Close call.... and lesson learned because of it.

[nvp]

When something doesn't go as planned when riding I call it and treat it as an accident. So, in this case I didn't crash but came close enough that it scared some deeper perspective in me, and encouraged me to think about what I did wrong.

I was riding hwy1 southbound approaching the bolinas lagoon. I was following my brother and another buddy. We are all very similar in experience and pace, so we ride together often. In fact, I am extremely used to having my brothers back wheel in my forward view as he tends to lead and does a very good (read: sensible) job.

We were coming through the final set of turns that weave through the trees just as we approached the straight section that preceeds the bolinas lagoon. My bro was quite close to our buddy, and I was comfortably tucked in behind him. As we came through the final left sweeping turn I was leaned over, haning off a bit. We were keeping a good clip. Well, in the very middle of the corner I hit a hole in the road... it was like hitting a curb. The impact was so severe that it knocked my inside foot off the peg, and as I later discovered, compressed the front tire so severely that it left a black stripe on the lip of the rim. The bike lost traction momentarily (both wheels) but caught. Because I was tucked in tight on the bike, and hanging off a bit, my weight was in the right place and I was able to recover fairly easy. The guy riding behind me said he saw very little... just a "bobble."

What helped me:
- Good body position, weight balanced
- Full Dianese race suit (thank god I didn't need it, but the boots helped.)
- My bike... a GS with Ohlins, long travel

What did I do wrong (because it wasn't the holes fault):
- TOO CLOSE to my brother. I had no time to react... in fact I didn't even see it... just felt it as I slammed into it. I am too comfortable following him and NEVER would have been that close to another rider. It reminded me that even if we trust the person in front fully, it does not leave enough time to react to changing road conditions.

By the way, my brother never saw the hole either... just got lucky and missed it. So we are all too close together.

[cold100onhw1]

I think you were going to fast! no but really get to know the road. there are alot of big holes and bumps in that road that can take you out. there are some huge dips in the other lane in that same spot. slow down... or just don't hit the hole next time.

[caponerd]

You got off easy. Lesson learned, and no damage to you or the bike. (well, maybe you better check your front tire for carcass damage!)

Every season someone plants their bike in the mud down there.

When I'm follwing someone who's setting a fast pace, I always maintain distance for that very reason: I don't want to follow them off the road.

[Enchanter]

Moved to the Training forum because if fits better there.

[snowface]

great thread, nvp, thanks for sharing.

one more thing i'd like to add is: look through the turn. it's a point i slowly "forget" over time unless i'm concious of it (i just don't hit the twisties often enough to have made it a habit yet).

stare at the road at the farthest point from you and analyze the hell out of it. keeping the distance from the rider in front of you is a prerequisite to being able to see the road you're riding on however.

a couple of days after i took the msf (long ago) i was hanging a right onto a fwy on-ramp... ...halfway through the turn for some reason i remembered my trainer beating "look through the turn" into me... i turned my head to see up the road and briefly glimpsed a fresh oil slick about 3ft x 3ft... i had just enough time to just get around it, but definately caught some slip. hanging off a bit and keeping on the throttle got me through it, but had i nailed the slick head-on i would have gone down.

[LuckyStar387]

I'm a noob rider and the person I follow when riding I never like to follow too closely...especially if I don't know where in the heck we're riding to and which way they're going to go next.

[bmer97]

Originally posted by nvp
When something doesn't go as planned when riding I call it and treat it as an accident.

I call it normal...

:wow

[uraniaclio]

I had a question. How do you look through the turn if you're not confident in the rider in front of you? This is something I struggle with.

[snowface]

Originally posted by uraniaclio
I had a question. How do you look through the turn if you're not confident in the rider in front of you? This is something I struggle with.

uraniaclio - i'm not sure what you're looking for, but regardless of looking through the turn i'd either get in front of a rider i'm not confident in, or i'd hang waaaaay back behind. the rider in front of you should never hinder or adversely effect your riding style.

if you're so unconfident in the rider in front of you that you can't look through the turn, then it's time to change your association to that rider.

that's my opinion, not sure if it's what you're looking for. as well, this is mainly in reference to twisties - on the track perhaps there is a different mindset.

[sportbikeguy]

Originally posted by uraniaclio
I had a question. How do you look through the turn if you're not confident in the rider in front of you? This is something I struggle with.

You stay far enough behind where you don't have to worry about what he does. Leave enough of a gap to respond to anything that may come up.

[Baptistro]

Originally posted by uraniaclio
I had a question. How do you look through the turn if you're not confident in the rider in front of you? This is something I struggle with.

stop looking at the rider in front of you and look at where you want to go, not where the other rider is going

[Z3n]

U, on the track or on the street?

[redline]

Originally posted by uraniaclio
I had a question. How do you look through the turn if you're not confident in the rider in front of you? This is something I struggle with.

I found that this was one of the most difficult aspects of riding in a group (for me).

Like the others said, I had to try to focus on the road and not the rider in front. It can be very hard to do. Usually the rider ahead seemed to be exactly where I wanted to be looking at the road. The only way I could fix it was to look even further up the road.

Sometimes, I will talk myself through the turn to make sure I'm focusing on the road and not the ridrer ahead. For example, "set up right, turn at that mark on the rd, exit the turn near that sign..." If I'm really focusing on the road like that, I'm usually not target fixated on the rider in front.

If the question was for the track, just choose an alternate line and pass the dude. Or late brake... ;)

[nvp]

Thanks for all the thoughts. I definitely know the road quite well, but the hole was/is new. So, good to pretend like you don't know the road a bit even when you do.

Also, I definitely agree with looking at the road ahead instead of the rider in front. I do this, but I still was too close. Even though we look a ways down the road our peripheral vision provides "late notice" for things in the more immediate vicinity... like a holejavascript:smilie(':wow'). That is, unless there is a bike occupying that space.

[Mad Gnome]

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Originally posted by uraniaclio
I had a question. How do you look through the turn if you're not confident in the rider in front of you? This is something I struggle with.
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If the rider in front of you screws up you should still see him (periferially (sp?) anyway). With your eyes on the exit door you will be better prepared to find your way out. Work on getting a "whole world" perspective and avoiding the tunnel vision/ target fixation that can easily happen when you are pushing your riding skill (it's also a good guage to find if you are pushing too hard). Smart money says pull back and slow down a bit, tho somedays...
Kieth Code has some great things to say 'bout that tunnel vision thing, Check it out,
:nerd