gear overlap and abs -ness in the rain

Ok, so really wanted to go riding today, but as you all may have noticed it
was really raining like a mf...
So I got my neopreme fishing waders out and a waterproof slicker to put on
over my riding jacket and off I went to do 90 miles of rain drenched
riding...
it was actually pretty fun, and I almost stayed warm and dry behind the
beemers windshield.
I found that the abs brakes can be sort of unnerving though, especially when
they decide you don't really need brake pressure for 10 to 15 feet.
Dang, sure glad I wasn't creeeping up on any cars when they deployed. I can
just picture the conversation...
"dude, I didn't mean to crash into you, but my safety equipment is designed
to do just that."

 

I was out on the Fairfax-Bolinas Road, so the nearest car was about 12 miles
away. I must admit to doing a somewhat intentional deployment of the abs as
I cleared the last hundred or two feet of wet pineneedles when the road
clears out near Alpine Lake.
So previous to the slight speed up, I was hauling down the debris covered
switch backs at a blistering 2 mph, mostly because it looked like good
practice. But being enormously curious about technology, I had to see if I
could get the abs to deploy, so once I got to the "straight" alongside the
lake, I mashed down both brakes to see what they could do from 30 mph on a
bed of pine needles and twigs.
Strange feeling, as once they were actuated, it felt as though they just
wouldn't apply any pressure in the lines. I eased off the binders after it
was apparent they were more in control than I was...
Weird.
As for riding in traffic in the rain, I practice my normal "stay as far away
from everything" including anything ahead, as well as keeping an eye out
for tailgaters, who seem to think of rainu days as an excuse to get a little
closer than they usually do...

 

Yeah. In my Subaru, on ice, it was just as if there was air in the
brake lines. A very mushy feel, and not a lot of stopping power.

It's because they can't see you as clearly. Add some fog and they'll
get really close.

Al Moore
DoD 734

 

I'm not sure if BMW's new linked brakes are any better. When they
activate, it seems that both circuits cycle so you're completely without
brakes for a moment.

It's unnerving, and I don't think I'll even get used to it. In the wet,
they seems to activate a little too easily with slight lever pressure. I
suppose the tires actually are sliding when it trips, but still...

-B

 

Often that's becuase with brakes you DO have no stopping power on ice.
I watched oregonians on the news sliding down hills. Having learned to
drive in the North East and done lots of driving a VM on icy hills,
there are times you don't want the brakes - rolling wheels will at least
let you steer and gearing down can slow you (eventually).

ABS on a near frictionless platform might be working the same way.

My ABS bother came driving a toyota SUV and hitting the brakes on
nasty bumps with railroad tracks. The bouncing must have let the wheels
get air? and stop - if for a moment - which triggered the ABS. So I
rolled through a stretch of bad road rather than skid to a stop.
Very disturbing.

Yeah, keeping aware of "escape routes" it good in those conditions. I've
tucked up between cars when traffic stopped suddenly. I'm not 100% sure
that a car behind me will
1) see me stopping
2) is paying attention at all
3) is able to stop from 4' behind me.

I've also been known to drop to slow speeds to "push" them back a little
and buy some space in front of me.