It was nearly all over!
 

Just went on a blast for a few miles, turned off down a country road to get me back to work, knew it had all been resurfaced and that but hadn't been down for a while and completely forgot there are no signs for sharp/tight bends and stuff. Come into this one bend couldn't see the exit but thought it was less tighter than i thought so i let of brakes and levelled the throttle to get out of the corner smoothly as i levelled i saw the corner tighten more but saw the exit, before i could do anything. I give it a handful of throttle got the back end out of line (:smt104) and felt the thing spin off the road onto the dusty muddy stuff and hit the lip of the grass verge, luckilly it rebounded off it and i carried on. I've got to learn not to be so eager and be smoother.

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

Close call mate, but it all worked out well in the end, thankfully.

Vanishing point theory, and remember it whilst you're on the bike ;)

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

we gotta sort this vanishing point theory out, any write ups or threads about it?

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

See here. You had a pretty good demo of it (even if I do say so myself) on the way back to the M6. As you commented, I move right for a left bend. That's why.

EDIT: Look for the picture of the red truck & blue bike, bike heading towards a left hand 90 degree bend. Tree on the bend. That's my justification for sitting on the wrong side of the road. In that situation, I'd take the line shown by the yellow dot. Then as I get closer to the bend I move closer to the line shown by blue dot.

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

Vanishing point theory is simple.

You look down the road/through the corner you are taking, if the point where both sides of the road meet is moving away from you, then you are going slow enough to make it, if that point is coming towards you, then you are going too fast.

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

Not quite so simple mon amigo. Left/right road positioning helps you to see further down the road (sitting wider into corners moves the vanishing point further away - and you could argue that if going in hot for a bend, and the vanishing point is coming towards you, you can move wide whilst braking to help gain the advantage - but I wouldn't recommend anyone do that).

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

He just asked about Vanishing Points - which in the link you supplied is a separate paragraph in itself, so thereforr a different subject.

Yes, adding road position to the equation is a good thing and as you noted, allows you to manupulate the vanishing point in a different way than just reducing/adding speed.

:P

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

Personally, I take vanishing point theory to be the whole 9 yards of "reading the road"... for which the link is suitable apt for.

The whole thing about more paint == more danger, road signs, how other traffic are acting etc etc.

Still yet to do any advanced bike training too... :oops:

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

I agree fully with you.

When I am riding - even on the AR, if I have to use my brakes, then thats a bit of a failure to anticipate in my mind.

Think I used about 75% less of my brakepads than most people on the AR - actually correct that - probably only 50% thanks to the quad.....

Smoothness is what I am aiming for, and while I have a way to go yet, I think I will get there :)

Re: It was nearly all over!
 

Brakes are useful though. I would never rely solely on engine braking/coasting. If I'm having a gentle bimble, I rarely use the brakes at all, if ever. When I'm riding hard I'll use the front brake, step down the box, and only use the rear brake if I'm still too hot for the corner.

But we're taking over the mans thread here...:oops: