Road Positioning

[mister c]

Just a quick question.
Why do you need to use both sides of the road?
Been riding for nearly 30 years & the only time I've done it is when I've made a mess of a corner & I'm out of control.

Originally Posted by petevtwin650

It is true that a few people who I have ridden with have adopted the style of riding that I use.

Fast

Originally Posted by mister c

Just a quick question.
Why do you need to use both sides of the road?
Been riding for nearly 30 years & the only time I've done it is when I've made a mess of a corner & I'm out of control.

It's not a case of needing too. If someone needs to then they have just made a mistake. It's a case of wanting to. Helping with visibility round a corner. Straight lining a corner or a number of other possibilities.

Originally Posted by Stu

Oh & Baph, I may not be understanding it right, but would you not be on the left to see up the inside of the truck in front on a left hander

I said that the bend in question is a sweeping left, with trees on the inside. If you sit left, you can't really see anything except squirrels eating their nuts.

I've only found that sitting left to see down the inside of a long vehicle works when you're rather close behind said vehicle. So I'd rather sit back, and wide, offside if it helps view.

There are some diagrams in my copy of roadcraft that illustrate this quite well. Might see if I can scan some tonight.

[dirtydog]

Ahhh another thread with some IAM bashing in it

Ok so some of you don't agree with the IAM techniques etc fine but there's no need to slate them everytime someone mentions them. The IAM has and does improve peoples riding.

As for the offsiding, yes i do it a fair bit actually, as said previously it's ok to do it to maintain a view but not to gain a view

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Ok so some of you don't agree with the IAM techniques etc fine but there's no need to slate them everytime someone mentions them. The IAM has and does improve peoples riding.

Must of missed that in the thread...

EDIT: Just re-read it. The only negative words I have seen towards IAM are from Blue_ really, with one other person joining the debate early, with a heavy use of sarcastic similies.

As for Blue_'s comments, I interpret that as him assuming that person has passed IAM, and is riding "by the IAM book." Now, I haven't done IAM, but I agree with Blue_ to a certain extent. If I'm coming up fast behind an advanced rider, and they don't move over (and worse, actively move to increase their view, putting them in places I want to be to overtake), they're hindering my progress, and I wouldn't call that very advanced riding.

IMO, we should all be riding so that we do not cause any other road user to change direction or speed (this includes slowing down). That's certainly what I try to achieve.

If someone wants to pass me, I'll wave them past.

I still don't see any post in this thread as "IAM bashing."

[dirtydog]

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

Bearing in mind he can't even use the brakes whilst going into a bend coz he things that is unsafe, an IAM guy is not going to turn round and say its a good idea to ride on the other side of the road is he

At the end of the day the IAM way is an established method and should see you with your best chances of arriving at point B in one piece. But it is not the only way to ride and just coz you are not following IAM to the letter doesn't mean you are being reckless or likely to get splatted!!!

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

I've been stuck behind a couple of people riding the IAM way now (presumably people who have passed IAM and riding to the book .. why do they always ride Pan's?!?! ), they just get in the way.

Bearing in mind they are trained to have total 'awareness' they should see that I am behind trying to get past and move over surely - and let the idiot (me) through??? Oh, no, they are so ignorant/arrogant they just keep riding right in the middle of where it'd be good to overtake and swerving* all over your side of the road picking lines, making you either sit behind them getting frustrated as they are always on the brakes too early (then crawling round the bends at a 'safe' speed) or making a bit of a dodgy move to get past!! They are endangering us both by getting me frustrated to the point I might do something silly!!

That p1sses me off!!

What makes them so important they can't just pull to one side and let you safely past?!?! It'd be all over on 2 seconds and everyone is happy!!

Originally Posted by Baph

Must of missed that in the thread...

How about those bits?

I've passed my IAM test does that automatically make me an arrogant fu.....?

[mister c]

If you need to come up to a bend on the wrong side of the road to see what is coming, then that would suggest to me that you were going too fast for the road & conditions. So the easiest solution is to "read" the road, slow down where necessary, use vanishing points on bends and ride smoothly.

Originally Posted by dirtydog

How about those bits?

I've passed my IAM test does that automatically make me an arrogant fu.....?

See my above post (edited rather than posting a new one).

Blue_ is generalising because of an assumption. That's not "IAM bashing," that's Blue_ being Blue_.

EDIT: Hell, your first quote by Blue_, I interpret as him saying IAM is good, and has it's purpose, although it might not be for everyone.

Originally Posted by mister c

If you need to come up to a bend on the wrong side of the road to see what is coming, then that would suggest to me that you were going too fast for the road & conditions. So the easiest solution is to "read" the road, slow down where necessary, use vanishing points on bends and ride smoothly.

Left hand bend, there's a junction on the inside of it (you know this because you've seen the sign post). I don't NEED to sit wide, I CHOOSE to sit wide (and offside so long as there's no solid whites) so that I can see if anything wants to come out of the junction.

That doesn't mean I take the bend any faster, I just allow more room to safely stop, as I can see any vehicle earlier.