Rider High-Sides in Heavy Rain at the Nordschleife

Whether you like it or not, knowing how to ride in the rain is a must. And that is simply because rain may befall you at almost any time while on a bike trip that's longer than a stroll around the town.

We've met guys who refused to leave the house for a weekend ride because the weather forecast said it might rain. Needless to say, that after several such refusals nobody will ever ask them whether they fancy a ride, save for the same fair-weather chaps.

Honestly, riding in the rain is a lot of fun if you're well-prepared for this. Preparedness means wearing proper riding gear, including waterproof boots and gloves, a rain suit or fully trusting that the clothing you wear is watertight. If one of these fails to protect you from the rain, things can become really nasty in a relatively short time, spoiling all the fun.

Lack of grip is the number one enemy in the wet

However, water leaking through the riding gear is only one of the enemies, and not the biggest one. The worst thing about riding in the wet is that the bike may experience lack of grip and send the rider to the ground in no time.

While warm rubber and dry asphalt are some of the best of friends, water ruins everything. It cools both and significantly reduces the grip, both when leaning and when riding in a straight line. Riders are advised to be gentle with both throttle and brakes. And because not everyone is that skilled in such matters, Traction Control systems have been implemented in the bike world, as well.

Of course, TCS is also a most welcome addition to very skilled riders who want to get the highest performance out of their bikes even in the wet. Still, traction control systems cannot compensate for a reasonable riding manner adapted to the road conditions.