Bike skidding is a loss of control that happens when your bike's tires lose their grip on the riding surface. Specifically, skidding occurs when your bike's tyres lose traction on the road surface, and the effect of braking is significantly reduced.
Understanding Bike Skidding
Skidding occurs when the force applied to the wheels (often through braking or sudden acceleration, although braking is the primary cause described in the context of losing control) exceeds the maximum grip, or traction, that the tires have on the surface beneath them.
Imagine your tire has tiny hooks gripping the road. When you brake hard, these hooks are working to slow the wheel down. If you brake too hard for the conditions (like a wet road, loose gravel, or even just applying too much front or rear brake suddenly), the hooks lose their hold, and the wheel stops rotating or rotates much slower than the bike is moving forward. The tire slides across the surface, rather than rolling.
How Skidding Affects Braking
As the provided reference highlights, a major consequence of skidding is that the effect of braking is significantly reduced. When a tire is skidding, it is sliding rather than rolling. A rolling tire allows for much greater braking force than a sliding one. This means that while it might feel like you are braking hard, a skidding tire isn't slowing the bike down effectively. This loss of effective braking power is what makes skids dangerous and can lead to a loss of control or an inability to stop in time.
Preventing Skids
While the reference notes that it's ideally much better to avoid skidding in the first place, understanding its cause helps in prevention. Preventing skids is mainly about managing traction and braking technique:
- Brake Gradually: Avoid sudden, forceful braking, especially on surfaces with reduced grip. Apply brakes smoothly and progressively.
- Use Both Brakes: Learn to use both your front and rear brakes effectively. The front brake provides most of the stopping power, but applying too much can lead to an 'endo' (going over the handlebars) or a front-wheel skid which is hard to recover from. The rear brake is easier to skid, but a rear skid is sometimes more controllable. Using both together balances the braking force across both wheels, maximising overall traction.
- Be Aware of Surface Conditions: Wet roads, gravel, sand, leaves, ice, and painted lines all reduce tire traction. Adjust your speed and braking technique accordingly.
- Check Tire Pressure: Properly inflated tires maintain better contact and traction with the road surface.
- Smooth Riding: Avoid sudden changes in direction or speed, especially while braking or cornering on slippery surfaces.
Skidding is a clear sign that you have exceeded the limits of your bike's traction. Recognizing what it is and how it impacts your ability to stop is crucial for safer cycling.
