Your Skills
Re-think the way you ride your bike
You may think you’re already a good rider, and that it’s other road users who cause the problems. But have a think and see if any of these scenarios sound familiar…
1. “I often find corners suddenly tighten up on me.”
2. “People constantly pull out on me, forcing me to avoid them.”
3. “Riding with mates, I have to thrash it to keep up, although I know they’re not going any quicker than I do riding alone.”
4. “I sometimes only just get away with overtaking.”
5. “I’m not sure how to set up my suspension for the kind of riding I do.”
6. “I worry about how secure my bike is, even when it’s locked up.”
7. “As soon as it rains my confidence disappears.”
Any of these ring a bell? They’re all common complaints, easy to blame on outside influences. But the truth is, most of these scenarios are much less of a problem when you take a different, more defensive approach to riding. You’ll be a much safer rider if you make the effort to avoid trouble, rather than relying on others to avoid you.
You say: “I often find that corners suddenly tighten up on me.”
We say: Corners don’t suddenly tighten up. If a corner ends up tighter than you expected, you probably didn’t pick up clues early enough to properly anticipate what was coming.
You say: “People constantly pull out on me, forcing me to avoid them.”
We say: When people pull out in front of you, we know it’s often because you were going a lot faster than they thought. Remember, the average car driver has no concept whatsoever of the performance of a modern bike.
Food for thought? Have a look through our tips for safer riding below. You’ll also find guidance on setting your suspension and keeping your bike safe from thieves as well as some pointers on how to stay safe when riding in a group.
Safer riding: top tips
Following a few key pointers could make a huge difference to your safety:
1. Anticipate the actions of motorists.
2. Be alert and observant, especially at junctions or roundabouts, and when you need to look out for other vulnerable road users – children, pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders.
3. Limit your speed so that you can slow down and stop in good time, and ride for the conditions: slow down if it’s wet, foggy or icy.
4. Position yourself in the best place – usually the middle of the lane. But take up your road position in good time before turning right or left, showing others what you aim to do.
5. Overtake safely. Can you see hazards? Is there a bend or a junction? Can you overtake without speeding up or swerving too much? Take a life-saver glance over your shoulder before carrying out manoeuvres when you need to know where other drivers are and what they are doing.
6. Make sure you are seen. Dipped headlights, even in good daylight, can help you to be seen. Motorcycles built and sold after 2002 always have dipped headlights on – does yours?
7. Don’t act aggressively. Count to ten and congratulate yourself on your cool-headedness. And however tempted you are, don’t race on public roads. Save it for the race-track.
For more tips on safe driving, read the Driving Standards Agency’s publication Motorcycle Riding: The Essential Skills available here
Bike training: from refresher to advanced
Brush up your bike-riding skills – find out more about your options here
