10 cunning ways to stay alive
- Suspect-looking car driver waiting to pull out from side road: move rapidly from the kerb to the centreline, or vice versa. The sideways movement helps get you noticed.
- You go where you look. So in a panic situation, look for the way out, not at the obstacle.
- Psychological research has shown that group riding automatically increases your willingness to take risks. Accept this and you’ll have less chance of riding like a cock.
- If you’re piling into a bend too fast, a touch of rear brake will tighten your line.
- Give yourself more chances to overtake lorries – hang 50 yards further back. Not only can you see round the damn thing; you can start accelerating earlier, shrinking your overtake time.
- Approaching nasty bumps, ease up off the seat, grip the bars gently and put your weight through the footrests. It keeps the bike more stable.
- Tense shoulders, clenched teeth and a dropped field of vision mean you’re overloaded. Do yourself a favour and notice it.
- Car drivers assume you’re sticking to the speed limit. And why shouldn’t they?
- Spend the rest of your life trying to get smoother. That means jerk-free braking, gear changing and throttle roll-on. Aim to read the road so well you take each corner with a single steering input.
- Cultivate a humble, tolerant attitude. If some idiot cuts you up and you react, you’re vulnerable until you calm down again. Instead, see him as just another obstacle to deal with.