Having a natter wi the lads last night and it was decided that I have a screw loose. Summat not quite right, total nutter blah blah. Because it seems i'm the only one who isn't scared of crashing. Now dont get me wrong, i'm terrified of damaging my pride n joy, financially peppering my kecks, but personal injury wise, it NEVER crosses my mind. I dont personally think that makes me a loon. Tbh, it probably makes a better rider cos i'm that much more relaxed and confident. Surely thats a good thing? Ya cant ride proper if in the back of ya mind ya thinking about crashing? Opinions?
After a child hood on motocross bikes i tend to not think of the outcome if i crash . Best not know i reckon lol
I have plenty of self Preservation, I'm confident enough in my own ability to not think I am going to stack it so if I do it's always a surprise to me lol When you do you deal with it then The question blaggers is are you the sort of mate I go out with and think Jesus he's going to kill himself or Jesus he's quick I wish I was that good........ There is a big difference in my eyes Not being scared is good, thinking your invincible, not so good Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My mates think I'm quick but I think I'm slow. I wont ride quick on roads I don't know unless I'm following one if only a few I trust in that sort of situation! Jamie has a very good point, their are a few lads I ride with who I envy and their are a few lads I used to ride with who I used to steer clear of, hence I USED to ride with them!
M62 Moors /its dark /Doing 40mph down hill/ Minus 2deg / in snow and undertaken by a bike weaving in and out of traffic .No Blaggs its not you, there are worse!!
I am always aware of the implications of crashing both to myself and my bike. Twenty two years of going to road accidents and picking up/cutting out people/bodies does tend to make you realise we are vulnerable, open to error on our parts and on others. Do I let it spoil my riding, no, not at all, but I always ride according to what I think are my limits and the bikes and I ride defencively. Of course sometimes I might make an error of judgement but hopefully, because i am not over my limits of ability I am usually able to correct it. Shutting my eyes does seem to get me through a lot of things. I am told I am very quick, I also like to be quicker than others (competitive Oh yes) but I like to think I ride safely, well pretty much as safely as you can in this country what with the road surfaces and the dic* head other road users and of course the wildlife. I ride alone most of the time, but never ride with people who I think are dangerous.
"The question blaggers is are you the sort of mate I go out with and think Jesus he's going to kill himself or Jesus he's quick I wish I was that good........ There is a big difference in my eyes " Well put Jamie. JD
I honestly don't think about crashing or hurting myself in the slightest... I do often look back and think Ive been an idiot!! But next time the visor goes down it's game on... But I ride to my ability an hate being out with guys who are riding above theirs... Couldn't care less if youve just passed your test or making me look like a school boy, ride at my own speed. And I've had quite bad experiences with dealing with people that haven't... It's not pleasant! Which is why I only ride fast with trusted pals... Providing you know and ride to your abilities then you shouldn't worry, but if it does go Pete tong, then you just have to deal with the pain - physical and financial lol
The thought of crashing scares me, not the pain etc, the fact my mrs would have to look out for me or she and my son would have to get by without a dad being around. Having said that I dont have that thought often and if I do there is normally a reason for it thats when its time to take it steady and head for home.
Well, as a father and a husband it does play on your mind especially when the wife and kids say be careful! If these bikes were about back when in my teens when I had no dependants then it would not have even entered my mind.I do ride with single lads with no dependants and yes they do take chances.
If you're worrying about crashing while you're actually riding --------you're likely to crash. Nowt wrong with being consequence aware though, helps you make a sensible choice when the red mist threatens to engulf you JD
I don't think about crashing when i ride my bike, I do ride within my ability knowing that i have to go to work on Monday otherwise i dont have the money to pay the mortgage, I have a number of mates who are super quick riders but when you look at it they have all had off's, most have one leg shorter than the other and hence always walk in a circle lol....... If i'm meeting them somewhere i ride at my own pace and let them go! a coffee is waiting for me and its still HOT.
I've never crashed and not found something fun in it! They're always a buzz even if you get hurt. You can also learn more from one crash than a whole week of riding if you analyse it properly afterwards!
I think if your a racer you know you are going to crash now and again, either because of your own mistakes or someone elses or because of a fault developing. I think there is a different mentality when it is a road bike and you are road riding. I also think the risks and hazards are very different. If I was going down a risk assessment route I would be much more worried about crashing on the road than on a track. I admire racers, I know i could not do it at a high level I don't think I have the right mentality or skill level, plus i don't like pain. I do know though if I get a bend wrong and lowside I stand the risk of getting zapped by a 38 tonne truck as opposed to a track barrier or run off area. It kinda helps me focus.
Racing is definitely safer than road riding. The chance of crashing is higher, yet the chance of injury when you do crash is smaller. Road riding is mental with all the blind, tired, drunk, chatting, smoking, telephoning, sat navving and generally shite drivers out on the roads!
This is part of the reason I prefer to ride on my own. I don't need to worry about keeping up with anyone else or them keeping up with me. I try to ride within my limits. I would be lying to say I always did and a lot of evidence has been strewn throughout the byways of Devon as proof over the years, but if I'm riding as part of a group, or even a pair then I'm not 'setting up' for my technique but for somebody elses. Then I think about crashing more which leaves me less time for thinking about what I'm doing. Yes I am scared of crashing. But only while I'm doing it. Otherwise I'm just discarding all significant armour, protection and a great deal of visibility for the sake of duelling with every other road user. And we all know what dickheads they all are.
From my original post, and having given it some thought while at work today, it's my mates what aren't reet in't head. We've all had an off, they have all had 1, i've had a few, I don't even think about mine, I know what went wrong on each occasion and have learnt lessons. End of. My mates on the other hand, think about their (very minor ones too) crashes whilest riding! Not healthy. And yes, i've had moments when i've took my helmet off and reflected on some arse clenching moments,and thought 'jeeez'.....but with a helmet on it seems different. Like a switch or something. But I guess that's all part of why I love riding bikes, the rush. Ya have some 'fun' moments and you know you're ALIVE. Make sense? Sorry, i'm not too good conveying thoughts/feelings.
Yea mate. Several. Lol Edit: 4 of my mates been killed too, over the years. Three of them I was witness to, seperate incidents of course
i dont think about crashing when i ride, but then i only ride with what i feel comfortable at, i wont ride beyond what i think i can do to keep up with others, which is why 99% of the time i either go out on my own if dave is away or the two of us go out together. if dave wants to ride a bit faster than i feel i can go then thats fine, i know he will wait for me up the road. The problem i have, apart from not being a speedy gonzales, is that if i'm on my own i find i ride differently to when i'm out with dave, i think its because i know dave is covering my arse and will be there if anything happens, no its not gonna stop me hurting myself but shit happens. I got off light on the crash i had. xx
