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On the roads, sometimes there'll be two long bands of black dividing the lane into three sections (the two sides and the middle).

Now, obviously these long bands are where the tires of other cars went. But I'm curious as to where you would drive on such a road while on a bike?

Would you ride on the bands? They look fairly slick.

Would you ride in between the bands? Aren't you not supposed to do this because of car oils that make that portion of the road slick?

You obviously dont' ride in the left portion (not near large enough) but do you ride on the right portion, near the shoulder?



I wish I had a picture, as I don't think I described this well enough, but hopefully someone will understand.

i know what ya mean. I have no problem riding on the tire marks. I try to see how long i can stay within their lines and how straight i can keep the bike and for how long. I cant tell if they are slicker than the tarmac, if they are then not by much



JWF

I ride in the tracks, it's usually the part that's actually clear of rubbish. I put myself in the track that is closest to traffic going the same direction, so I am easier to spot.

Those "tracks" are usually also small ruts, caused by heavy weight vehicles/trucks. Using my bike as a commuter vehicle, I often ride in the rain and those ruts are pools or rivers that cause all sorts of trouble. I ride where the conditions prove to be the safest given the conditions of the road, day to day. (You'll note that my avatar of my bike is sitting out in the pouring rain... )

FWIW It's been said that the correct lane position for your MC is the "left wheel track". It's not etched in stone that you should keep your bike there...but this is what I've read.

Cheerz

dr_bar wrote:Those "tracks" are usually also small ruts, caused by heavy weight vehicles/trucks. Using my bike as a commuter vehicle, I often ride in the rain and those ruts are pools or rivers that cause all sorts of trouble. I ride where the conditions prove to be the safest given the conditions of the road, day to day. (You'll note that my avatar of my bike is sitting out in the pouring rain... )

how do you protect your bike from corrosion w/ that rain/water?

Ride where the vehicle's tires go. Particularly in wet weather, the tires of other vehicles push oil and other debris into those bands (there are 3 bands, one on each side of the lane and one in the center of the lane). They can get pretty slick, and in early rainfall they will have the most oil on the surface.

It is best to vary your vehicle's position in the lane based on the traffic conditions. The left one is typical as other drivers in front of you are more likely to see you out of their rear mirror. I typically position myself on the far side away from heavy or fast-moving traffic to allow myself more reaction time, but I do not stay in the same lane position for too long...moving about frequently helps you be seen.

Bikes, like any other motor vehicle, are designed to withstand typical rain riding. Things like salt on icy roads will promote rust and corrosion.

This is the kind of stuff they teach in the MSF.

Also as a side note - the big problem in-between the tire spots is near the stopping zones. At a stop light, at a stop sign, at a driveway entering a road, etc... Riding down the road the, oil issue is not that big of a deal. If stuff is in the road though, it would be more likely in that middle spot, as tires from previous cars should have moved the desbris.

I tent to stay to the right a bit in the right tire spot, but I also try to move right and left from time to time so I can be seen. If you stay in one spot you can start to blend in to other things, but if you move around a bit you won't blend in to cars you are following.

At the light I would never be in the center of the two tires, as there is visibally oil there sometimes. You'd be surprised how easy that front tire will lock and the bike will go down.

Really, it depends which lane you're in. Ideally you're close to traffic, so that you can be seen easier, and it gives you some room to move around if someone tries to change lanes into you. I cannot count the number of times I've had someone start to drift into me from the right while I'm passing (2 lanes same direction, so I move into the left track lay on the horn, and accelerate past.

So if you're in th left lane, you should be in the left side. If you're in the right lane, you should be on the right side.

If it's two opposing lanes you want to be close to oncoming traffic. So in the left side of the lane. This makes it easier to see you before someone pulls out to pass the car behind you.

And then there's the whole staggered formation for groups rides.


Oh, and these rules only apply if you drive on the right side of the road. Things get flipped around otherwise.

VermilionX wrote:how do you protect your bike from corrosion w/ that rain/water?

As Mr. Miyagi says, "Wax on, wax off."