Russian Roulette

Does anyone else sometimes feel like they are playing a game of Russian Roulette when they go biking?

[Luckypants]

Not really. Sometimes it feels like they are out to get you, but I try to read the signs to avoid trouble. I do very little town riding though and I know this might be the reason.

I was this morning.

I went for an overtake of 2 cars & a van, all tailgaiting each other. I suspected that the van (just in front of me) might try & pull out, so did the overtake quicker than normal. I left a good time between indicating & moving out around the van, as soon as I was wide I opened the throttle.

WVM moves right, without indicating (supprise supprise), I hit the horn to no effect when I'm right along side him, so moved right a little more just as I was passing his drivers window pretty much on the rev limit. He then saw me & moved back over.

The ensuing "chase" (in which I stopped - wet road, not worth it) resulted in a full blown road-side argument. This was on a route VERY close to a police divisional HQ. Plod pulled up & asked what was going on. WVM ended up getting arrested for swearing at the copper & I was sent on my merry way.

Yes, I know I should of hung back because I suspected the van of moving out, but I didn't, deal with it

EDIT: Tomcat, reading between the lines of your recent posts, I believe one of these is in order...

Nope. I've played Russian roulette. Totally different feeling. I wish that little Vietnamese man didn't slap me so much tho.

Originally Posted by Razor

.... I wish that little Vietnamese man didn't slap me so much tho.

come on .... you liked it really


baph: edit gratefully received !

I will try and explain a little. I have quite a few biking friends, and nearly everyday I hear of another off, or close shave, or kn*b in a 4x4 blar blar.... its got me thinking that it is just a numbers game .... and whether I like it or not I am important to some people (ok, not many, but a handful!!) and perhaps it is just not worth the gamble.

I love my bike, I love the power (ok, an sv, but even so ), I love the adrenalin, I love the fun and freedom ...... but I am suffering from the ... but !

I went to the northwest 200 at weekend, had a fantastic time, but 5 people were killed... 5 people didnt go home to their family, they were having a equally great time as me ....but .

Unfortunately Tomcat, I have to agree. It is a numbers game. One that we play every time we get on the bike.

There are certainly things we can do to reduce the risk (and I don't think anyone on this site DOESNT do them!!), but at the end of the day, bikers are more vulnerable & nothing is going to change that simple fact.

I went to Thundersprint last weekend, and a comment from my pillion was "I feel a little better now knowing how careful you are on the bike, knowing what you have to plan for, but I'm ******* glad that you were riding & not me. It hasn't put me off, but I accept it's only a matter of time now. I think I was deluding myself before, you can be as careful as possible, but you can't control what other people do, and that's honestly scary!" (She was, and still is about to undertake DAS btw).

I suppose I'm lucky in that I don't hear of other people's misfortune (other than this site), because there's very few people local to me that are into biking. That, and it's quite a rural area.

I take the view that I know that one day my number will be called. But it will also be called regardless of if I'm in the bike or sat in my back garden. I know that I will leave people behind who care about me, but I can only hope that they understand (and esp my kids take this value on themselves) that I lived life & enjoyed what I did, in the time permitted.

Again,

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Not really. Sometimes it feels like they are out to get you, but I try to read the signs to avoid trouble. I do very little town riding though and I know this might be the reason.

Same for me.

Haven't experienced a biking tragedy close to home though. Might make me feel differently then.

More of this:

And very eloquently put Baph.

no

I know where you're coming from. You, yourself have to decide whether biking is worth the risk or not, everything in life has some risk.

I, myself don't want to live my life wrapped up in cotton wool, even though I have it drummed into me that motorcycling is dangerous and I'm the only son (Chinese culture stuff).

Yes, I am selfish and try not to think about what may happen, but being on a motorcycle makes me happy. My views may change further down the line and I'll eventually give up motorbikes.

I worry, especially that i'm a new father and have not been riding that long, but why should I stop doing something that I enjoy.
I know it's dangerous, but I have had close shaves just by walking the dog.
If you worry too much then it is time to quit, I know a few people who have and I understand.