Doorag
Senior Member
I'd like to start a thread where the more experienced riders in the group can share those small tips and tricks we all use on a daily basis that makes our riding better/more enjoyable. Before anyone tells me to search first, I did and didn't see any other thread like this. But if there is I'm sorry. Anyway, I'll start.
- I habitually watch store windows, the sides of parked cars (and frankly anything else that will work) for reflections of oncoming traffic when I'm at an intersection with poor visibility. I can't tell you how many times checking the reflection BEFORE I rolled forward 'just to take a look' around some truck has saved my bacon.
- The same can be said for the reflections on the back of cars and car windows. This may apply more to those places where filtering (i.e. lane splitting) is legal, but I'll mention it anyway. When filtering, you really can't move your eyes off the road in front of you long enough to even check the mirrors. More than once, I've taken a quick mirror check and looked back to find some car changing lanes with no signal. SO... I've used the reflection technique above to try and see if I can see what's happening behind me. To be honest, it only works well with certain types of vehicles and at certain times of day, but if you can't take your eyes off the road in front of you sometimes this can help.