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Post by dollartwentyfive on Dec 23, 2015 11:54:15 GMT -5
When riding one has to be aware that there will be unknown unknowns on the road ahead and while some may be very pleasant we do have to be prepared to deal with the extremely unpleasant ones too by riding in a safe and reasonable manner. i found this out the hard way one day. i was tearing up some local back roads i never been on before. these were straight roads with no twisties, the perfect kind for lighting up the wind. then i topped the next hill. instead of clean hard asphalt, i was met with wall to wall gravel and pot holes. man, you talk about your heart jumping into your throat! i don't think god himself could have scared me that bad. luckily i got through it, but it will be something i will always remember. |
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Post by urbanmadness on Dec 24, 2015 17:56:13 GMT -5
in indiana, the skill videos i've seen do not recommend riding 2 abreast, but instead riding in a staggered formation. this is essentially single file except every other bike rides on the left and right sides of the lane. It's the same here. One second following distance in a staggered formation is what they recommend here. You still have your two second following distance between you and the bike you are directly behind. I don't know if it's even legal here to ride 2 abreast. I know it's ok if you pull up next to a motor cycle in the lane at a stop (another thing I don't do unless I'm riding with people I know) |
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Post by rockynv on Dec 27, 2015 4:45:35 GMT -5
Here is a Blast from the Past - "Not So Easy" narrated by Peter Fonda and featuring his special guest Evil Knievel:
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Post by dollartwentyfive on Jan 30, 2016 1:08:28 GMT -5
another area of safety that gets overlooked is wind.
i'm not talking about a light breeze.
imagine yourself traveling north with a fairly decent wind from the south.
if you should make a curve to the right or left, a gust of wind would be all that is needed to push you right into oncoming traffic.
the next question of course is, how much wind are we talking about here?
i have no answers for that except to say it's probably a lot more than a light breeze.
a good way to get a grip on this would be to ride behind a semi on a bike.
this in itself raises safety issues, but the idea is to get a feel for what is being said about wind.
even a car will be buffeted by the backwash from a semi..
there is another danger from semis, disintegrating tires.
not road trash, but the flying kind.
be careful people, and enjoy the ride.
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Post by onewheeldrive on Jan 30, 2016 2:05:02 GMT -5
The really gusty days are annoying. Those 40-45+mph wind gusts stop just as fast as they start.
The wind comes from the right so you lean right, then it stops so your're back to square one (and hopefully not off the side of the road) again only to get another 40 mph wind gust 5 seconds later. It's days like that where I use extra caution as to who or what is coming up behind me and passing me---especially since some people pass way too close for comfort.
Thankfully there aren't too many extremely gusty days per year by me.
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Post by rockynv on Jan 30, 2016 14:28:53 GMT -5
The really gusty days are annoying. Those 40-45+mph wind gusts stop just as fast as they start. The wind comes from the right so you lean right, then it stops so your're back to square one (and hopefully not off the side of the road) again only to get another 40 mph wind gust 5 seconds later. It's days like that where I use extra caution as to who or what is coming up behind me and passing me---especially since some people pass way too close for comfort. Thankfully there aren't too many extremely gusty days per year by me. Most of those are predictable events if you pay attention to things. If the wind is blowing across the road and you are passed by a large vehicle then you will have the wind subside for a moment and come back. If you are having a constant side wind and are about to pass under a bridge, noise abatement wall. large building or stand of trees then the wind will stop and hit you again once you pass the obstruction. Grass in fields and the way tree tops are blowing will also tell you a good story. Pay attention also to high profile vehicles in front of you and if you see every one lean to the right or left when they pass the same spot in the road ahead of you then you already know there is a wind gust coming along with its severity and direction. Try not to be too stiff. Many when they over react to feeling a gust of wind tense up putting weight on the hand grip opposite the wind gust to push it forward however they end up putting more weight on that side and cause the bike to swerve in the same direction that the wind is blowing. With a little observation and practice compensating to wind shifts with loose hips most windy days will be non-events. Ride safe! |
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