It’s getting to that time in the year where everybody in the UK starts becoming depressed as the warm summer nights are slowly becoming a long distant memory. To add further misery, the cold winter nights are slowly drawing upon us.
With every season change, comes new challenging conditions motorcyclists have to deal with. The weather is notoriously known for mocking us with random blasts of heat in autumn, but the reality is that trees are losing their leaves, temperatures are on a fast decline and the amount of actual daylight hours is decreasing at an alarmingly high rate.
We don’t want motorcyclist to be put off by the weather, which is why the petrol heads at Oakwood Solicitors have put together a few tips to make your journeys safer and help you squeeze out a few more rides for the remainder of the year.
Look out for those wet leaves
When people talk about why they love autumn, one of the highpoints of the season is when the leaves start falling off the trees; the multi-coloured leaves scattered across the floor look aesthetically beautiful, and they do, but they are hazardous to riders once they start to fall to the ground. Wet or damp leaves are very slippery, and are an additional danger when cornering, manoeuvring or braking.
Dry leaves can pile up on the road and cover potholes or any other inconsistencies. If you travel over a pile of leaves, make sure you ride more carefully to decrease the chances of slipping.
Wear Leather
Simple one this tip, but one of the more enjoyable aspects of riding in the autumn is enjoying the cool, crisp air; leather will protect you from the wind and will keep you nice and snug while riding; even more so that many textile jackets and pants.
This is important as a warm body means a warm (more alert) brain.
Frosty and Icy Surfaces
Cold autumn nights lead to one dreaded thing – morning frost. You need to keep a vigilant eye out when scanning the early morning roads, making sure there are no icy roads in your path. It’s important to be knowledgeable of your local surroundings; picking the safest route for yourself.
On the flipside, even though the conditions may be more treacherous. Autumn can be the most captivating time for riding. The colours are vibrant, the roads are less busy, and the air is fresh – just be careful.
Cold autumn nights
It goes without saying, you cannot predict the type of weather at this time of year; it can range from chilly in the morning, warm in the afternoon to below freezing at night. It’s why we would advise you to take an extra layer of clothes with you. Once the sun goes down, the temperature can drop rapidly and you don’t want to run into some unexpected mechanical problems while under dressed; no one wants that!
It’s important to make sure you are fully kitted out to deal with the treacherous conditions autumn can throw at you, good warm gloves to protect against the cold and shades for that low autumn sun are a must.
After taking our advice, you should be just fine to attack the roads.
Thanks for reading and be careful out there.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
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