Winter Riding Tips | Practice Braking

This winter riding tip is brought to you by Protecta Insurance. They have your back even in the worst conditions. See Protectainsurance.co.nz for a quote today.

It’s a really good idea to not only practice your emergency braking but practice your low traction braking. When riding in winter you may be faced with patches of ice, or oil on the roads, especially at intersections. Too many people come up to an intersection with both feet hanging,  relying on their front brake. If you hit a bit of oil there,  you'll be down before you know it. Use more of the rear brake for that last 5 meters of a controlled stop. (Think of how you'd brake on wet grass)

Find an empty car park or quiet industrial area where you can practice your braking. Get up to 50 kilometers per hour, then slam on the brakes. If your bike is equipped with ABS, then feel what it's like to lock up the brakes. If you don't have ABS, then be careful, but see how quickly you can come to a stop with both brakes. Practicing now will help your body to know what to do and what to expect should you need to do an emergency stop in a real-world event.

Consider a Ride Forever course in the winter months. There is a lot to learn, and you don't know what you don't know.