Do you ride with fear?

[ChrisCurvyS]

Originally Posted by agy

Spank, honestly at least half the bikers I see do 50 in a 30 zone...
even scooters! they're the worst in fact

Sorry I should've said - my comments about speeding a bit to avoid having people up my backside and get into my own space were meant in relation to the open road, ie 60mph country roads, dual carriageways etc.

I stick closely to the limit in 30 zones - especially when you've got things justifying that limit like pedestrians, narrow streets etc. However, because there's almost always heavy and slow-moving traffic in these areas anyway, you don't get the same problems with people hanging an inch off your rear tyre and making cack-handed attempts to overtake.

The other benefit of shaking off other traffic out-of-town is it leaves you free to drop your speed dramatically if you think you need to - as I do coming up to junctions which potentially have cars emerging from them etc.

Just to add to the speed limit debate, I tend to stick to 30s where I can see that it obviously should be a 30, and sometimes even go slower. However there are alot of 30 roads around me that at the very least should be 40s or 50s, and I don't tend to stick to 30 on these. However if I'm on one of these roads and the car in front me is doing 30, I generally won't overtake (depends if I'm running late or not ).

Originally Posted by agy

Spank, honestly at least half the bikers I see do 50 in a 30 zone...
even scooters! they're the worst in fact

Well so do I, but it doesn't mean I'm not a dangerous idiot.

Just go as fast as you're comfortable going in the environment.

Originally Posted by Owenski

I'm not afraid of riding but crashing scares the crap out of me

In no way would I be happy to die, this "if I die on my bike I'll die happy" thing is complete bull**** if I die on my bike I'll die paralysed with fear and a distinct oder of my own urine. To end my life now would be the worst thing I could possibly imagine, I love my wife and son very much and to miss out on seeing him grow up would cause me more pain than any injury.

+1

I'm not advocating 50 in a 30 limit. I almost always stick to 30 limits as usually there is a good reason for them. I pretty much stick to anything with a red ring around it, if there's a good reason for it being there.

But if I'm in one of these ridiculous speed limits, like a 40mph limit for 2 or 3 miles of open countryside between villages (only there because whoever set the limit thinks it'll help get people back down to the next 30mph limit), then I won't sit at 40 if the rest of the traffic is doing 60. That's just unnecessarily putting yourself into conflict with other road users IMO. It may be illegal, but legal doesn't necessarily mean safe, and vice versa.

Same goes across most of Warwickshire and the Peak District, where they've introduced blanket 50 limits on all A roads, that have been perfectly safe at the 60 mph NSL since 1977. I ignore them completely.

[Luckypants]

No

Sent from my phone.

I often push my bike to the limit and have close calls with regard to a slide etc but none of these things tend to scare or phase me due to the amount of experience and time I spend on a bike. The one thing that does scare me is cars sitting at a junction waiting to pull out; the worst offs ive had are due to people simply not taking the time of day to see me coming, I fear this because it is something I cannot control.

[ChrisCurvyS]

Originally Posted by SVMAT

I often push my bike to the limit and have close calls with regard to a slide etc but none of these things tend to scare or phase me due to the amount of experience and time I spend on a bike. The one thing that does scare me is cars sitting at a junction waiting to pull out; the worst offs ive had are due to people simply not taking the time of day to see me coming, I fear this because it is something I cannot control.

But even that, to some extent you can control by constantly looking for every junction, looking to see if there are cars approaching and if there are, back right off and perhaps feather the brake, make a quick escape plan in your head (ie anywhere to go if they do pull out - front or behind of them - or will you drop the bike etc) and look straight at the driver to see if they're looking at you.

The only irrational fear at the back of my mind when I'm riding is something going wrong mechanically - prob from having a chain break and two cutouts at 90ish in the fast lane of a busy motorway. (Chain stayed with the bike but didn't wrap round the wheel or damage the front sprocket - I was very lucky.)

Sometimes find myself wondering if I tightened up the front wheel nut properly as I'm overtaking a truck. Clever that.

Originally Posted by SVMAT

I fear this because it is something I cannot control.

Why not?

I get a bit nervous before I go for a ride but once I'm out there I'm fine. I don't get my kicks out of scaring myself, I get my kicks out of having fun, so yes that may mean a little bit of spirited riding out on the back roads, but I try my best to keep it within reason. If some plonker comes up behind me on his R6 and tries to goad me in to some cat and mouse, I let him go, I'm not interested. I ride for myself, not other people.

Also, I might add, I had a pretty big accident last year but that didn't put me off, or make me fearful of bikes. I love bikes, something about them just calms me down, even just reading about them. It did introduce me to the idea of proper pain though, lol.

Also, earlier on in the thread bike gear was mentioned. Most of the time I get my power-ranger suit on, race gloves and boots, back and chest protector, full shebang. For me it's not to feel invincible, it's so that if I have a crash at least afterwards I can say that's the best my injuries could have turned out in the circumstances.

Interested thread.

Akira how I agree with you. I am exactly the same. I ride for myself. I don't need to speed around like a maniac. I just love riding. I take things easy, I don't rush. If people want to overtake me (ESP mad scooter riders) I just let them go. I'm not out there to prove anything. If I want to ride fast, I go in the countryside or on a motorway. I rely on my body too much to take ANY unnecessary risks