Wet Train Tracks and Your Bicycle

The other day I was riding in the rain, and came across one of my least favorite obstacles while commuting:

Wet train tracks running at an angle to the street and my direction.

Even though I cross them often, when they are wet, they still deserve respect. I know quite a few people who have learned the hard way that wet tracks can bring you down with the quickness.

Here are a few of my suggestions on how to handle them.

First and foremost, if you find yourself in a situation with a rough crossing or are nervous about a busy crossing near cars. There is no shame in walking your bike. Play it safe until you build up your bike ninja skills and confidence on your wheels. The fall isn't the worst part. It's landing in a slush puddle in the winter or having the car tailgating you almost run you over.

That being said, here is how to roll over those slippery suckers.

Come at the tracks at as close to a right angle as possible. The masterpiece below shows what I am talking about. The red lines is the path of the bike.

After you have your path picked out. You need to reduce your speed to your comfort level before getting to the tracks. Be aware the area around the train tracks is also quite slippery. And the road way before them will have oil on the ground from when cars are waiting for the trains to go by. Roads with oil are most slippery with just a light bit of rain on top of them. Keep this in mind when choosing your speed and when to start braking to reduce it.

So you have your approach all ready. Now it is time to roll over them bad dogs. You want your weight distributed evenly over your bike. Meaning not all your weight on your seat. Distribute it evenly over your hands, feet, and booty. Stay loose, but maintain a fir, grip on your bars. Not a death grip, but you want to hold your bars to keep them from spinning if the tire hits something at a funny angle.

When you are crossing the tracks and the crossing matting, you can coast if it makes you feel more comfortable as you roll over to the other side.

Done and done. Easy as pie. Piece of cake.

Somethings to keep in mind are:

The rear wheel tracks on a different path then the front wheel, so give yourself space to get both wheels 90 degrees to the tracks. See below. The blue line is the rear tire.Roughly. And I do mean roughly.

If you don't have the room to achieve an angle that makes you feel safe, SLOW DOWN, and pedal over the tracks nice and easy.

Walking over them is better than falling on them.

Wear a helmet and gloves. Keep your head safe at all times. Always wear a helmet. And if you do fall, the first thing people tend to do is put their hands out. If you don't have gloves on, you may end up with a palm full of broken glass and gravel. Ouch.

Check your tires. Keep your pressure maintained and watch for excessive wear. The siping (the tread on road or hybrid tires that is cut into the tire, not knobs that come out of the tire like off-road tires) in the tread of the tire along with the rubber compounds of the tire work to help keep you upright.

GORE Mistral gloves, seriously!

As the days awash in summer’s warmth begin to sink beyond the horizon, I knew it was time to begin my annual quest for the most elusive article of quintessential cold weather cycling gear, a pair of decent gloves. In the beginning I think of all the attributes I desire in such a glove, weather tolerance, warmth, fit, and overall resilience to day-to-day wear. Upon taking those criteria into deep consideration, and after hours of mind wrenching contemplation, sleepless nights, and little soul searching the answer reveals itself. GORE mistral gloves.

I dipped my fingers into a freshly purchased pair, courtesy of Village Cycle Center, and I must confess, it wasn’t but a few seconds and I soon found my whole hand submerged. Normally I don’t rush into such a commitment, but the shoe fit, except the shoe was glove of course. First things I noticed was how comfortable, and stylishly fitting they were, caressing every contour of my supple digits. It was apparent that whoever tailored such a garment was extremely proficient, and no doubt belonged to highest echelon of expertise in their trade. GORE was kind enough to include modest padding along the palmar arch, long elastic cuffs, grippy portions on your brake engaging fingers, as well has reflective elements to enhance visibility. They are not entirely waterproof, but the WINDSTOPPER fabric shred’s moisture quite effectively, and even when damp they provide warmth that only a mother’s embrace could rival, and ever since the global ban on using baby whale skin as fabric was mandated, windstopper is the only textile that even comes close to comparison.

I consider it a transitional glove, appropriate for autumn and spring. Once temperatures fall below freezing, these will not cut it, though I did have some success fitting a thin pair of liners beneath them. Some may consider GORE products to be a little pricey, the mistral’s being around $50 msrp, to them I respond, “You go to Hades, you won’t need any gloves there!” but seriously, when your riding in the cold, your hands and feet, being your outermost extremities, must endure the brunt of the chill, it’s worth the extra cost.

GORE Bike Wear Mistral Glove