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Originally Posted by gruntygiggles
I am under no illusions about coming off the bike. I know I will one day. I believe that it's a case of when, not if because I enjoy my riding (what I've managed so far) and enjoy pushing on and making progress.
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This is exactly the kind of mindset I'm trying to get away from. Once you have had your leg crashed by 400lb of a bike and end up with a s**tload of titanium in your bones (not too mention the pain and the fact that you'll probably never fully recover) than you start thinking that if crashing is unavoidable than maybe (just maybe..) riding is not worth the risk.. I'm fully aware that whenever I get on a bike I take a degree of risk and although everything we do in our lives is risky, riding is definitely much more dangerous than, for example,walking. Hence I try to look at it in a way that although chances are I will continue crashing, it is not a definite thing and I might just have a chance to survive my riding without further metalwork in my body or worse...
Quote:
Originally Posted by gruntygiggles
My plan to hopefully stay safe on the roads is quite simple. Ride depending on how I am able in body and mind to ride on that particular day. If I'm feeling strong and good and my mind is focused, I'll ride and push on a bit and have fun. If I'm not 100%, I'll back right off.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gruntygiggles
I'll always try to contain my excitement and ride at a maximum of 80% of my actual limits on the road so that I always have a buffer zone, always well in control of the bike.
I'll try to not take the really tight/wide lines so that I leave myself a buffer zone should something go wrong or I misjudge something.
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This I fully agree with Cheryl. This is exactly how I approach my riding at the moment and I really do hope that it will save form further pain. What I am afraid though is the stuff I really cannot foresee/prepare for even when I think I'm giving myself a safety buffer. My last accident happened when a cage driver (happened to be a woman
) pulled out on me from a side street while I was very cautiously undertaking a car turning right. I was not breaking any traffic regulations, I slowed down to about 20mph and were on alert for any numpty trying to pull off a stunt just like that one. And yet, when it happened I grabbed the brake a tiny bit more than the road surface allowed for and, although I avoided hitting her, the weight of the bike on its own was enough to shatter both bones in my lower right leg
Quote:
Originally Posted by gruntygiggles
I do always use good obs and use them effectively.
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What you or I might consider to be "good obs", might unfortunately not always be sufficient obs.. When I was about 20, I hit a teenager when driving my car. It was 100% his fault as he ran out on me from behind the queuing traffic going in the other direction appearing virtually 10 inches in front of my front bumper. I was driving under the speed limit to make sure I could react in time for any situations like that and yet even if I had been doing 5 miles an hour (it was 60km/h speed limit = 35-37 mph) I would have stood no chance braking in time as when he jumped out from behind the queuing bus he was already to close to react. Thankfully he survived, but barely.. I couldn't sleep for a long time and my driving/riding has forever changed
Quote:
Originally Posted by gruntygiggles
Nne of these things can ever guarantee that I will not have an off....but together, I think they lessen the risk.
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Agreed