What's your biggest fear?
#41
Honestly, only way I can overcome mine is to practice. Keep braking later and later, creeping closer and closer to my fear.
How it affects my riding? Early braking encourages lazy turning. Which is ok-ish on the street. Shouldn't be out dragging a knee on I95 after all. Problem is you can get accustomed to lazy steering. And when a situation occurs that requires a quick steer, maybe to avoid an obstacle in the road, I may not be prepared to perform one. Never mind the obvious of not braking to my full limits.
How it affects my riding? Early braking encourages lazy turning. Which is ok-ish on the street. Shouldn't be out dragging a knee on I95 after all. Problem is you can get accustomed to lazy steering. And when a situation occurs that requires a quick steer, maybe to avoid an obstacle in the road, I may not be prepared to perform one. Never mind the obvious of not braking to my full limits.
What are some things that you can do, besides pulling the brake lever in smoothly and progressively that will help you get your braking done in the most controlled manner? We are still talking about stopping damn fast, just in a controlled way and not in a sketchy locking up the wheels, skilling, wobbling, panic stop.
Misti
#42
#44
Either needing to stop right away and knowing its going to take more than just engine braking and applying both brakes or gravel/sand on a curve. Ive had to run into ditches (at a low speed) to avoid sliding and messing up my legs/bike. Also people who have never ridden nor give any attention to motorcyclists on the road.
#47
It finally happened...
So I was at a red light and my damn shoelace got caught on the pedal, and I couldn't get my foot down to stabilize myself.. Needless to say I went down with the bike, in front of a ton of traffic. This may not seem like a worthy fear but it shook my confidence.. Now I am actually scared to ride.. 2 years of riding and I never dropped my bike, extremely embarrassing.. =(
#48
My riding shoes used to have long laces and I'd occasionally get the right one caught somewhere on the bike. Fortunately, I always stopped while leaning to the left. After several years of this I trimmed down the laces and they haven't given me any trouble since then.
#49
Really guys!! laces???
buy quality riding shoes/sneakers or boots that protect your ankles and either have something that cover the laces or have none and use velcro or a zipper..
if you take riding your bike serious please make this a priority, i comment like this, having shattered my ankle some twenty years ago in a bike accident and like buying good gloves,jacket,pants i always wear decent boots and i always try to buy my stuff to look casual, i personally dont like looking like i just rode off the track, but to each his own..
anyway if a car t=bones you its going to hurt from the waist down at first and i think people who just wear sneakers and jeans would be quit surprised how well designed some of the street gear that is out there today and not terribly overpriced and out of most peoples reach.. i personally had a accident at the beginning of this season wearing my gear and a was t-boned as i mentioned up above... didnt even see it coming.. anyway after i got up and looked around the only thing that was in peices WAS MY BIKE and not me.. i dusted myself off and had my bike towed too a shop, went home , changed my gloves and jumped on my other bike and went to work..
well good luck, hope i gave you something to think about.. bikes are awesome, its everything else around you that you have to worry about and if you wear the right gear thats have the battle right there..
jay..
buy quality riding shoes/sneakers or boots that protect your ankles and either have something that cover the laces or have none and use velcro or a zipper..
if you take riding your bike serious please make this a priority, i comment like this, having shattered my ankle some twenty years ago in a bike accident and like buying good gloves,jacket,pants i always wear decent boots and i always try to buy my stuff to look casual, i personally dont like looking like i just rode off the track, but to each his own..
anyway if a car t=bones you its going to hurt from the waist down at first and i think people who just wear sneakers and jeans would be quit surprised how well designed some of the street gear that is out there today and not terribly overpriced and out of most peoples reach.. i personally had a accident at the beginning of this season wearing my gear and a was t-boned as i mentioned up above... didnt even see it coming.. anyway after i got up and looked around the only thing that was in peices WAS MY BIKE and not me.. i dusted myself off and had my bike towed too a shop, went home , changed my gloves and jumped on my other bike and went to work..
well good luck, hope i gave you something to think about.. bikes are awesome, its everything else around you that you have to worry about and if you wear the right gear thats have the battle right there..
jay..