Training and Good Equipmant

[OLY223CAL]

Well I finally had my first chance to go for a pleasure ride. Between travel and Wisconsin snow the timing was always against me.

So what about my title! I had a great ride out on some local country roads, warm and just time to reflex. I was half mile from home and coming to a country intersection. I watched one mini-van turn out and it headed my way. Then I watched an old blue cage nearing the stop sign and something just looked wrong I hit the horn and high low beams and everyone can guess what happened. The diver started to pull into my lane. Everything I did goes all the back to 1974 when I went through the Navy mandated training. It is funny how fast ones brain can function. I had to size up; around the front or back of the car and what ditch may hurt the least. I just had new rubber put on this spring and that I am thankful for. Well I made reactive maneuver and cleared the car around its back. Road half mile to my house and finally started to breath again. After a little I called my son to go over this fun episode and we both agreed how much a good training class has been for both of us.

I am not meaning to vent but I am so glad many years ago the Navy made me take a course.

Safe riding everyone!!

 

[970mike]

Wow glad you made it through that mess! Great thing not to panic and keep a clear head. Always expect the unexpected and act like every car does not see you.

 

[maximark]

+1 on training. My grandfather always reminded me before winter: " when the first snow falls, take your car to the empty lot and do whatever with it. Acceleration, sudden turns, braking...etc. car and bike changes (wears out) every year and you need to get the feel of how it behaves in case you need to do any maneuver in traffic. That's been serving me for all those years and few times it saved me from an accident.
I'm glad that you got out from that situation unharmed.

 

[ealanm]

My grandfather always reminded me before winter: " when the first snow falls, take your car to the empty lot and do whatever with it.

This is off topic, but years ago I came up with a great winter driving exercise. My wife, who had basically never driven in snow before, had gone back to school and was going to have to commute in the snow on a regular basis. She was really worried about it. So I took her to an empty, snow-covered parking lot for some exercise. I placed two cones about a hundred feet apart, and had her drive in a figure eight around them. I told her to go as fast as she could. In twenty minutes she experienced about everything you can possibly experience in the snow: oversteer, understeer, complete spin-outs, and, eventually, controlled slides.

 

[STumped]

Glad you had your wits about you and made it safely through the close encounter. All too often good riders are caught daydreaming and the results are not so great. Your experience serves as a good reminder that we must always stay ever vigilant! Aslo, always a good idea to go out to a parking lot and brush the rust (snow?) off after a winter without riding.

Be safe all,