Surrey Lanes & Minor Off

Last Thursday morning was very cold in South East England and, following the 'extreme weather' we enjoyed over the winter, the roads are in an appalling state.

At 08:15 on said morning, a cold tyre met some frost/ice/moss/diesel and in the blink of an eye, both rider and stead are sliding down the road, wheels and feet spinning worthlessly in the air.

I got away with a broken finger and a bruised calf but the bike's scraped up to the tune of £2,000 in panels, bent bits of metal and labour. Bang goes the No Claims Discount!

This was all at low speed on a corner where Merstham Road becomes Pendell Road, outside of Hawthornes School, that I've been round countless times before. At the time it was also very wet after heavy rains the night before and frosty.

The moral of this tale? Simply don't take it for granted. Ride cautiously and be as alert on roads you know as those you're experiencing for the first time. I did nothing wrong, but it didn't matter ... I still got bit!

Sorry to hear of your mishap. Happy to hear you escaped with minor injuries.

Sorry about your Stead and the pain in the wallet. You have two calfs and eight fingers but only one life. Thank the man up stairs you still have that.

justputzn wrote:

Thank the man up stairs you still have that.

Oh yeah, I do, really!

As a friend of mine said, any off you walk away from is a result. It could have been so much worse. I didn't post for the sympathy vote, only to pull people up a bit as the weather improves, in the Northern Hemisphere at least.

I don't put my bike away for the winter but many do, and we're out of practice as a result. A lapse of concentration and you're staring at the sky, or polystrene ceiling tiles and taupe walls with a background smell of antiseptic!

Really sorry, Alan.

Even intense concentration can't always account for black ice or diesel unless the light's shining on it in the right direction.
Glad you're not badly injured and I hope the bike's repaired quickly.

Alan
Thank you for sharing your story and the good advice. We all know that we need to keep our attention focused on our riding and hearing your experience will be a safety "heads up" reminder for us. As painful and costly as it was, I'm glad that the result of your spill wasn't any worse. Be safe.
Dave

Alan, I'm glad to hear your OK.

Did almost the same thing when the clutch let go on a tight, slow, turn in a parking lot. People had to pick the scooter off my right leg. Yes, I was pined down and it almost broke my leg.

Alan,

Sorry to hear of your accident but am glad you are OK. Slippery roads can really be tough to ride on. Hope your SWing can be either fixed or repaired. Good luck.

JeffR:
How do you like the Metzler tires so far? Any change in your feelings about them?

JeffR wrote:

Hope your SWing can be either fixed or repaired.

Thanks for the kind words from everyone. The stead will be fixed next week; the insurance is picking up (most of) the tab!

Alan
That is very good news!

AlanRogers wrote:

Last Thursday morning was very cold in South East England and, following the 'extreme weather' we enjoyed over the winter, the roads are in an appalling state.

At 08:15 on said morning, a cold tyre met some frost/ice/moss/diesel and in the blink of an eye, both rider and stead are sliding down the road, wheels and feet spinning worthlessly in the air.

I am glad you were ok.

Did you get a chance to closely checkout the specific road condition??

If frost/ice then temperature would resolve.

If moss then that would help to know for when conditions are wet or even slightly damp the next time. I have one of these near my house in an underwater bridge where the majority of the water is designed to flow over the bridge .. if water is low a small amount will flow under the bridge. I avoid that bridge when the water is going over because of the wet moss/slime can make the crossing dangerous. I still have to be careful with no water over the bridge and damp conditions.

If diesel then is then is there a way to notify the authorities to protect other riders??

AlanRogers wrote:

I got away with a broken finger and a
bruised calf but the bike's scraped up to the tune of £2,000 in panels,
bent bits of metal and labour.

Will the broken finger prevent you from riding the SWing ... after it is repaired??

honda_silver wrote:

Did you get a chance to closely checkout the specific road condition? If frost/ice then temperature would resolve.

I went back later the same day and there was no sign of where I'd skidded, only where I'd slid down the road. I can only think therefore that it was black ice, which is hard to prove.

honda_silver wrote:

Will the broken finger prevent you from riding the SWing ... after it is repaired?

Most definitely not! I got back on and rode it to my appointment immediately after but I didn't know I'd broken the finger then. I've still ridden it since, careful not to use that finger, to get the repair estimate.