hutchy

Scary moment last week - trying to improve my wet road riding so out and about in the rain, my obs is good so I've spotted the woman walking her dog and although the dog is lively I've sussed that it's on a lead so I've written off any serious danger, I'm not riding near the kerb so I'm not concerned with spooking the dog and feeling safe I've moved obs further up the road.

Big mistake - at about 20 feet away the dog runs straight out into the middle of the road, it's a F$#KING extending lead and the woman was walking the dog with it unlocked???

There's no route to the left 'cos of the lead and no route to the right 'cos of an oncoming car - I went for the full emergency stop and within seconds the front locked up and I can feel the front end sliding away to the left, at that moment I decide that I stand more chance of staying upright by hitting the dog than by trying to controll the skid so I let off the brakes, fortunately because of my reactions and the woman pulling the dog back by its lead I just miss it.

Myself and the driver of the oncoming car (who also locked up reacting to the dog) ask the woman what the hell she's playing at walking a dog on an unlocked lead - she just said its never done anything like that before and that it was the noise of the motorbike that upset her dog and they shouldn't be alowed on the road then she made off as fast as she could. (my bike has original exhaust ect.)

I was fortunate that I wasn't doing much over 30 at the time but I will be more aware of dogs from now on, even if they are on a lead!