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Riding The Apex


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#1 Kelpie

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 02:53 pm

I lead a rideout of 7 or 8 fellow members of an all lady bike club yesterday, taking in some of the best twisties in Essex, from North Weald airfield to Finchingfield via Great Dunmow.
 
The weather was superb and the roads were pretty busy.  There's plenty of opportunity to have a little fun if you don't get stuck behind a horsebox (we did, twice  :rolleyes:  ), but there lots of pretty villages and 30 & 40 zones too.
 
Our number included a lady on a 125 and Lplates who although a fairly new rider, didn't hold us up one bit.  Another works as a theatre practitioner in a London Hospital.  She's a careful rider; she's seen a lot of the consequences of bike accidents.  We agreed to wait at every junction in any case, so no one got left behind.  It gave me and my pal (on a VFR 1200) the chance to put the bikes through their paces a little and "make progress".
 
Coming into a pretty sharpish bend just outside Finchingfield, we were confronted by 3 sports bikes, at full lean angle, coming straight at us from the opposite direction.  Their bikes were on the white lines, the "apex" if you like, but their bodies were well onto our side.  We're both very experienced riders and were already moving over from postion three, and thankfully able to swerve in time to get the hell out of their way and avoid a head on crash amounting to around 100mph. 
 
A couple of hundred yards further on, we met 3 more bikes (2 were abreast) overtaking a lorry as it came into another bend we had just come out of.  Another dozen or so bikes were crammed in behind the truck, waiting to make a similarly psychotic move.  I was worried sick about the girls behind us but they were only hassled by a  rider who insisted on overtaking them even when he had no clear view of the road ahead.
 
I'm a tough old bird but the whole episode left me feeling really shaken and bloody angry.
 
We had the inevitable icecream in Finchingfield and looked on in dismay and bikes of all shapes and sizes (although not all of them of course), revved and occasionally redlined through the beautiful village.  Just a bit too much willy waving to be honest. 
 
An hour or so later, a police car tore through the main street. We heard later there was a collision near Sible Hedingham, not far from where we were involving 4 bikes.  One lad of 22 is dead.  1 in his 50's is fighting for his life and another injured.
 
I'm sure you're all far to sensible too do it but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, keep the hell away from that white line on right hand bends.  Keep the red mist under control.    If you do do it, go get some advanced training before you kill yourself or someone else.  It may be heroic to say that someone died doing what they loved but I'm sure it's little consolation to their loved ones or to those innocents they happen to drag into the mess.
 
Sorry it wasn't a happier report but I felt it had to be said and I also needed to get it off my chest.

Edited by Kelpie, 06 June 2016 - 06:24 pm.

You don't need balls to ride a big bike.

#2 ProudViking

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 05:04 pm

Its not nice, but if you ride a certain way you'll become the fly on the visor.



#3 Andy25

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 05:34 pm

Never good to hear of these things,

Past few years I've stopped going out for the day on the Bike at the weekend because
of this.
Roads are full of weekend white liners

A local guy crashed on Friday night ,due in Surgery Sat for broken shoulder / arm
Got delayed as another 3 bikers came in Sat during the day

#4 Kelpie

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 06:15 pm

Past few years I've stopped going out for the day on the Bike at the weekend because
of this.


I hate the thought of not riding at the weekends. We both work all week and too knackered to do much but we're going to have to seriously think about where we ride in the future.
You don't need balls to ride a big bike.

#5 TYREDNGRUMPEE

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 07:28 pm

Likewise, I had an otherwise splendid days bike riding ruined by the righteous brigade on their 30+ bike, camel train, (yawn) rideout.

 

I met them first at Blandford Forums' Tesco roundabout and quickly recognised that here in front of me was the biking equivalent of Augustus Windsock, on tour, with a mobile chicane for touring caravans, cars, tractors, tricycles. Lobotomy mandatory.  :locco:

 

They were loving their sunny, two wheel snake through the Dorset countryside, totally oblivious to the chaos they were causing at each roundabout and country lane junction.

 

Nevermind that they weren't the only holidaymakers wanting to get back home after a warm days wasting.

 

Fuck it and fuck them I shouted  :rant: . I pulled over into a piss reeking layby, avoided last nights pool of vomit   :puke: and waited for 10 to 15 minutes to give them some space before starting off again via Compton Abbas airfield and Shaftesbury.

 

Just to give some idea of how much space I had allowed them, we didn't meet up again until I got to the outskirts of Warminster and Longleat.

Let me tell you,  :oldgit: catching some vehicle up after having given it a 15 minute head start really requires some doing, unless, that is of course, it doesn't.

 

So I followed obediently.

 

By the time we reached Westbury I had reached the end of my tether.

The camel train was moving so slowly through the town that I was able to ride on the opposite side of the road and gently overtake them all, at a distance and at the regulation 30mph without inconveniencing anyone at all. Joy.

 

So why do you suppose then, that the convoy captain felt it necessary to pursue me like a madman, all the way to Yarnbrook ?!?!  :unsure2:

 

Fucking clueless the lot of them. Stuck in their ice cream and seaside rock fuelled, two wheel bumfest. :punishment: Totally oblivious and unable to put themselves in other road users shoes.

 

On days like this, road users should always be prepared for a little give and take, both ways.

 

yhhg45hg_zps2lmfkjk6.jpg

 

Edit (found puke emoji and added for effect)


Edited by TYREDNGRUMPEE, 06 June 2016 - 07:36 pm.


#6 Kelpie

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 07:33 pm

"Two wheeled bumfest". :lol: :lol: priceless!
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#7 Favs

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 08:41 pm

I hate the thought of not riding at the weekends. We both work all week and too knackered to do much but we're going to have to seriously think about where we ride in the future.

 

Because of the knobheads/arsickx/are1 brigade - I go to the places where there are no attractive meeting places/cafes/traffic/plod on the road at weekends - around here that is quite easy to do and still find interesting roads and places. So Kelpie - a bit of planning and OS map study can pay off AND keep you riding AND keep you safe® from D.Heads.

 

Because I can, I go to the cafe/popular routes when the weekend/evening, 40 miles is a long trip road riders, knee sliders worn away by careful application of the angle grinder in the garage, are safely at work.

 

I did over 100 miles today for a little run out and saw 2 motorcycles and very few cars for at least 50 of the 100 miles - one bike briefly running parallel a few fields away on a well known "bends to die for" bikers favourite and later an enduro bike pulling away from a farm.

 

3 riders have unfortunately lost their lives near here this week on the popular biker roads, therefore plod is out Strength 10 with hair driers on the "bends dead ahead" roads, capturing all and sundry. One of my Ducati mates got busted 78 in a 60 on Sunday.afternoon (Hawes road), and a lecture about the carnage this week as well as er er 3 points and £100? For sure I would not have considered riding that road this weekend.


Edited by Favs, 06 June 2016 - 08:42 pm.

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#8 harvey krumpet

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 09:33 pm

The same mentality exists down here but we don't have huge throngs of weekend warriors or such a high level of traffic.

 

The magnetic white line and "look at me" attitude is strong. I avoid group rides and give other riders on the road a wide berth. Keeps me calm and relatively safe.


TDM 850 Loud and unusual. CRM 250r Woo hoo! DT 230 Lanza Fiddled with.... Bloody hell, is that legal? GG Randonee AKA "I didn't think that was possible".


#9 Kelpie

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 09:37 pm

You're right Favs and we're going to have to rethink this or it's not going to be fun anymore. Since coming back from Ireland 3 1/2 years ago, it's been one big culture shock and it's not getting any easier. The problem is that BSM works shifts so he's up before dawn three days a week. That's not conducive to evening biking. I reckon we might try dawn instead. I've been threatening to do that for ages. I did some of my biking, alone in Ireland as the sun came up.

The same mentality exists down here but we don't have huge throngs of weekend warriors or such a high level of traffic.
 
The magnetic white line and "look at me" attitude is strong. I avoid group rides and give other riders on the road a wide berth. Keeps me calm and relatively safe.


We very rarely do group rides but just this once, I reckoned leading the girls on a relatively short trip would be fine. How wrong I was!
You don't need balls to ride a big bike.

#10 Sidarta

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 11:25 pm

Hi Kelpie!

 

Yesterday my friend sent me a video on face book. Motorcyclists were traveling in a group. There was an accident due to carelessness of one of them. I could not understand if they were 2 groups or only one group. The lack of basic rules of group and individual folly of some, sometimes contributes to accidents. This is one of the factors by which I avoid groups.
Who walks properly, sometimes you pay the duck by the stupidity of another.
Some pass right on the curve and will fall across the track. Others may exceed the limit (white line) and we ......... Recently an acquaintance of mine ulrapassou the limit of the curve with a Yamaha R1 and was against the guard rail and died instantly.
    His story was perfect. You did your part by giving the alert.

More people should do this. Only in this way, everyone would be aware of the weekend kamikazes.

The then authorities could do something.

 

Cheers!


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#11 harvey krumpet

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Posted 06 June 2016 - 11:37 pm

We very rarely do group rides but just this once, I reckoned leading the girls on a relatively short trip would be fine. How wrong I was!

I avoid groups because an ad hoc outing usually leads to the shenanigans which boiled yer britches. A planned and organised run with like minded riders, happy at their own pace, makes for a good social day out. Sadly, most of the riders I know have an inflated opinion of their ability and a penchant for visiting the scenery. Never their fault, though.

T'is funny, when I do end up with a small group of riders, women out number the blokes. They have an attitude to improve and enjoy, rather than go banzai at the first opportunity.


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#12 Sidarta

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Posted 07 June 2016 - 01:52 am

Hi to all!

 

Beware the white line !?

 

https://www.facebook..._close_friend=1

 

 

Cheers!


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#13 muddy

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Posted 07 June 2016 - 11:20 am

2 years ago I heard from a an school friend that one our mates from those days had died in a bike crash. He was on a CBR1000. Now back in the day when I used to ride with him I was on a FS1E and he was on an old YL3 100cc or similar and never saw him on a bigger bike later and don't believe he had one through lack of funds.

A few of these old friends got the bikes they could never afford late in life and used them to get them through the male menopause. I know this will sound far fetched to anyone who has rode with me, but I used to win a fair few of our 10 mile burnups and I'd probably be the slowest amongst them now. And that's just a recognition that my riding skill set was never that great, I just hated losing so took chances. And finally my point: many of the old farts that get killed do so because they are riding like they did in their youth on bikes that are more powerful than the racing bikes we used to watch at Brands Hatch, but their ability has hardly improved. The net result of that is they put themselves and other road users at risk.

We'd all be safer if they just bought some Viagra and went to Amsterdam or something.

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#14 ProudViking

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Posted 07 June 2016 - 03:43 pm


We'd all be safer if they just bought some Viagra and went to Amsterdam or something.

There's a few white lines to avoid there too :rolleyes:



#15 Kelpie

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Posted 07 June 2016 - 05:26 pm

Our group of ladies is fine, Tis the other buggers we struggled to avoid.

Edited by Kelpie, 07 June 2016 - 05:26 pm.

You don't need balls to ride a big bike.

#16 harvey krumpet

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Posted 07 June 2016 - 09:38 pm

I think the general tone is quite right. A lot of riders confuse quick riding with good riding.


TDM 850 Loud and unusual. CRM 250r Woo hoo! DT 230 Lanza Fiddled with.... Bloody hell, is that legal? GG Randonee AKA "I didn't think that was possible".


#17 Kelpie

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 07:23 am

I think the general tone is quite right. A lot of riders confuse quick riding with good riding.


I doubt one of them could safely keep up with us on the twisties on their pocket rockets.
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#18 Quartermaster

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 07:33 am

Our Bromsgrove Club stopped riding in convoy 20 years ago as we realised we were causing other road users grief. Cyclists unfortunately don't seem to care.


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#19 harvey krumpet

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Posted 08 June 2016 - 07:38 am

I doubt one of them could safely keep up with us on the twisties on their pocket rockets.

Lol. Exactly. First sign of a corner and the throttle hamsters turn into traffic islands.


TDM 850 Loud and unusual. CRM 250r Woo hoo! DT 230 Lanza Fiddled with.... Bloody hell, is that legal? GG Randonee AKA "I didn't think that was possible".



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