Blocks of wood in the road

[R-Soul]

A tip to avoid my situation...

I was riding over the harbour bridge last Friday going North, when a bloody great big block of wood came out from under the car in front of me. I was looking around at the time, and only looked forward in time to see it going under the front wheel at about 80kph. No time to swerve.

The bike took off into the air, and landed a bit skew, shaking its head wildy and trying to throw me off. Luckily I stood up in the seat when it landed (to soften th landing), and I kept my arms loose, so I could let the bike dampen itself out.

I got control of it, and did not come off. My seat had bite marks on it though. The tyres were still pumped up and it got me home, but the incident muntered both of my rims. Expected damage around $500.

Lessons learnt:
1) ART is crucial - else I would have tried to fight the steering and probably highsided.
2) Give yourself good clearance behind the car in front of you. It was a little difficult because the traffic was acceleratig and slowing all the time.
3) Stay in one of the cars wheel lines - their wheels will clear whatever is going under their car first. I always thought that by giving myself more space to either side of me in the lane, I would have more options. Not so, when it happens fast.

[BoristheBiter]

skills.
I bet you had done it before thinking.

Lucky you didn't hit the one this morning, looks like a few cars did. It was a length of steel in lane 1 just before the Symonds st on ramp (sth bound).
Bike cop was picking it up, looked heavy.

[Akzle]

i swerved around three of them (wood bits), a bag of cement and a dead possum on my ride down today.

in the 60km through auckland, general traffic managed the speed limit twice! and the roads were 20% full! that's a f*ing miracle by auckland standards!

i still don't get, why people (auckland cagers) in the fast lane do 10km under the speed limit, when the left hand lane is empty or damn-near, and only doing 15 under the speed limit.
i think i need to hurry up about that shotgun scabbard.
kudos only to the black ute on 1 for getting the fuck out of the way in good time, and the white hilux on 16, who tried. bitch in the yaris: i hope you die.

i can't believe how much faith auckland bikers have in auckland cagers, (to not kill them) mad bastards.

so... anyone savvy or internettily inclined to set up good-driver.co.nz and bad-driver.co.nz?

[R-Soul]

skills.
I bet you had done it before thinking.

Thre was definitely no time for conscious thought!

What is with all teh crap in teh road lately.
Also, has anybody noticed boy racer types start ot move towards the white line when you are coming up behind them on teh moroway riding in between lanes. No big swerves by them or anything - just real sneaky like. Like they are trying to squeeze you. Like they are trying to lose a side view mirror....

[BoristheBiter]

Thre was definitely no time for conscious thought!

What is with all teh crap in teh road lately.
Also, has anybody noticed boy racer types start ot move towards the white line when you are coming up behind them on teh moroway riding in between lanes. No big swerves by them or anything - just real sneaky like. Like they are trying to squeeze you. Like they are trying to lose a side view mirror....

Shit mate, every time i see you on the motorway I move over.
It must be the hypnotizing paint job on your helmet

[BoristheBiter]

i swerved around three of them (wood bits), a bag of cement and a dead possum on my ride down today.

in the 60km through auckland, general traffic managed the speed limit twice! and the roads were 20% full! that's a f*ing miracle by auckland standards!

i still don't get, why people (auckland cagers) in the fast lane do 10km under the speed limit, when the left hand lane is empty or damn-near, and only doing 15 under the speed limit.
i think i need to hurry up about that shotgun scabbard.
kudos only to the black ute on 1 for getting the fuck out of the way in good time, and the white hilux on 16, who tried. bitch in the yaris: i hope you die.

i can't believe how much faith auckland bikers have in auckland cagers, (to not kill them) mad bastards.

so... anyone savvy or internettily inclined to set up good-driver.co.nz and bad-driver.co.nz?

Who cares, you're on a bike.
Just treat them like moving chicanes.

[zique]

Thre was definitely no time for conscious thought!

What is with all teh crap in teh road lately.
Also, has anybody noticed boy racer types start ot move towards the white line when you are coming up behind them on teh moroway riding in between lanes. No big swerves by them or anything - just real sneaky like. Like they are trying to squeeze you. Like they are trying to lose a side view mirror....

My mate hated when boy racer types did that,especially when they knew a biker was coming through the lanes.Which is why he carried a thick chain with him to clear out the side mirrors of dick-head cars that deliberately would block him in,in traffic.

[Tigadee]

I got control of it, and did not come off. My seat had bite marks on it though. The tyres were still pumped up and it got me home, but the incident muntered both of my rims.

Glad you're OK, mate, though pity about your rims...

i still don't get, why people (auckland cagers) in the fast lane do 10km under the speed limit, when the left hand lane is empty or damn-near, and only doing 15 under the speed limit.

I know, aye? Pisses me off so, that I go around them honking and/or giving them a look like "WTF!"...

And they are either texting or talking on the phone, OR not doing anything and yet oblivious to the 10 cars held up behind them...

[jellywrestler]

3) Stay in one of the cars wheel lines - their wheels will clear whatever is going under their car first.

both blindspots so you've got to weigh up the odds of trading that off, also if they swerve and you don't you get it anyway...

[Berries]

so... anyone savvy or internettily inclined to set up good-driver.co.nz and bad-driver.co.nz?

Nice idea. I seem to recall that the last one a couple of months ago went down like a paedophile at a five years old birthday party.

And what is ART out of interest?

[BoristheBiter]

Nice idea. I seem to recall that the last one a couple of months ago went down like a paedophile at a five years old birthday party.

And what is ART out of interest?

Advanced Rider Training by AMCC at Puky

http://www.amcc.org.nz/advanced

[ontoit]

Good skills to stay on the bike.

Yesterday a mate going to work had a wheelbarrow fly off a truck which was coming towards him and bounced in front of his car, just missing the windscreen, went over his bonnet. On a bike that could have been messy. What is it with people today, I was taught to always secure a load.

All i had today was two herds of cows to avoid, one around a sharp corner and the crap on the road.

[unstuck]

If you are following behind a cage, then your going too slow.

[FJRider]

If you are following behind a cage, then your going too slow.

Dam right ... !!! if you were in front ... you would have seen it much sooner ...

Only a bit of wood anyway ... I've seen a double bed (complete with mattress and blankets) upside down on a road near here once ...

If you used the two second rule while following ... you would have had plenty of time to change your line. Obviously following too closely ... your fault.

[sootie]

I have been hit by significant objects several times while crossing the Ak harbour bridge.
I reckon the odds are about one significant strike every 500 crossings.
Then there are all the ones I did manage to avoid by seeing them early enough .....
Welcome to the world of Ak road riding! LOL