I'm a student, and for income while studying I play online poker. Poker is a game of skill but controlling emotions is key, and much is said about playing your "A" game rather than your "B" game. Losing focus and slipping into your B game can be very expensive and so players do their best to avoid it. I've just learned the hard way that riding is exactly the same, except it isn't discussed as much.
I recently crashed my bike (the day before I sat my 6R...), and it was 100% my fault, which I can accept. What I can't accept is how I could be so bad as to put myself in this situation, but I suspect it happens more than people will admit. I'm writing this up in the hope that a few other beginner riders will read it and not make the same mistake.
The Crash:
I'd had an averagely bad day at poker and was riding to let off some steam. I rode along cost road, and a few Ks in I was passing a white van on a gentle curve. The van driver had clearly not seen me and opted to cut the curve (cross the centre line) just as I pulled up next to him. After forcing me right onto the shoulder of the road he noticed me and moved over, we both pulled over a hundred metres later and I indicated that he should use his fucking mirrors, before riding off in a huff.
A short time later I came across another van and, pissed as I was, opted to pass immediately rather than wait for a long straight piece of road. I pulled out and passed the van coming into a gentle right hander followed by a blind left hander further down the road. I wasn't focused fully on riding (instead still swearing at the other driver) and half way through I thought "shit, I'm not going to make this blind corner" which became "shit maybe I'd better stop here then" which became "shit well at least the ditch looks soft". This was followed by me drifting into the ditch (target fixation!) at probably 70+ ks an hour, going over the handlebars and sliding along in the muddy water for five or ten metres. Followed by me standing up and saying (loudly) "FUCK. FUCK. HOW CAN I BE SO BAD? FUUUUUCK!"
The Analysis:
Possible mistake 1: riding while not in the best mood. I'm not sure this is a mistake in itself though (see other points).
Mistake 2: hooning while in a bad mood. A cruisy ride on an empty road is fine but hooning requires real focus.
Mistake 3: getting worked up at van driver 1 and not stopping to let the rage out.
Mistake 4: riding outside my ability. I think I picked a legitimate place to pass for a skilled rider, and even when things started going wrong if I had really known what I was doing I should have been able to recover. Being a beginner, I wasn't.
Mistake 5: losing focus at a key moment and target fixating. This basically sealed the deal.
The buildup of events is easily preventable FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE. From the perspective of the rider everything seemed fine, or at least not too far off it, right up until I was in the ditch.
I think this is very easy to do. It was bad judgment meets lack of skill. Good judgment wouldn't have put me in this bad position: more skill could have gotten me out of it. As it was, only preparation (ATGATT) prevented real injury (my helmet is a write off and my pants need repair).
DO NOT LET YOURSELF FALL INTO THE TRAP OF THINKING THINGS ARE FINE WHEN THEY AREN'T. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE NEW TO RIDING.
Coz, like, it fucking hurts. (And my poor bike!). I'm just angry at myself for letting this happen. Don't become me, it's really not cool.
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Originally Posted by Mully
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