Don't Fall For Wet Leaves in The Fall

I was enjoying an autumnal ride Sunday morning and had an encounter with wet leaves at an intersection. You know, one of those sliding encounters that makes your heart pound for a couple of minutes? It was a bright, sunny day and I wasn't paying attention to the details. No harm done, just a little slide into an intersection that was empty. (Thank you Lord).
So, fellow riders - peel yer eyeballs for wet leaves, especially in spots where you want to stop.

For all you desert riders - send me an e-mail ad I will explain about the four seasons and how leaves fall off trees and like that!

Cliffy is right, with the changing seasons come new hazards. Glad to hear that your experience was just a reminder instead of a painful and expensive lesson.

Here in New England it is the wet leaves, leaf peepers and soon, the dreaded return to winter hours that mark the change in season. The first week or two after day light savings time are the worst, especially the evening commute as folks are not used to driving home in the dark.

One must also factor in hunting season and increased activity from wildlife as another seasonal hazard.

Bottom line... Keep you wits up and have a great ride. I love fall foliage rides and hope for one or even two more weekends of riding and camping.

Other traction hazards

This one is not seasonal but has bitten my a$$ pretty hard. Be alert of worn pavement. The lowside that destroyed a lot of fibreglass on my K-RT was caused by pavement that was bone-dry and clean but worn very slick (anybody here from Dallas will know what I mean). It was a corner I took every morning at a presumably safe speed, but one morning I hit just the right spot and before I knew it I was spinning on my back, watching the bike spinning on its side beyond my feet.
The apartment area I live in has streets that are so badly worn that if they are damp from the sprinklers (and I said damp, not wet) I can make my cage's ABS come on even doing pretty laid-back stops, and I've slipped when crossing the damp streets while wearing athletic shoes.
So when you ride, watch for pavement that seems a little "shiny." Especially in Dallas! Expect slick-worn pavement anyplace where road maintenance seems to be lacking.

Another hazard here is Ohio is gravel. Right after a rain, it washes out of driveways into the road. the worst is the "black gravel" that comes loose from patches on the road. (see my todays ride pics) The half patches they put on the roads seem to lose gravel on the edges, it is colored black from the tar, and you can't see the stuff usually until it is too late. Busy roads usually have it knocked off by trucks and cages, but the best roads for riding in the country that are devoid of traffic have lots of this particular hazard. It is also the time of year when the huge combines are on the road going to the fields. Nothing tightens up ones spincter more than a "rolling machine of death" that is just on the other side of a blind curve, with nowhere to go but the ditch.