What goes through your head
Discussion
Driving back this evening had 2 bikers going at a good lick. They over take me easy enough.. Fair enough I'm doing the limit down a NSL marked country road and they can make better progress than me but it's getting dark. The next thing is they go to over take the next stream of cars but do it on a blind bend... To be greeted by a van...
I've not felt like this in a long time but I went physically cold and just watched it play out.
What the f+#k goes through bikers head that they need to get home that bad or willing to take that much risk.... You see it alot.. and I know I'm talking to the wrong crowd and all, but as a car enthusiast I'm all up for freedom to make decisions and risk assess your way to the perly gates but what about the van driver tonight.... Do you think he wants to go through that s
t...
Ride safe just don't out others in harms way.
I've not felt like this in a long time but I went physically cold and just watched it play out.
What the f+#k goes through bikers head that they need to get home that bad or willing to take that much risk.... You see it alot.. and I know I'm talking to the wrong crowd and all, but as a car enthusiast I'm all up for freedom to make decisions and risk assess your way to the perly gates but what about the van driver tonight.... Do you think he wants to go through that s
t... Ride safe just don't out others in harms way.
Had similar a few weeks back up Brecon. I was in the car and making progress over a blind crest with a drop to the left, by Cray reservoir. To be greeted by an mt10 on coming overtaking a line of cars. Avoided each other barely but had to pull over. He had a perfect overtaking stretch if he had waited 20 secs
As, possibly that van driver, the vast majority of professional drivers you see I imagine are pretty much desensitised to idiocy.
What goes through my head in that moment is whether 'harsh braking' is worth losing my £15 weekly black box 'safe driving' bonus for. And is the bump going to slow down my laden fleet truck enough for it to hurt.
What goes through my head in that moment is whether 'harsh braking' is worth losing my £15 weekly black box 'safe driving' bonus for. And is the bump going to slow down my laden fleet truck enough for it to hurt.
A couple of months ago I saw a guy on a bike overtaking a few cars round a blind bend that went left with a junction on the right on the wrong side of double whites. He'd also not noticed the ambulance coming up behind him. Full house.
To answer the original question... you have to assume that it's not much.
On the plus side, all those stats that show biking to be dangerous must be hugely swayed by these bellends that you're probably somewhat safer than people perceive... assuming you don't ride like that.
To answer the original question... you have to assume that it's not much.
On the plus side, all those stats that show biking to be dangerous must be hugely swayed by these bellends that you're probably somewhat safer than people perceive... assuming you don't ride like that.
I'd expect it's the old I've done it before and not had a problem confidence that builds up over the years.
I'm completely the other way, forget overtaking, knowing hard braking round a bend isn't a great idea I tend to go into corners slowly as don't want to be coming across slow cars/tractors/cyclists mid bend.
I'd go as far as saying I reckon most of you would think I'm too slow... but that's the level of caution I tend to approach with.
I don't think the OPs people are wrong as such, and hope they don't come off worse, but equally not the sort of risk I take.
I'm completely the other way, forget overtaking, knowing hard braking round a bend isn't a great idea I tend to go into corners slowly as don't want to be coming across slow cars/tractors/cyclists mid bend.
I'd go as far as saying I reckon most of you would think I'm too slow... but that's the level of caution I tend to approach with.
I don't think the OPs people are wrong as such, and hope they don't come off worse, but equally not the sort of risk I take.
dern said:
On the plus side, all those stats that show biking to be dangerous must be hugely swayed by these bellends that you're probably somewhat safer than people perceive... assuming you don't ride like that.
I take solace in this when I'm out on a bike. Was driving home yesterday on a dual carriageway and a couple of bikers were giving it the big'un, splitting the lanes at 90mph+ past a few junctions, people changing lanes all around them, utilising the new popular method which means you turn the steering wheel, THEN indicate. A lorry overtook another up ahead so the bikes got right up on it's arse, the front one could have been holding on to the tailgate of the lorry he was that close.I like to think the statistics are in favour of riders like that taking the room temperature challenge as opposed to me.
Edited by Cardinal Hips on Thursday 11th October 13:35
9 times out of 10 even if you badly misjudge it you can get away with a stupid overtake as there is normally enough room between both lanes to get through. I personally will hang back even if guys I'm riding with risk it in front of me as I love biking too much to do overtakes that are clearly not on. But what car drivers will not fully understand is the sheer power of a motorbike and what looks very risky from where they are is more than likely just a routine overtake for a motorbike that has so much power in hand.
Since I've been riding I also tend to overtake more in the car than I used to and it's surprising how many times I get flashed by other cars who tend to find being overtaken just wrong. I'm not talking stupid overtakes either just standard NSL roads with plenty of room.
Since I've been riding I also tend to overtake more in the car than I used to and it's surprising how many times I get flashed by other cars who tend to find being overtaken just wrong. I'm not talking stupid overtakes either just standard NSL roads with plenty of room.
Do you ride a bike OP?
Blind bends, no. I think some bikers feel that they are narrow enough to get themselves out of trouble...not always the case, and shows a disregard for the safety of others as well as your own.
With oncoming traffic with a very small overtaking window that to a non rider looks daft, yes. You get very in tune with your bike and what it's capable of.
Blind bends, no. I think some bikers feel that they are narrow enough to get themselves out of trouble...not always the case, and shows a disregard for the safety of others as well as your own.
With oncoming traffic with a very small overtaking window that to a non rider looks daft, yes. You get very in tune with your bike and what it's capable of.
As a fairly new rider (April) and now Advanced Certificate holder, my view is that this is created by an inability to show restraint - something I'm conscious of - sometimes I need to be better at just holding fire, rather than get caught up and going when really, I shouldn't.
I work on this all the time - I think if someone has not done some form of Advanced Riding, restraint is unlikely to be something they actively focus on as part of their riding.
I hate seeing these types of biker and yes, sometimes my blood runs cold seeing what they do. As pointed out, the horrendous accident rate can very easily be explained by the types of riding you see - esp on nice days.
I work on this all the time - I think if someone has not done some form of Advanced Riding, restraint is unlikely to be something they actively focus on as part of their riding.
I hate seeing these types of biker and yes, sometimes my blood runs cold seeing what they do. As pointed out, the horrendous accident rate can very easily be explained by the types of riding you see - esp on nice days.
I think the question and some of these responses are bullst to be honest. You're on a performance vehicle forum and you're claiming you don't understand how people can go too fast, and subsequently make an error of judgement?
If you claim to have not ever gone too fast and fked it, you're either a pussy, a liar, or both. In cars/bikes/whatever, we all have at some point got carried away and had a near miss. The only thing that seperates us from those now dwelling beneath ground, is that we are lucky. We simply got away for long enough to learn retraint or the novelty to wear off.
I don't condone driving/riding like a dick, but let's get off the soapbox, and be bloody honest, if you like going fast, you know exactly how this thing happens.
t to be honest. You're on a performance vehicle forum and you're claiming you don't understand how people can go too fast, and subsequently make an error of judgement? If you claim to have not ever gone too fast and f
ked it, you're either a pussy, a liar, or both. In cars/bikes/whatever, we all have at some point got carried away and had a near miss. The only thing that seperates us from those now dwelling beneath ground, is that we are lucky. We simply got away for long enough to learn retraint or the novelty to wear off. I don't condone driving/riding like a dick, but let's get off the soapbox, and be bloody honest, if you like going fast, you know exactly how this thing happens.
I've found that the knobs who overtake on double whites and blind bends and force their way through traffic are usually the ones who get left for dead when the road is clear and a few bends are thrown in, I've been on a few group rides where there have been a few of these knobs, I have on occasion turned around and gone for a ride on my own as I'm not comfortable riding with them or even sharing the same road space.
I must also admit to passing on double whites occasionally when they used to be a broken white, and have been changed as part as a 'safety measure' to stop cars and vans overtaking, but only when the road is clear and I'm certain there's no plod and the car I'm passing isn't a dashcam wker.
I must also admit to passing on double whites occasionally when they used to be a broken white, and have been changed as part as a 'safety measure' to stop cars and vans overtaking, but only when the road is clear and I'm certain there's no plod and the car I'm passing isn't a dashcam w
ker.nunpuncher said:
I wouldn't really regard over taking on a blind bend as an error of judgement. There's not really any situation where judgement would say thats a wise thing to do no matter what vehicle you are driving.
Yes, so if you judged in favour of doing of overtaking on a blind bend as viable means of traversing the road that would be erroroneous wouldn't it?Even if I was semantically wrong (which I'm not), my point remains unchallanged. If you're claiming you don't understand why people do this, you're probably being disingenuous, because the chances of anyone motivated by performance driving/riding not having f
ked an overtake at some point, are I believe, non-existent, again unless you're a total pussy or exceptionally lucky.But this thread is like when you're talking to your wife and she goes on like, "you know Alan with four kids, and the fat miserable gobs
te wife who takes no pride in her appearance, he's gone and been caught shagging his ninteen year old assistant with massive tits. Honestly, why do men do it?"... Now we all say, "I know dear, terrible thing infidelity, poor kids etc.", but what we actually mean is "Well, I wouldn't condone fking up a marriage, but we all know why Alan was knobbing his busty young colleague, because I'm a man and understand it", but unlike that analogy, no one is watching, so why are we pretending we don't get it? 
Prof Prolapse said:
Yes, so if you judged in favour of doing of overtaking on a blind bend as viable means of traversing the road that would be erroroneous wouldn't it?
Even if I was semantically wrong (which I'm not), my point remains unchallanged. If you're claiming you don't understand why people do this, you're probably being disingenuous, because the chances of anyone motivated by performance driving/riding not having fked an overtake at some point, are I believe, non-existent, again unless you're a total pussy or exceptionally lucky.
But this thread is like when you're talking to your wife and she goes on like, "you know Alan with four kids, and the fat miserable gobste wife who takes no pride in her appearance, he's gone and been caught shagging his ninteen year old assistant with massive tits. Honestly, why do men do it?"... Now we all say, "I know dear, terrible thing infidelity, poor kids etc.", but what we actually mean is "Well, I wouldn't condone fking up a marriage, but we all know why Alan was knobbing his busty young colleague, because I'm a man and understand it", but unlike that analogy, no one is watching, so why are we pretending we don't get it?
Sorry!
And as his wife and kids looked at his coffin for the last time, he wanted to cry out to them 'Don't you understand? I was motivated by performance riding, that was all. Error of judgement, too much confidence in own ability, inability to read the road correctly, impatience, anger or just plain stupidity weren't part of it". Even if I was semantically wrong (which I'm not), my point remains unchallanged. If you're claiming you don't understand why people do this, you're probably being disingenuous, because the chances of anyone motivated by performance driving/riding not having f
ked an overtake at some point, are I believe, non-existent, again unless you're a total pussy or exceptionally lucky.But this thread is like when you're talking to your wife and she goes on like, "you know Alan with four kids, and the fat miserable gobs
te wife who takes no pride in her appearance, he's gone and been caught shagging his ninteen year old assistant with massive tits. Honestly, why do men do it?"... Now we all say, "I know dear, terrible thing infidelity, poor kids etc.", but what we actually mean is "Well, I wouldn't condone fking up a marriage, but we all know why Alan was knobbing his busty young colleague, because I'm a man and understand it", but unlike that analogy, no one is watching, so why are we pretending we don't get it? Sorry!
Using 'being motivated by performance riding' as some sort of explanation of people riding like idiots is almost as poor as your analogy suggesting cheating on your wife is understandable because she was unattractive.
I think the OP wants to go a bit beyond the shallowness of your explanation and try understand more about why bikers do these stupid moves day in, day out - and die, day in, day out doing them.
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