Smooth like silk

[Exeunter]

so i was on la jolla village dr. heading towards the 805, and i needed to move to the right lane to get on the freeway. about 40 feet from the intersection i slip between a white car and a van, and at that moment the signal turns yellow. well the goddamn driver probably didn't see me even though i've been riding at his 7 o'clock in the next lane over for a good mile, and he slams on the brakes. i'm too close to his bumper to release the brakes and swerve, and the cagers are passing me on my left, clearing the yellow light as you're supposed to.... so i couldn't return to my original lane. i veered between the two lanes and at that moment (yes, MSF course teachings coming back to me: don't brake and swerve at the same time) both wheels locked until i came to a stop. it sounded like ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss, felt real smooth like sliding on silk, and i was like SHIT that was close. and then when i looked in my rearview, there was a nice long serpentine burn mark on the road and lots of white smoke, and i was like, coooool....

...no, i didn't think that actually... anyway, the fact that i was boxed in wasn't what bothered me the most, or even the thoughtlessness of the cager. it's just that i wonder if stickier tires could have helped. they're stock tires right now, and when i bought the bike from Doaner, he mentioned that I should change the tires soon. the tires only have 3500 miles or so on them, but Doaner rode that bike hard in the canyons every weekend. sometimes when i lean hard, the tires feel unconfident, like they're made of marshmellows. i wonder if i should be changing the tires...?

i know i could use more work in sudden braking techniques too, i'll acknowledge that. any thoughts?

[soulofadra6o]

go to jethro's Skillz day..helped me a few times

[Old Dawg]

Thank God you didn't get hurt, but I think the lesson you need to take out of this is to ride defensively and ALL WAYS HAVE AN OUT! Always be ready for drivers (and riders) to do the unexpected.

Be Safe.

[lp2]

How fast were you going?

I think jethro method he was able to stop under 25 feet at 30 mph.

[LaPiñaLoca]

Let me get this straight: you failed to allow yourself enough time/space before the onramp to make a safe lane change, the result of which is that you're riding too close to a car, and then get upset at them because you don't have enough time to stop?

It's true that people should be aware of their surroundings, but I think there's lots more you could've done to prevent this than the cager could have. Like being aware that your onramp was coming up or that changing lanes so close to a stop light could end in disaster.

-Aaron

[Kyoseki]

By my reckoning, at 30 mph you're travelling 44 feet per second, decelerating at 1g (good luck on a motorcycle) you need about 30 feet to stop, plus a further 22 feet or so to react, so you generally need at least 50 feet in front of you, and that's assuming you're REALLY on the ball and have super sticky tires.

[T140]

At 3,500 miles, your rear tread may be worn, but the front is likely OK. I don't have stock tires but hear that the stock tires aren't so confidence inspiring even if they are not worn. Before changing the tires, wear them down a bit more practicing braking in a parking lot. Front brake, rear brake and both together.

I like to evaluate my riding and try to learn from what I did right or wrong. If this were my incident, I would say:

1. The car in front did nothing wrong, I did. That driver has the right to stop at yellow lights, or if a dog runs in front etc. As a rider, my job is to put myself in a position that I can react to what happens (i.e. enough stopping distance, proper speed)

2. If I lock my brakes, I did it wrong. Locked wheels do not stop as quickly as wheels approaching lock-up. And, control is lost

3. At that point, you were totally defensive. If the driver behind you were equally prepared for the light, you would have been run over, unable to get out of his way.

I made a similiar mistake once, slow traffic, I was distracted ;) and when I turned my head the pickup in front of me was stopped. I locked my rear brake which surprised me because I was not in the habit of using it for stopping. Since then, I am less in the habit of using it for stopping.

In addition to the practice, chheck out the books by David Hough and Nick Ienatsch as well as the Street Smarts videos. They are available here: www.whithehorsepress.com

Glad you are safe - you didn't get hurt, hurt your bike or anyone else so chalk it up to experience.

[Exeunter]

yea man i was so mad at myself....
went out to the range and i think i'm feeling much cool-headed now. thinking about it now, it was very stupid - i totally boxed myself in and was wrong to assume traffic would just keep flowing.


Originally posted by lp2
How fast were you going?

I think jethro method he was able to stop under 25 feet at 30 mph.

it was noontime, moderate traffic, about 40 mph. i actually wasn't trying to squeeze over to the onramp...that's my usual bad habit when i used to drive, but i've been making a conscious effort to break that habit. the onramp was a bit less than a quarter mile away when i merged.



Originally posted by LaPiñaLoca
Let me get this straight: you failed to allow yourself enough time/space before the onramp to make a safe lane change, the result of which is that you're riding too close to a car, and then get upset at them because you don't have enough time to stop?
-Aaron

hmmm...*looking at what i wrote*...
like i said, i wasn't so much upset at them, but rather upset at myself and the fact that i let the tires lock. anyway, i'm not stupid, this is my first close-call, and you know how the first one always make an impression on you. unless of course, you're a :squid: and don't learn ...
luckily, i wasn't distracted when it happened and reacted immediately, but i know next time i might be distracted, or perhaps something else totally out of my hands. so yes - ride defensively. chalk it up to experience and ride defensively.