My first crash happened today!

[Weasel]

The experienced rider should never lead. This creates a peer-pressure that pulls the less experienced rider along at a pace that is out of their comfort zone. Unless that rider is knowledgeable enough to know where your zone is and has ridden with you enough to judge what your limits are, then you should be the leader.

Great advice! I was leading our group on a ride through some twisties and the guy behind me went down while trying to "keep up" with me. I wasn't racing him or anyone else but was simply having fun pushing myself a little. Unfortunately, I didn't even think about anyone pushing themselves too hard to meet my pace (my 34yrs riding vs. his 5yrs.). :banghead:He said later that he knew he could go at least as fast as I was going because his bike was an 1800cc Warrior & mine at the time was an 800cc cruiser (admittedly, a turd). I truly felt mostly to blame. Thankfully, he was ok but the bike was barely rideable. What especially sucked was that he had just listed it for sale that day. Wish I had used my head and followed your advice.
Again, great advice!

 

[Adrenaline Junkie]

I think many times people get caught up in not exceeding their ability and end up exceeding their line of sight. I forget and do it myself sometimes but I'm getting better. Most of the time this applies to roads people know or think they know but it can happen on any road. Around here, twisties are twisty because they are going around hills. I try not (sometimes I forget) to commit to a line and the limits of my abilities until I can see all the way out of the corner and into the next straight. You never know when a dump truck may have spilled some gravel in that blind corner that you know so well. Same thing goes for fallen trees, lost loads of lumber, etc. There aren't nearly enough of those perfect corners in the world, those ones where you can see all the way through them and really give it what for. I wish there were more because those are the moments I ride for and I'll flog it harder than I should. Blind rises can be as dangerous as blind curves, as you just found out. But, unfortunately, public twisties aren't race tracks and their aren't any corner workers to warn you about problems just over that next rise. Its easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about these things. It happens to me and I've seen it happen riders much better than myself.

Just some food for thought.

Roy

 

[Norm]

Glad you're OK. That's the most important thing. It's very big of you to post all about the accident. Personally, I'd be very reticent to do so after reading the thousands of forum stories followed by the inevitable "here's what you did wrong squid" advice that always follows. No offense to anyone here. It's just I've seen it so much and it always makes me wonder why no one gets a lecture after a car accident, a bicycle accident, tripping on the stairs or over the sleeping dog, or severing their achilles heel playing softball. It's an accident. And accidents suck. I'm one of the ones that "will go down" but I've had enough close calls to know most of the time I was pushing my limits too hard and most of the time speed was the issue. I think mostly we all need to ride a little slower. That's what I learn from these stories. So I thank you for sharing something that could have happened to any of us.

 

[scout]

I think many times people get caught up in not exceeding their ability and end up exceeding their line of sight.
Roy

This reminds me of an experience I had on my loop a couple weeks ago, and it may help others.

I had just returned to the rural loop after a stop, and was just beginning to wind up, when a duc blew by with a wave. Going fast. I know the loop, ya know. So I thought this could be fun as he looked good.

He started jamming harder, so much so that I immediately was forced to think, TECHNIQUE. The harder he jammed, the more I hit every twist with the pefect flick and solid hard exit. I paid ZERO attention to him unless on a straight, just focused on technique: target for flick; look into turn before the flick; hang off before the flick; off the brakes before the flick; on the outside peg before the flick; constant throttle after the flick,

BUT the main thing was a FAST FLICK, as that's where the turn is at. The quick flick INCREASES line of sight, often, but not always.

I hope he had fun, because I sure did! We went that way for about 20 miles, and was just thinking that he was in great shape and thought it would be fun to go up and down mt Hamilton, but he peeled off my loop.

Another day, perhaps.

 

[ozzieboy]

Oops. Yes the Donk is the Engine. Donkey, makes cart move...lol. Donk for short.

Don't beat yourself up too much over this mate. Learn from it for sure, but don't be too hard on yourself.

I looked at the pictures, and listened to the senario, and came up with the idea that you may have had a micro sleep, or just an instant of vagueness, 'cause you saw the opening in the trees ahead, assumed the road went straight and relaxed a bit 'cause you were tired. Then when it dawned on your relaxed brain that something was wrong it couldn't nut it out in time.

It had to be something like that 'cause that bend looked like you could hit it at a pretty high speed if you were on it. Even if you came off the bridge with the front up.

And track knowledge. Always get to know the road and work your way up to a fast run. Just remember the public road can change from one minute to the next....fallen branches, gravel, cages, you name it. So I like to keep a couple tenths in reserve and only ride about 8 tenths on roads I know well.

Sorry. not trying to sound like the Oracle...lol...just passing on some of my hard earned wisdom...nothing profound mind you....lol....just some things a fat, hairy, old bugga has learned:Rockon:.

 

[scout]

Oops. Yes the Donk is the Engine. Donkey, makes cart move...lol. Donk for short.

It had to be something like that 'cause that bend looked like you could hit it at a pretty high speed if you were on it. Even if you came off the bridge with the front up.
:.

ha, donk, cool.

Looking at the rear skid, he was going about 30/40 mph, not fast at all. Note that he got off the rear brake before leaving the road. It was at that point he committed to bailing.

I want to thank him again for posting the pics, as I am always learning AND re-learning stuff, because I tend to forget easily.

Analysis:

1. exhaustion from ride and eating.
2. unknown road.
3. unknown bike
4. rear brake lock out
5. target fixation
6. survival response of freezing from not knowing what to do.
7. Possible group ride mentality.

Above happens to everyone.

 

[vdbergj1]

Sorry for your big off..

...but thanx for this thread. Your whole experience got me thinking allot and all the educated replies. I'm just a rookie and these threads teach me allot. Some good advise here (for me). I'm in the 'will go down' class, dread that day...

Hope the nicks get well soon!

 

[scout]

Sorry for your big off..

...but thanx for this thread. Your whole experience got me thinking allot and all the educated replies. I'm just a rookie and these threads teach me allot. Some good advise here (for me). I'm in the 'will go down' class, dread that day...

Hope the nicks get well soon!

Hey, is that you with your pet Cheetah in your avatar? Geez, I just flashed on scooting on one of your roads, thinking about a cheetah blasting across the road at 80 mph. You guys have some serious critters to dodge down there, I suspect.

 

[pjspin0331]

Hey, is that you with your pet Cheetah in your avatar? Geez, I just flashed on scooting on one of your roads, thinking about a cheetah blasting across the road at 80 mph. You guys have some serious critters to dodge down there, I suspect.

yeah, i'm jealous! i'd love to go see the wildlife in South Africa!