Test your brakes

After all the snow has melted away and finally some decent weather out there, I decided to take the bike for a spin. It must have been 6 weeks since I last rode my bike and it's been sitting on my patio all this time (covered with a Stormex).

After all the usual checks (POWDER), the bike seemed fine so I geared up and went for a spin. Being a fairly new rider, I decided to take it slowly and allow myself some time to reacquaint my senses to the bike.

After about .5 mile, the first roundabout, clear on my right (edited), car approaching from left (edited), we looked at each other and the car started to slow down. I entered the roundabout when suddenly the car accelerates it's way into the roundabout, cutting in front of me. There was plenty of space and I sort of anticipated strange behaviour from the elderly driver.

What I didn't plan for was the inefficiency of my brakes. Applying the usual amount of pressure did ... well nothing. It felt like I was missing the brake disks the the pads were squeezing on each other.

As I was quickly intercepting the car I panicked and squeeze the brakes really hard. On the wet road, this easily locked the front and the bike went wobbly. Panicked some more and released the brakes, the bike stabilised but I was still going for the car. Somehow I reapplied the brakes and managed to come to a stop at about 1 foot from the drivers door. Of course, I got the usual "I'm really sorry but I didn't see you. I can only apologise". And of course I believed her as I am expecting this from almost every driver out there.

I think the important thing here is to consider is the inefficiency of the brakes after leaving the bike outside for some time, which will corrode the discs just enough to make them useless in a situation like this.

Always check the brakes after a long pause!

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by maxinc

After about .5 mile, the first roundabout, clear on my left, car approaching from right, we looked at each other and the car started to slow down. I entered the roundabout when suddenly the car accelerates it's way into the roundabout, cutting in front of me. There was plenty of space and I sort of anticipated strange behaviour from the elderly driver.

<Devil's advocate>

How fast did this pensioner accelerate to cut in front of you, after you'd entered the RA, and negate the fact that you should be giving way to the right?

Don't get many octogenarians in Veyrons round my way...



<Devil's advocate>

[rictus01]

A wise message, but I'd advice a thorough check of any bike that's been stood for a while before going out, and even then a check of all the controls at slow speed on a straight,safe bit of road, just in case......but you all knew that...right

Cheers Mark.

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

How fast did this pensioner accelerate to cut in front of you, after you'd entered the RA, and negate the fact that you should be giving way to the right?

Maybe "accelerate" was not the correct word to explain. Let's just say she gave me the impression she saw me by slowing down and looking into my direction. In reality she was slowing down to check the roundabout was clear, didn't register me and decided to go ahead.

I was well prepared for that, upright, not speeding with plenty of space around me.

The point here is not that she didn't register me but that I didn't account for the lack of brake efficiency and which made me panic and over react.

What's the "D" in POWDER stand for?

Originally Posted by sam anon

What's the "D" in POWDER stand for?

I think it stands for Damage. Google Link

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by maxinc

Maybe "accelerate" was not the correct word to explain. Let's just say she gave me the impression she saw me by slowing down and looking into my direction. In reality she was slowing down to check the roundabout was clear, didn't register me and decided to go ahead.

Even if she had seen you she'd still have the right of way over you though?

If you could see her looking in your direction she must have been pretty close? Certainly close enough that it may be wise not to try and nip out in front? Not suggesting that's the case here, just can't visualise the situation you're describing without putting you in the position of not giving way...

Can you post a google streetview of the RA?

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

Even if she had seen you she'd still have the right of way over you though?

If you could see her looking in your direction she must have been pretty close? Certainly close enough that it may be wise not to try and nip out in front? Not suggesting that's the case here, just can't visualise the situation you're describing without putting you in the position of not giving way...

Can you post a google streetview of the RA?

This is one of those embarrassing moments when I can't name the left and right properly I just read my first post ... Of course she was coming from the left and it was my right of way ... you have every right to be confused.

Street view

This is where I was standing going ahead. She was coming from the left and we almost collided where blue car is positioned on the road.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by maxinc

This is one of those embarrassing moments when I can't name the left and right properly

That makes far more sense

Originally Posted by maxinc

I think it stands for Damage. Google Link

Glad you added that, wondered what POWDER meant

Had one of those Hitler parodies on you tube in my head reading that IAM page, lol