Horseshit ride...

[gregrnel]

So last night I took the Duc out as a reward for mowing the lawn, (history) this is my first bike in 3 years, been riding on and off since '95, mostly on, 100% on my MSF course back in the day . I had a very unenjoyable ride. It seemed like everyone was out to get me.....about 5 close calls in a half an hour, then I made an idiot move on the way home probably because I was feeling frazzled.  I did make it home safely.  So today, a beautiful day to ride to work and I took the car because I'm still feeling off keel. Anyone else had a ride like this recently? It's been a long time and it sure puts the fear into you.

[the_Journeyman]

Some days are just off.  From the title, i thought you might have discovered ho slick fresh horse shit is when you hit it on a motorcycle ~

JM

[gregrnel]

You're probably better off hitting a patch of ice than a patch of fresh horseshit.......

Some days are just off.  From the title, i thought you might have discovered ho slick fresh horse shit is when you hit it on a motorcycle ~

JM

[the_Journeyman]

Yes, that is true, I live in a rural area of the NC mountains, so it didn't take long to have a "shitty experience"

JM

[redxblack]

I was going to ride to work today but felt off kilter. I went for the cage. I saw a gixxer commuting (full gear, riding the pace, not being stupid) and he nearly got taken out by someone cutting across lanes to catch an exit ramp they had almost already passed. I would be willing to wager a cell phone was involved.

[EvilSteve]

It seems like there are more people driving with cell phones these days than not.

I don't usually ride in traffic anymore (lucky to have the option!) but my bad days are usually when there's always that last, extra-slow car that turns onto my favorite roads *just* before me. When it happens on 3 or 4 roads in a row it gets to be a little irritating.

As far as being cut off all the time, there's a lot you (as the rider) can do to reduce the instances, if it happens all the time, have a look at how you're riding in traffic. Read "Proficient Motorcycling" by David L Hough (and More Proficient Motorcycling if you're feeling frisky).

[Major Slow]

Yesterday i saw 2 people taking notes in their cars while driving. Seeing a tablet on the steering wheel and a pen in the hand driving in heavy traffic is slightly unnerving.

I just try to remove myself from their immediate vicinity post haste.

[RBX QB]

First day out of winter storage, 20 seconds into my ride, I had a "I-think-I-forgot-how-to-ride" moment in traffic. Got the blood going, but reminded me of what I needed to focus on.

As for the "close-calls"... another reminder of what we all need to keep an eye out for, as best we can.

I think it's probably good that you took a step back today.

[gregrnel]

Yup, good step back day.
One thing that I know has saved me a couple of times on the Duc, is using the brights trigger before going through an intersection or when it looks like someone is going to pull out on you, love that thing. It really should be standard safety equipment on every bike.

[WhiteStripe]

It seems like there are more people driving with cell phones these days than not.

I have been commuting on a bike for a very short time, about a month.  Last week was the first bumper to bumper traffic day.  A whole new perspective on cell phones after that ride - i think stopped traffic is worse then moving traffic.  I had two different people come up from behind me and around me to scoot in front while i was moving forward.  All three on the phone - looking to pick up 'one spot'.

I am a new street rider, and trying to be cautious, safe etc....but it was SOOOOO hard to keep my cool.

[He Man]

ill say this, and probably get 3 PMs tellimg me to shut up, but i really dont care.

there really are people out to get you. Not you specifically, but some people just do not care who they hurt while driving, and they do it on purpose. Every day I hop on my bike to ride to school, you have to be sharp and aware of everyone around at ALL TIMES. Last night some dude decide it would be very important for him to drive 20mph on the highway along side an off ramp for the brooklyn bridge, i high beam him and honk my horn at him, he stays on the main lane, when i cut into the lane for the bridge, after a mile of space for him to enter that lane he decides to go in to cut me off for no reason. Then theres the usual "i need to show a biker that i can drive" that decides its a smart idea to gun it from behind me and enter the enxt lane where his mirror is a foot from my arm.

then theres the taxi drivers....one time a taxi driver got in front of and slammed on the brakes then when i almost hit the guy, he guns it. when i stoped, i punched his window and then he sped of. Actually to make this not seem like i was just a gangbanger he did this to me three times, once before the bridge, once on the bridge and again after the bridge.

However, i live in NYC so its a bit more excesive here, either way moral of the story is, there are people out there willing to hurt you and not care, and they WILL speed off especially if you live in an area where people are likely to not have insurance.

[corey]

when i ride, ESPECIALLY in town, everyone and everything is my mortal enemy. at least that's the mentality i ride with.
i ride like im playing halo and all of my armor is gone and the next hit kills me...
sorry, i've been playing too much halo...

[donzo]

In Ontario, cell phones and electronic devices will be banned from use in cars come October.  It can't come soon enough.  On Monday I was riding in the left lane of a 3 lane road and a cager in the far right lane with a cell phone in his left hand decided he needed to make the next left.  He made a 3 lane change, I saw him coming and sped up so he could see me in front of him, he got startled and swerved back into the middle lane after just touching mine.  I let him know with some nasty sign language that that was not cool.  And you know, he just kept on looking straight with the cell phone glued to his ear like he did nothing wrong.  Make the beast with two backsing Guy!  I need to install that Stebel Nautilus ASAP!

[caboteria]

Funny you should mention it - yesterday I rode to work and just didn't feel right.  I can't really say why, but everything was tight and choppy, and I had a couple of close calls with stupid !@#$%^&*( in cars.  In the evening I managed to make it out of the city in one piece so when I got near my house I just kept going out into the country.  Rode extra slow (even by my already pokey standards), and tried to focus on staying relaxed and precise.  Relax the shoulders, relax the wrists, relax the legs.  After a couple dozen miles on 2-lane roads things just started to fall into place again.

Sometimes you're in the zone, sometimes you're not.

[Goat_Herder]

You almost have to read people's mind when you are out and about.  There have been many instances where I could foresee cager changing into my land, cutting off my front wheels.  What I am doing now is to make sure I can see the drivers faces thru the car mirrors, when I am riding close to them.  If I can see them, chances are, they can see me and I am not in their blind spot and stay away from potential danger.