Modern Vespa

Probably the stupidest question I have ever asked??


Has anyone ever come off their ride from going over leaves. I know seasons have several impacts. Ice, water etc etc but as I was riding to work today I slowed down over the autumn fallers.

Just out of interest or has anyone experince with this??

Definitely. I came off on wet leaves practising figures of 8 before my IAM test

Stay upright, in a straight line and at a constant speed - no accelerating/braking - and you'll be OK, same as most slippery surfaces.

Thanks for the advice x

+1

I've come off skidding through leaves. Luckily I wasn't going very fast, and only on a bicycle that day. Still really sucked.

Those leaves are often damp and slimy / slippery underneath. Beware.

Leaves are starting to fall - don't fall with them

cheers buddy. didnt spot the last thread x

What everyone else said, plus sometimes you can't tell what else is with the leaves, covered up from view (especially) approaching at speed. Stick (no problem) or limb (big problem)? Ice? Big pothole, full of leaves? Be cautious.

No stupid questions when it comes to this kind of stuff.

I haven't come off the scoot, but I have slid. Wet leaves are a menace. Lots of large maples out where I live and they're all over the side streets. My hope was that Sandy would haul them away, she didn't.

+1!

There have been a few turns where I came around a corner and nearly ate it from leaves. they are sneaky, and some people rake them all from the yard into the street. One more reason to view intersections with trepidation.

Slippery when wet and not at all that secure when dry...R

Questions about safety are rarely stupid. "It is only a stupid question if you have to ask it twice" as they say...

Oklahoma has a scenic highway in the eastern part of the state. Mountains (well, for Oklahoma), curvy roads, hills and lots of trees (again, for Oklahoma). It looks like the setting for a car commercial out there.
It is a very popular destination in the fall when the leaves change colors. However, those same awesome looking leaves gather in large concentrations on the pavement, just waiting to gang-attack unsuspecting PTW riders. Since these roads are mostly shaded during much of the day, all the leaves under the top most layer are wet and slimy.
Quite a few riders go down every year in this area, some rather badly injured. People are sort of "unofficially" encouraged to avoid riding the scenic byway during this time of year.

We don't have them here but fruit on the road is a bitch (mangoes especially) Sand is another thing that you don't want to hit in a corner at speed. Damn tourists shake their stuff out on the road. I used to love sliding thru wet leaves on my bicycle when i was a kid. We lived on a dirt road so it wasn't as much fun as it would of been if paved. Just be careful. Now the leaves might have ice under them in the early morning or evening so be really careful.

My son did, in a combination of wet leaves and having to hit the brakes hard when the car in front of him stopped short. In his case he also hit a hidden pot hole but fortunately there was no serious damage to him (a bruise) or the scoot (Buddy, didn't even end up with new scratches, the leaves provided excellent paint protection on the small slide.)

And let's not forget areas of the road or intersections that have had cars drive over and crushed acorns. The acorns have oil in them, though not a lot.

I haven't gone down but definitely experienced some rear wheel drift while riding through leaves. Fall is my least favorite riding season largely because of dead leaves and long dry roads getting wet and oily.

Definitely. I ride all year long, and last year a storm blew a bunch into an unexpected spot around a curve. I did a very slow high-side and ended up with a few scrapes on both myself and the Beo but counted myself very lucky. I have to change routes during fall as there is not enough car traffic to keep the road clear on usual route.

The number of acorns I encountered while walking the dog today made it a very crunchy walk. I did manage a pocket full of pecans that I beat the squirrels to.

wet leaves hiding a person inspection hole cover [is that the correct pc term] are a bastard .... the arse slips away n summat slips outta ya arse ....
had it once n i breathed in me lid so hard i couldnt see where i was going ............. not nice at all

Hmm, I've heard "utilities access hatch" as the PC term.

CD but Bitsa's is a much better description. However i'm sure the person whose job it is wouldn't agree.

i did think 'person inspection hole' sounded like something else but let it go as nobody else has a rude mind

Rude mind.... ME....

Taking it a bit easy worked until last night. The leaves here now have ice layers. Mega danger.

Icey Leaves not fun, I am frought with imagination. R