How long without an off?

[Tom_the_great]

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

Uh.....I'm a new rider, I think I'm going to refrain from comment and just be a reader!!!

*cough* I am also a new rider and will just be a reader

[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.

I'm doing a trackday in September and can't wait...I'll get to push the limits to where I feel comfortable and do it in the relative safety of an environment with no oncoming vehicles, trees, road signs etc. I am aware that I can still get hurt though!

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.

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.

I do always use good obs and use them effectively. This is nothing I have learned from biking, it's what I have been doing for many years as a car driver and I'll always try to act on the information my eyes take in in order to avoid an accident by altering speed, road position etc.

Nne of these things can ever guarantee that I will not have an off....but together, I think they lessen the risk.

Hmmm.....might start a new thread!

Ive never come off but have only been driving about 8 months!

[Bri w]

Started riding in '76, and had 6 off's in the first 6 months. Passed my bike test in '78 and rode till '86, during which time I had two off's. One down to ice, and one down to poor maint on my part.

Returned to bikes in '93 for about 4 yrs - no off's.

Returned to bikes last year - no off's (yet).

Passed my car test in '79, and had an 'off' showing off early '80.

If Friday's and Sunday's experiences are anything to go by my next off will be a numpty not looking, and wanting the bit of road I'm using. Friday got squeezed from the outside, and Sunday someone pulling out from a side road without looking. Saw them both coming but still needed to brake sharp, and make room for them.

Riding for two years. One off - low sided, broke right clavicle in to three pieces. I ride every day as commute and pleasure ride, ride in any weather - wind, rain or snow

I think a lot of it's down to mentality - I'm not averse to taking calculated risks, so long as they're not dangerous, and alertness - I'm always aware that I feel more at risk towards the end of the day, and suppose that stands to reason (more tired drivers on the road).

Interesting what DaveWalker says. Some save it for the track.

I'm not interested in breaking anything again, sure it might happen, but if I have more than two serious offs within 10 years, I'll probably reconsider what I'm doing.

[jonny.boyd]

Riding three years, never had an off! Had little bumps at low speeds where idiot cabbies decide to just stop in the middle of the road to drop people off without indicating and i've accidentally given them a little nudge on the rear bumper, nothing serious / no damage

[mister c]

Been riding over 30 years, had a couple of minor "offs". Ride every day except in the snow, thats when the cage comes out of hibernation.
Had a bad off in January 2008, ended up with a metal plate holding my pelvis together & nearly 5 months off work. Have covered about 20000 miles since with no problems.
Also crashed last year in my 2nd ever race thinking I was Rossi at Wigan, cracked a couple of ribs. Doing a test day there on 16th of this month to see where I went wrong

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.

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...

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.

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.

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

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

I do always use good obs and use them effectively.

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

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.

Agreed

I've had 6 months without an 'on' ! But 7 years without an off

[dizzyblonde]

Three years in September since my one and only off in six years riding.
I don't count falling over at a standstill in the garden, as I've done that about three times.