That time of year....greasy roads

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Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2004
Posts
10,886
Location
Kent
I was just coming around this roundabout tonight, when a biker came off almost right in front of me....the van just between us nearly hit him, and my ABS activated almost immediately braking from a fairly sedate speed.

There didn't look to be anything on the road, and it's been dry for a while, but the roads are still very slippery in places - deceptively so, seeing how dry they appear to the eye. Be careful eveyone, especially those on two wheels :(

(The biker was fine by the way, more annoyed than hurt :))
 
most likely diesel, although I am finding the a slight lack of grip. Didn't have any problems on the bike yesterday though.

Tend to find early morning/late evening the dew sits on everything and causes it to be slippy
 
I'm commuting on a new route to work at the moment (new job) and its all national speed limit minor roads.

One day the roads can be fine, the next there's lengths of road covered in mud, or moisture from frost.

I hit a greasy patch on a sharp 20mph corner the other week and had the car sliding sideways, glanced the curb and straightened it out. Few days later I was two cars behind a Polo and they ended up losing the back end and going into the other side of the road, then over correcting it in their side and into a hedge.
 
Yep finding the roads very slippery at the moment..had a few hairy moments pulling out of junctions the last few days where even the traction control hasn't been able to prevent the rear wheels from spinning up, and that's only with light throttle.
 
scratch said:
Yep finding the roads very slippery at the moment..had a few hairy moments pulling out of junctions the last few days where even the traction control hasn't been able to prevent the rear wheels from spinning up, and that's only with light throttle.
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Traction control doesn't prevent wheels spinning, it reacts when they do.
 
acemastr said:
most likely diesel, although I am finding the a slight lack of grip. Didn't have any problems on the bike yesterday though.

Tend to find early morning/late evening the dew sits on everything and causes it to be slippy
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I would have thought it would have been fairly easy to spot diesel as a slick, yet there was no sign. And the roads in general felt quite slippery underfoot(tyre).

Still, watching a guy rolling across the road in front of you tends to be quite a realisation, I drove very gingerly for the rest of my commute :)
 
[TW]Fox;25459752 said:
Traction control doesn't prevent wheels spinning, it reacts when they do.
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If we're being pedantic then I think you'll find it's sole job is to prevent wheels spinning.

What I'm talking about is the amount of time it takes to catch and stop the spin, which I'm finding takes a lot longer than any car I've owned previously; that's probably because this is the most powerful car I've owned, but I still expected it to react quicker than it does.
 
I guess that's where ABS really does it's job, i used to really dislike it, bit its those low speed knee jeark (pun intended) reactions where you put the brake pedal through the floor it saves you from sliding those extr few feet.

Sctratch: traction control can't predict the future, it needs to detect some slip before it engages. But as you hint, there are variables , how good the system is, as in how fast it can decide to step in, how ferociously the wheels are slipping and how good the tyres and suspension are.
 
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Exactly - until the slip is detected the TC won't have anything to do. Slip has to be present to detect it so the wheels must be spinning...

On topic, I've had some interesting (but extremely minor) slides in fairly innocuous places where the conditions wouldn't have indicated I'd get such slip. I've adjusted my driving accordingly as I don't fancy having a massive accident :p Quattro is of limited use when you've run out of grip mid-corner...
 
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DRZ said:
Exactly - until the slip is detected the TC won't have anything to do. Slip has to be present to detect it so the wheels must be spinning...

On topic, I've had some interesting (but extremely minor) slides in fairly innocuous places where the conditions wouldn't have indicated I'd get such slip. I've adjusted my driving accordingly as I don't fancy having a massive accident :p Quattro is of limited use when you've run out of grip mid-corner...
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Yup, it's kinda amusing when some people talk about 4x4, it helps you start moving, and it helps on corners to some extent, but it won't help you stop.. I get funny looks when i say that.
 
mattyfez said:
Yup, it's kinda amusing when some people talk about 4x4, it helps you start moving, and it helps on corners to some extent, but it won't help you stop.. I get funny looks when i say that.
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Why not? In the instances you use engine braking then this would work through 4 wheels as opposed to 2?

Granted it wont stop you better when using just the brakes but to imply it would never help is wrong
 
It won't help you stop because you already have brakes on all four wheels and an ABS system to manage the braking as needed.
 
My colleague fell off his bike at the weekend also at a round about, bike is a bit scratched... he's broken his thumb so nothing serious.
Best be careful!
 
The roads made me put my old super sports back on the 911 as the Corsas are absolutely terrible now it's got colder, they simply won't switch on and the car feels very twitchy on them, zero confidence.

The Michelins are in another class so confident inspiring in such conditions and far better at communicating grip levels in such conditions, really are the best tyre I've ever used full stop!
 
The conditions have shown up the limitations of the Primacy's on the GT86 as well...it's all very well fitting a mid range tyre to make things a bit more 'exciting' but I think I'd much prefer a UHP tyre in these conditions. They were fine when the weather was a bit warmer, but I'm now missing the CSC3s I had on the MX5 now the weather is so cold.
 
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