid.  I lightly hit the breaks like everyone else to try and reduce my speed before hitting it, and I came of line and dropped off the asphalt onto a 2' gravel shoulder with no guard rail and a HUGE drop.  I continued into the corner eating up the 2' shoulder all the way.  The asphalt had about a 3" drop to gravel so I was waiting for it to taper more, then at the last minute, pulled back up onto it.  The rider behind me said when he saw me, all he could think was, "DON'T LOOK AT HIM!  DON'T LOOK AT HIM!!"  I almost went to Ducati Heaven that day.

[CDawg]

I continued into the corner eating up the 2' shoulder all the way.  The asphalt had about a 3" drop to gravel so I was waiting for it to taper more, then at the last minute, pulled back up onto it. 

NICE RECOVERY!  Studly maneuver.  I doubt I would have the presence of mind to not freak out after dropping into the shoulder with a huge drop on the other side.

[Crazy Canadian]

NICE RECOVERY!  Studly maneuver.  I doubt I would have the presence of mind to not freak out after dropping into the shoulder with a huge drop on the other side.

Let's just call it luck.  I thought I was taking a dirt nap.  So did the guy behind me.

[venomousr1993]

We (about 10 of us) were on a ride this weekend in the N Ga Mtns...not as bad as sand, but the little rubber tar snakes they use to fill cracks can be slick as hell too. As we headed up one hill we saw a guy in a speed triple in the gravel just feet from a steep dropoff.  It was a right hand DR turn (decreasing radius) Guy was freaked out, really not sure what happened, but it was clear.  Too much speed, front tire pushed/slid over the slippery rubber coating, guy freaked and stood it up...across the dbl yellow into gravel. 

It can be unnerving, but holding your line and keeping steady throttle, while still looking through the corner has never failed me.

[misti]

I don't know if I agree w/the roll off the throttle part....By doing that, you're putting waaaaay more weight on the front (skinnier) wheel, which you need to turn through the loose debris, which is a higher risk to lowside....

By maintaining a greater amount of weight towards the back of the bike where is needs to be, you are less likely to have a slide-out IMHO.....

-duc996, If you meant "Keep the throttle steady rather than accelerate" then sure, but rollig off would introduce engine braking to the equation (greater risk of rear-skid), unweighting the back wheel (even GREATER risk of rear-skid) and throwing all your body's momentum towards the front wheel.....

-I'm not saying you're wrong, that's just my .02.....A lot of it depends on speed and throttle control (ability to reduce off-on lash) IMO....

+1 on this.  A lot of riders make the mistake of chopping the gas or even rolling OFF when spotting sand in the middle of the turn, and as you mentioned that will put MORE weight on the front tire and INCREASE the risk of you losing the front tire if you roll through the gravel.  You want to continue to roll on the gas to maintain the correct weight transfer to the rear or at least keep it steady.

Another point is, "don't look at the gravel, don't look at the gravel, don't look at the gravel."

Instead, look through the turn at where you want the bike to go.

Cheers

Misti

[tangueroHondo]

No one suggested this yet, and i'm surprised:  Just pull off the road and switch out the road slicks for knobbies, or sand tires.  That's what i do.

[Xiphias]

If you notice it your lucky...I had this happen to me not too long ago. A bunch of sand was on the road at the apex of a corner luckily I noticed it before I got into the corner so it wasn't a problem I eased on the throttle, the back tire moved a bit.

Before everyride I visualize the back tire sliding without me chopping the throttle hopefully this mental drill will pay-out.

Rob