How slow is too slow for a bike?

[smoky]

The only person embarassed was you.

Learn some road craft and pace yourself so that you're not being continually held up, it's not a race.

So you're one of the retards who thinks every one who goes faster than you has a problem?
What a dick - I was the one pacing myself - doing a steady speed, not excessive either, obviously you're one of those who are completely arrogant and don't give a toss about other road users
Coming from Christchurch you wouldn't even know what a real corner is, and I bet you never take your SV1000 over 90 Klm/hr

[TOTO]

Hey Smoky, there is a group of Chinese students that hangs around Auckland these days. All of them have bought gizzerr 750s and cbr thou squid machines. Biker equivalent of boy racers, but on bikes. No real skill, just posers/straight line riders. I'm guessing thats what you came upon on your holiday. Ive seen them a few times and every time had the same experience as you, except I was on ma bike. At least they know how to go slow, unlike those who of us who have started biking out of pure passion (I presume all KBers) and think they can be super fast straight away.

Another thing is that, if it was not that group, then it is possible that the said group was doing the Waipu road for first time, in which case it is good they were taking it easy. The road is very windy and has bumps which on a bike should be respected.


In any case, go there on your bike and try the road for yourself, quite pleasurable piece of tarmac

[crazyhorse]

When it falls over - thats when its too slow

[imdying]

So you're one of the retards who thinks every one who goes faster than you has a problem?
What a dick - I was the one pacing myself - doing a steady speed, not excessive either, obviously you're one of those who are completely arrogant and don't give a toss about other road users

If you're continually compressing up against slower (average, I see your point about them speeding through the straight bits etc) traffic then just back off the gas a little, learn some road craft, make some room. Getting frustrated and throwing your toys out of the cot isn't going to do anything except piss yourself off. Maybe taking 10km/hr out of your straight road speed will prevent you from having to brake to avoid them at corners as they'll stay just far enough ahead for you to make steady progress instead of the speed up slow down problem you're currently experiencing. Pacing yourself isn't worth much if you're doing it wrong (i.e. out of sync with the other road users).

[steve_t]

I give bikers heaps of room and leeway. They may not be as confident or competent getting through the twisty bits as others or as someone in a car. How many youtube videos are there of car vs bike races where the bike smashes past on the straights but gets caned through the twisties? If the road is windy and single laned, you can't really do anything except be patient. The thing that pisses me off, and it happened on Sunday coming back from Rotovegas, is vehicles that go at 80km/h in the single lanes and 120km/h when there's a passing lane!!

[Pascal]

Maybe taking 10km/hr out of your straight road speed will prevent you from having to brake to avoid them at corners as they'll stay just far enough ahead for you to make steady progress instead of the speed up slow down problem you're currently experiencing. Pacing yourself isn't worth much if you're doing it wrong (i.e. out of sync with the other road users).

This was the advise the friendly female officer gave me, along with a ticket, when I passed the young fellow that drove like a bat out of hell in the passing lanes, but slowed down to below 80km/h outside of them. She acknowledged it could be a frustrating experience, but you cannot control or moderate other drivers out there. Far better to take care of your own mindset and adjust accordingly.

Besides, there are plenty of rest stops to pause, have a smoko and appreciate the gorgeous scenery in Godzone.

[BoristheBiter]

Never mind all the purists on here who jump down every ones throat for riding too fast; what about those plonkers who ride embarrassingly slow and are either totally ignorant to the fact they are holding up traffic, or too completely arrogant to give a flying ***** about any one behind them.

I’ve just been up north on holiday; and twice I caught up with bikes, I was fully packed up in my diesel van most of the time with the trailer loaded to gunnels with push bikes, fishing gear, camping gear and the kayak – every seat in the van full with kids and mum & dad – and yet on a primo windy road up thru Waipu I catch up to about 5 or 6 big bikes – 1 ltr jobs and a 600 kwaka (ZX I think), even in the 35 or 50 k corners they were going so slow they were holding me up, then they would speed off down the straight – only to be holding me up again in the next lot of corners?
On the way home on Sunday we over took a BMW (750 I think) again he was farting along about 70Klm/hr on a primo winding road.

Is it because we’re seeing too many born again wanna-be oldies and chicks getting into riding, who think it’s a cool idea to ride a motorbike – but really have no idea how to ride?

Are they oblivious to traffic wanting to pass them, or do they think no one should have the right to get passed them?
I don’t really care what speed people travel at, as long as they pull over for others, especially when they can’t seem to keep to the speed limit or corner better than a fully loaded diesel van ?

It isn't just bikes that do this. it seems to be a NZ thing that you just drive like you want and don't care about other road users.

TOTO is right about that road. the first time i went down it i hit a bump in the road and got spat off to the other side. i slowed down untill we got out of that section.

[Pascal]

It isn't just bikes that do this. it seems to be a NZ thing that you just drive like you want and don't care about other road users.

Easiest way I've found to stop a queue of cars is to pull over to let them pass. It's so against the general mindset here that they'll all slow down to a crawl and usually present you with a rude gesture

[BoristheBiter]

Easiest way I've found to stop a queue of cars is to pull over to let them pass. It's so against the general mindset here that they'll all slow down to a crawl and usually present you with a rude gesture

Shit don't do that you might start a trend.

I went down to DS in the truck and actuly couldn't belive the amount of cars i caught up to, the truck will only do 100 down hill wind up arse etc.

[yachtie10]

Easiest way I've found to stop a queue of cars is to pull over to let them pass. It's so against the general mindset here that they'll all slow down to a crawl and usually present you with a rude gesture

really?
not my experience
maybe they were pissed off that it took you 50k to pull over

Dont think its the vehicle, its the driver/rider
last time i did the waipu road i had to follow a porshe cayenne doing incredibly slow speeds in corners
Im no rossi on a sports bike but it was like they had a glass of water on the dash and didnt want to spill it

[JMemonic]

70K/h is the limit for a learner rider, do you suggest that learner riders are not allowed to travel in any zone the has a speed limit in excess of 70? I know its frustrating sometimes but what are you going to do, folks ride or drive to their ability's or legal requirements isnt that what you would rather have them do that causing accidents and becoming statistics.

[centaurus]

We see everyday people getting ticketed for speeding but when was the last time you saw or heard of anybody getting ticketed for driving on the fast lane when the slow lane is empty or driving at 70kph in a 100kph zone on a straight road (according to the law you should be withing 20kph of the speed limit if the road and conditions allow). Or when was the last time you've heard of anybody being pulled over and frowned upon after holding a huge queue of cars in his wake for a long time. It never happens.

There is no incentive for the average driver to avoid any of the above because there is no real penalty. The only thing they worry about is speed because this is the main thing being enforced nowadays. The government has hopped into the "speed kills" boat (as many other governements in the world today) and everything else is secondary. Who cares that the idiot driving at 70kph and forcing everybody to overtake him dangerously on a narrow road is a big hazzard. As long as he doesn't speed, he's ok. All other road users that end up having to overtake him more or less dangerously, more or less over the speed limit, end up being the victims of the "speed kills" campain and the idiot who caused all this goes home and will do it again tomorrow.

No question about it - there are some driver outthere that need to pass anybody in front of them no matter what and that is both stupid and dangerous, but there are much more people that are oblivious and inconsiderate to all other cars on the road, making our roads riskier and nobody is doing anything about it.

[imdying]

I have to say I've noticed a drop in speeds since the last great petrol price hike. Not just on the open road (probably even less so), but also around town. A lot more people traveling at an indicated 50 instead of 60.

[Goblin]

... Or when was the last time you've heard of anybody being pulled over and frowned upon after holding a huge queue of cars in his wake for a long time. It never happens.

.

My ex got a ticket for impeding the flow of traffic, even though there was no traffic. He was in a small truck down south somewhere out of Chch, on the long straights and the wind was blowing the truck all over the road so he'd slowed down. Only car for miles was the cop who told him he was driving too slow. But I've never heard of any of those fuckwits who do 80-90 everywhere then 120 on the passing lanes being ticketted.

[yungatart]

My ex got a ticket for impeding the flow of traffic, even though there was no traffic. He was in a small truck down south somewhere out of Chch, on the long straights and the wind was blowing the truck all over the road so he'd slowed down. Only car for miles was the cop who told him he was driving too slow. But I've never heard of any of those fuckwits who do 80-90 everywhere then 120 on the passing lanes being ticketted.

My father in law got done too, same circumstances (except he was in a van)...between Kaikoura and Chch if I remember rightly...same cop?
Mind you...dad in law is an appalling driver!