Own your bit of road

[Dare]

Did a little experiment the other day, I was sitting on the very left of the lane and a BMW was so close behind me he was practically touching my rear tyre, so I looked back and lazily rolled into the middle of the lane and back to a spot around 2 ft to the right of the left dashed lane divider. Dude dropped right back!

[caseye]

It's simple and it works, well done dpex and Frosty for uttering those words in the first? place.

[Chrislost]

Interestingly, one of the few sensible things I have ever heard Frosty utter for a long time was to a kid on a scooter who had turned up on Frosty's yard to pay his penultimate payment for the 250, something.

As the kid gloved up Frosty said, 'Just remember, when you're riding, even on that thing (50cc junk) you gotta own your bit of the road.'

Today I was bumbling around West Auckland and noticed a dude on a very shiny 250, complete with L-plate. He was out practicing, as it turned out...I know this because I finally stopped alongside and had a yak.

Our paths had crossed twice during an hour. I could see that his speed and his hugging the left marked this young man out to become cager-fodder.

And so I gave him Frosty's Billy Grahame. 'Mate. You gotta own your bit of road. I've seen you pootling along at 40Ks, hugging the left. All you're doing is setting yourself up to become cager-fodder. You have to 'own' your bit of road, and you have to travel at the prevailing speed or you will piss off a whole bunch of careless folk who just wanna get past.

But your L-plate marks you out as a target for the arseholes who take great joy in giving L-platers a hard time.

And so, stop riding at 40Ks. ride at the limit and get your bike out there, in the general position of the right-hand wheel-track of the average car, and take ownership of you bit of road.'

I think he took it on board. Geez. I hope so.

But Frosty's advice was right. To all newbies to biking. 'Take ownership of your bit of road or become fodder. But you absolutely MUST travel at least at the prevailing limit.

I own the road from the jump near kaiawa to the top of the hill near welsford.

[CookMySock]

My L-Plater lady friend was pootling along on the open road on her KR150 at about 90k, and some assholes pulled out to pass and then drove along next to her and yelled and pointed at her L Plate. The pore thing was frightened out of her wits. She was right in the center of the right-hand half-lane, there was no traffic about whatsoever (they caught her up) there was ample opportunity for them to pass and just fuck off, but noooooo, they have got to be mr fucken policeman and tell her off.

I'm putting it down to the L-Plate and tiny motorcycle. I doubt whether her position on the road contributed to it at all. Perhaps if she had another 10km/hr speed on things might have been different, but these assholes were hell-bent on telling her off for using the right half-lane because of her L-Plate.

Maybe, in a way, L-Platers shouldn't be on the open road. Maybe thats fair.. But I doubt if that would feel fair to said L-Plater.

Steve

[rickstv]

I think in the UK you're not allowed on the motorway on an L plate, correct me if I'm wrong. I wouldn't feel safe on the motorway here doing less than the speed limit.

[Danae]

I haven't read the thread about the 70km/hr learner limit, but I think it's pretty stupid...imagine going 70k on the motorway, yikes! I say stuff that and ride at the same speed as the traffic and the cops honestly don't mind.

[Maha]

I own the road from the jump near kaiawa to the top of the hill near welsford.

But you leave your bike in some real strange places....

[Chrislost]

But you leave your bike in some real strange places....

Yeah, my mate owns that road so i left it beside his one for a few days...

[tri boy]

Best way to own the road?
Intimidation

[GOONR]

I think in the UK you're not allowed on the motorway on an L plate, correct me if I'm wrong. I wouldn't feel safe on the motorway here doing less than the speed limit.

That's correct, no L plates on motorways in the UK.

[CookMySock]

Best way to own the road? Intimidation?

There are precursors to "intimidation" that work well. The loud exhaust is one of these.

Steve

[Jonno.]

My L-Plater lady friend was pootling along on the open road on her KR150 at about 90k, and some assholes pulled out to pass and then drove along next to her and yelled and pointed at her L Plate. The pore thing was frightened out of her wits.......

if i understand you she was in the passing lane? if so she was asking for it....

[CookMySock]

if i understand you she was in the passing lane? if so she was asking for it....

Pootling along on the open road - in the passing lane? LOL how did you draw that conclusion?

Steve

[sil3nt]

Pootling along on the open road - in the passing lane? LOL how did you draw that conclusion?

Steve

its amazing what people make up when they read things.

[Pegasus]

I concur, Own your bit of the road. Had a prat in a car right up my jaxi the other week, and I was doing a fair speed. Tried pulling to the left, and the prat sat even closer up my jaxi, but wouldn't pass.

Came up on the next car in front (not that I was speeding or anything like that ), passed them and all was good. Prat sat up their jaxi till I was well clear.

Moral: A prat will be a prat, no matter how considerate you try to be. Next time I will just be more confident in what I am doing, and Stuff him behind me.