Idiots on Bikes

[Sdotterer014]

Haven't posted on here for awhile, but I am overdue especially after my ride today (I need to blow off some steam!). I was cruising home from my girlfriend's house, which is a simple 1 1/2 hr ride consisting mainly of highways. I was getting close to home so I was on backgrounds when this little incident occurred. As I am coming through a turn 10 min from home I came across 6 guys on motorcycles sitting dead in the middle of the road chatting. They were in the worst possible spot of the turn, I could not see them until I was basically on top of them. I had enough time to barely miss hitting them, hit the brakes and somehow avoid going down while my back tire was skidding and jumping around. I was fortunate there was nobody coming in the other lane as I had to shoot into the other lane and almost off the road. What pissed me off even more was the fact that there was a stop sign at the end of a straight away not even 1/8 mile down the road. I don't know what would possibly allow anybody on in/on any vehicle to think that stopping in the middle of a blind turn would be a smart idea. Needless to say I came up on them at that stop sign and gave one of them an absolute ear full. Not that this provided me with any gain, but I was absolutely furious at the time. Well guys, rant over. I learned today that my already heightened alertness and defensive style of driving while riding my bike is not always enough. There are always going to be people on the road with their heads up their @$$es no matter what. Be careful out there!

 

[LFZ6]

It's that kind of riders that give the rest of us a bad wrap.:shakehead::shakehead:

 

[Motogiro]

Yup! You have to not become part of the equation. If it were a broken down vehicle or an accident in the same spot how would you feel about your resolution through the turn. Anytime I experience a close call I try to figure out how my mental process and skill could make the situation better.

Example: I'm hot in a turn and I run into silt, my bike isn't tracking and my line has changed. To begin with, I have to adjust for what I can't see in the turn and be responsible for the outcome and what I bring to the turn. That might be me taking into account natural roadway anomaly or poor behavior of others.

I'm glad you got through the turn. Reduced speed in a blind turn will help relieve pucker factors.

 

[Sdotterer014]

Completely understand where you're coming from. Although in most cases with an accident, there is going to be a warning well before the turn to alert any drivers unless you're coming up on a very recent accident. Even if my situation today was a broken down bike, it would have been very simple for everybody to move their bikes to the side of the road, not 2 rows of 3 bikes side by side taking up the entire lane. I think that's why I was so mad about the whole thing; it was not one of the very possible situations you mentioned, just guys not using their head.

 

[payneib]

I had a close one the other night. Coming off my favourite roundabout, had a reasonable pace on, about 45mph in third ready to rocket up the straight, when I felt the bike slide. Luckily I was able to shift my body weight to the "wrong" side of the bike and ride it through like i used to on mountain bikes. I found the problem further up the road: a blue van with smoke and oil pouring out the bottom.

The idiot could have killed me, just to avoid getting his heap mobile fixed.

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

 

[SirIsaac]

Needless to say I came up on them at that stop sign and gave one of them an absolute ear full.

And I'm sure they said, "you're right sir, that was careless of us. Thank you for pointing out our error, we'll be more considerate and careful in the future", right? Just kidding, more likely you got a bunch of f-yous and middle fingers. Lucky they didn't decide to do anything physical. I hate to say it, but in this case (6 against 1 and a bunch of stupid egos involved), it might have been better to just drive on, then rant here for moral support.

 

[Erci]

This is the sad/dangerous part of riding on the street. The momenet you stop playing the "what if" game, you're asking for trouble.
Approaching every curve you can't fully see through, you have to ask "what if".. as in "what if there's a bunch of d-bags sitting in the middle of the road?"
imagine the worst possible thing and every now and then that thing actually plays out. The *cost*? Taking corners at far lesser speeds than you and your bike are capable off

I'd be lying if I said I always lived by this rule, but if I were wiser, I would.

Glad you were able to avoid a crash! :thumbup:

 

[Sdotterer014]

I had a close one the other night. Coming off my favourite roundabout, had a reasonable pace on, about 45mph in third ready to rocket up the straight, when I felt the bike slide. Luckily I was able to shift my body weight to the "wrong" side of the bike and ride it through like i used to on mountain bikes. I found the problem further up the road: a blue van with smoke and oil pouring out the bottom.

The idiot could have killed me, just to avoid getting his heap mobile fixed.

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

I was actually out for an early season ride last spring with my dad and a guy on a bike almost wiped in front of me around a nasty S bend. My dad and I helped him get his bike out of the mud and as he was telling us there was some slick substance on the road a car came around the bend, lost control and flipped into a ditch upside down. Those situations can be extremely dangerous and you'll never see the spots on the road until you're on them.

 

[Sdotterer014]

And I'm sure they said, "you're right sir, that was careless of us. Thank you for pointing out our error, we'll be more considerate and careful in the future", right? Just kidding, more likely you got a bunch of f-yous and middle fingers. Lucky they didn't decide to do anything physical. I hate to say it, but in this case (6 against 1 and a bunch of stupid egos involved), it might have been better to just drive on, then rant here for moral support.

After some time to cool off I thought the same thing, emotions definitely got the best of me. However, when I got up to the guys half of their group had already taken off so it would've only been 1 vs 3...still not very good odds though haha.

 

[Sburke]

I know the feeling!

Yesterday I was heading home and was on the highway, come around a turn and two home chairs were in the middle of the highway!!! Both dead center of two lanes, luckily I was able to swerve. Scared the hell out of me

 

[banjoboy]

Oh good, thought this thread wuz gonna b 'bout me; carry on...
opcorn:

 

[FinalImpact]

Assuming the road ahead is yours for the taking is a false assumption but one most of us make pretty often. I've ridden with a enough riders who blindly RIP ahead at a clip which leaves no options should they encounter *something*.

The only thing I can add is you should practice PANIC stops under varying conditions, uphill, downhill, side of the road, around a corner, etc as locking the back is panic vs skilled muscle control.

Even at 50 mph we can dump allot of speed in a corner on a 12ft lane. Improve those skills!

 

[SirIsaac]

After some time to cool off I thought the same thing, emotions definitely got the best of me.

Like I always say, I'm really good at keeping my cool, except when I'm upset about something.

 

[MG-242]

Oh good, thought this thread wuz gonna b 'bout me; carry on...
opcorn:

Now that's funny! :thumbup:

Yep, idiots come in all shapes and sizes. And, even ride motorcycles. Hopefully, Darwin will be driving a semi-truck around that turn next time .

Yep, on the street you always have to have a little reserve. We've all experienced those times when we didn't and wished we had.