One of the Objectives of the Survival Skills forum is to try and produce some articles and resources for noob's and experienced riders. I was sitting around tonight looking for somewhere to start. Turns out that PlacidFemmes partner Sam has had a little ouch when she was rear-ended.
Having been through the same myself I use a few techniques to stop it happening again. But I also have some grey areas in best practice... so feel free to rip this to bits.
For a new rider reading this thread, it is a set of theories up for discussion so please don't take it for gospel
Before you stop
You are riding along minding your own business. Ahead is a traffic light / queue of traffic / heard of sheep, take your pick. How much time you have to stop is a big factor, but so is how close to your tail is the next vehicle.
So, if you are not aware of the situation behind you, the first thing you do is a mirror check. What your mirror tells you has a big influence on what you are about to do.
In an ideal world where you have lots of time to stop you should be preparing to make sure you are in the left or right wheel track or next best area of grip. If there are hazards behind as well as in front then you want to make it clear you are going to stop. Just before the point where you really want to slow down Sit up and tap your brake, even though you don't want to use them yet, but you do want to wake the dozing cager up, hopefully increasing your profile and the flashing brake light will do this.
When you reach the point where you will start to slow ease off the throttle, and use your brakes, even if you don't need them, use them just enough to turn on the lights.
Check your mirror again noting the change in distance. It is now that you will realise that the car / concrete mixer behind is not intending to stop. But you should still have time to wake them up. This time give 3 or 4 brake light flashes (it is worthwhile practicing the amount of preassure needed to light the light). At the same time you should be planning your escape route.
If it is a medium emergency eg orange light turning to red (not quite max effort breaking) and you can afford the loss in breaking distance then Progressively pump harder, releasing the break each time.
If it is a full on emergency then get out of the way and / or be prepared to release both brakes when you hear the screech a meter from the rear and try braking again. This may just give you the distance you need. {This is based on the assumption that a bike in a controlled maximum effort stop will stop will be stopping faster than a car with locked wheels}
Stopping
You should be at a controlled low speed before you really need to stop, I would suggest about 2-3 seconds before. If you are at all concerned come to a halt 2-3 bike lengths before the vehicle in front. This will give you ample space to select your route left or right.
Aparently your brake light can easily be mixed up with the tail lights of the car in front so be aware of this.
If you will be stopping in a place blind to the drivers behind or in a dangerous place you eg motorway off ramp then you should not join the end of the queue. Even if you are uncomfortable with lane splitting get your self out of there, if only by a few car lengths. A dozy driver here can and often will hit at 100kmph+
Before you stop, you should do a final mirror check.
The position of your bike behind the vehicle in front is important. You need to make sure that you have:
- space to manouver
- somewhere with grip to put your foot / feet
- a minimum of white lines under your tyres and in your path when you start up again
- a view of what is behind you
There are a few different schools of thought as to which foot and to put the bike in neutral or not. I tend to vary depending on the situation.
For a start, I am often limited which foot I can put down, so if my left foot is going down I am staying in gear.
Leave the bike in gear and keep an eye on the mirror. (an an eye in front for the reverse light, ready for the horn if it goes on)
Now you will be at most risk when there is nothing behind you. So until the car behind (and the car behind that one) has come to a complete stop don't relax. Even then you are still in danger. On a fast road you will need a few cars to buffer a big smash {I think top gear did a test like this}
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