Safety tip from Paul Carroll

It’s inevitable, if you ride you will eventually experience a loss of traction on your bike at some point.  Now, the more important thing is what you are going to do about it.

First is not to panic.  You can deal with this skid.  If you are talking about hitting some sand or dirt going into a corner and your back tire starts to slide, then slightly turning your bars in the direction of the skid will help keep the bike upright until your back tire clears the sand and gains traction again.  Those who have ridden dirt bikes know this technique well.

If you lose traction when approaching a stop sign or stop light and it’s on the front wheel, immediately release the front brake lever and reapply.  If it’s a back tire lock up, you should NOT let off of the rear brake pedal and ride the skid out, using your front brake to bring the bike to a stop.  There are times where you can release the rear pedal, but ONLY if the rear and front wheel are in alignment.

Until next week, Ride Safe!