Before I got my licence, and my bike, I asked about riding with those close to me who've gone down the two wheel road.
Words of advice from my brother:
"If you ever start thinking that your safe...Give it away."
Words of advice from my cousin:
"250's have two throttle settings, on and off."
There's always these two competing theme's that riders seem to be trying to find a balance between; how to ride safer, and how to ride quicker. Not that they are necessarily mutually exclusive in the skills required. Still there's the attitude beneath it of trying to get the most out of your bike while not dying in the process.
Having stumbled on this site trying to find an answer to a mechanical absurdity (success too, thanks again RonR), I glanced through some of the other threads and was shocked (rather naively) at how many mentioned people who aren't with us any more. It was unsettling. From my experience as a psychologist the only other group with that kind of communal malady is gay men with AIDS.
When talking to riders there was always at least a story of a frightening near miss. Still, here I am, and I don't think I'm scared enough. Sure I was shitting myself riding my newly purchased bike home. Thanking the, err, "biker gods", that I couldn't get it until late at night when there was no traffic. But the fear is ebbing away; going down in stages as I learn new things. I'm truly thankful for driving first, while thinking that, being such a physical skill, starting so late means I'm only ever going to be so good.
Having said that, I'm okay with only being so good. I think that could be what is going to keep me alive, so long as I can hold on to some of that fear I had when I first rode home. Riding around the Dandenongs (mountain range just outside Melbourne) I was surprised at how often I was overtaken by other riders while I never ducked beneath the speed limit. I was usually focusing on judging the next corner - and looking out for loose gravel and inconsistencies - when suddenly I'd here an excitingly loud rhythm close behind me. By the time I'd registered that it was a another bike, it had ducked around me and shot off into the distance in a rising pitch. Sure, these guys obviously had more skill, but I couldn't help wonder how much more likely they were to die as well. Same with the guys weaving through traffic. I just get a sense that these guys, even if they have binned, have a belief that it's not going to happen to them.
Unrealistic optimism is common amongst us hapless humans (except for the anxious and depressed who are closer to the truth in their estimations of risk). Most of us think we are above average drivers and riders (much more than just the 50% who are). Just like most of us think that we are less likely than others to die of cancer or be involved in an accident.
Do you think you're a below average rider? Do you think that you're less safe than average? For the learners I hope most of you will still acknowledge being less than average, but I bet you think you're an above average learner. Ba Bow. Wrong, thanks for playing. At least for some of you anyway. How do you know its not you? For the more experienced riders I'm sure many would have agreed with the sentiment and still thought "no" to both. Some of you are wrong. None of you thinks its you. Just a thought.
If you're new to this whole riding adventure, or have started to take it for granted, I think that's the one thing you need to remember; our stats aren't good. It's not just idiots who die. Intelligent, talented people who push their limits die too. As do random cautious riders. It might not have been their fault but they're still dead.
People probably (hopefully) post this sort of stuff often. Sorry if it's boring. This is just in case someone has forgotten. I'm worried I'll forget, it's happening already in fact. Every time I ride I take it more for granted. I don't want to have to have a spill to remind me. I don't want to have other riders remind me through their mishaps either. People are more fun alive.
Fear is good, but it can dissipate via habituation. Everyone's fear goes down when they experience something and nothing bad happens - the same theory is used to treat phobias. That's unfortunate for us as random stuff happens. I've swung wide on a corner once and have pretty much dismissed it as a one off. Could have been a deadly one off though.
One thing that keeps fear going in phobias is a sense of "phew, thank god I made it" that follows the removal of the feared stimulus. I think that's what we should tell ourselves when we get off our bikes.
Anyway, good luck not having any exciting stories everyone. The fear might keep you alive, hang on to some of it as best as you can.
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Originally Posted by Learner Zealot
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