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Refreshing low water crossings - Texas style

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I ride across those long, slimy crossings in a very unsexy way (like Margaret Thatcher in a wet bathing suit). I put my feet out like outriggers and drag them on the sides and then proceed to ride very slowly across the bridge....sorta like this:

2011-11_Kriegel_Burkina-Faso-goats-on-motorcycle.jpg


....just sayin'...btw nothing personal against the late Ms. Thatcher. She was quite a stateman.

RB
 
mr-roboto said:
I ride across those long, slimy crossings in a very unsexy way (like Margaret Thatcher in a wet bathing suit). I put my feet out like outriggers and drag them on the sides and then proceed to ride very slowly across the bridge....sorta like this:

2011-11_Kriegel_Burkina-Faso-goats-on-motorcycle.jpg


....just sayin'...btw nothing personal against the late Ms. Thatcher. She was quite a stateman.

RB
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Yep. I've used this method with good results as well. Sans the livestock....
 
Windmill said:
What it really is - a moss and algae crossing, and it is like greased glass. I have no pride or anything to prove, I duck walk these in hill country if its warm. No moss no problem.
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One reason I prefer a shorter bike for adventure rides. Most people lack the strength to support their body weight and the weight of the bike when each end is trying to fall a different direction. Squats and lunges on a regular basis help. Sometimes there is no saving it. I can splay my legs and let the bike go without risking injury. Gotta favor the bum knees or pay $20,000 for the helicopter ride out.

Tourmeister said:
:tab Standing DOES NOT lower the center of gravity of the combined rider/bike system ;-) It raises it. However, what it does is decouple the movement of the body CG and bike CG by allowing them to move somewhat independent of each other. This is a great help on rough terrain. However, on a smooth slick water crossing, sitting vs standing doesn't make much difference. If you watch real close, you'll notice that all the guys that go down are not perfectly straight up and down AND going straight. They are still slightly leaned and trying to complete the corner when they hit the slick stuff. OR, they get on the power while on the slick stuff. Even if the bike is perfectly straight up and down and you are going perfectly straight, grabbing even a little bit of power can make the rear slide right out form under the bike. Even trying to hold a constant throttle is risky because it can make the back end break loose. Trying to change direction AT ALL can make the front tuck or the rear slide out. The trick for this is to be straight up, standing or siting, and coasting across in a straight line. Even then, if there is enough water current, even that can push the wheels out from under you or cause you to need to make a course correction that can put you down. So ideally, you'd want to start on the upstream side of the crossing so that if you do get pushed a little, you'll hopefully be on the far side of the crossing before reaching the down stream side and falling off or trying to correct your direction.
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Scott, once I start being pushed sideways I try to keep the bike pointed a little into the current to counter the slide. It works, but requires constant adjustment.
 
...err on the side of caution when approaching this bad boy near Big Bend this weekend.

2mmd88y.jpg
 
Grew up on these almost to the point of seeing how much we could get away with, what works and what is going over the limit, no expert here but it just seems to me the riders who sit there and think about it too much are the ones who tend to fall, almost as if they pictured falling more in their mind then making it, I say this and then watch me fall on the next crossing, wet moss is the great equalizer.
 
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