[jcwren]

After not riding for 20 years, this is good refresher material.

Thanks for the post.

[chriskat1100]

Re: tips

8) good tips for us new guys....speaking as a COP please do not wheelie in the middle of 5 oclock traffic................................

ok but your no fun

[gian.vm]

thanks for all the tips.

They are all very helpful.

[CEPMAN]

This is a lot of useful info. This'll help this newbie out quite a bit

[Slim]

Re: 15 tips for riding in traffic

hmm, I ne'er actually read this post until now.

Good info for sure except for :

Cover your brakes
In traffic you must often react extra quickly, which means not fumbling for the brake lever or pedal. To minimize reach time, always keep a finger or two on the brake lever and your right toe close to the rear brake pedal. When that cell phone-yakking dorkus cuts across your path trying to get to the 7-Eleven for a burrito supreme, you’ll be ready.

The split second you'd save by covering your brake is not worth the potential spill that could happen by doin' so (especially with new riders).
When someone's riding and hits a pothole or some other bump or something, their first instinct is to tense (it's natural). This 'tensing', if you're covering your levers while riding, would include grabbing a handful of front brake, which as most ppl know leads to bad things happening.

[ctandc]

If someone is that tense to grab the brake handle that hard...well...they've got other issues.

covering the brakes can save your life and your skin. I commute everyday into a large city...

Today a semi decided he needed my line RIGHT then, and I was riding where I could SEE HIM in his mirror (no where else to go, I normally do not RIDE next to Semi's and never in their blind spots)

If I hadn't have been riding like I always do in traffic (thumb and pointer finger on the throttle, other three fingers on the brake lever + right toe right above rear brake) I shudder to think what would have happened.

As it was I smoke the tires down and rode the skid to miss him....as I had solid cars on both sides running 60-70 mph.

The BIGGEST thing I see that new riders need to do, and even EXPERIENCED riders with NEW bikes, they need to learn, BY PRACTICE, how far they can go with the brakes before they lock up....THEN learn to ride the skid.

I am biased toward the rear brake...simply because I can ride a rear tire lockup out.....harder to ride a tank slapper out.


just my opinion

Chris

[fededr]

Speaking of scanning, always remember that a soccer mom with two kids fighting in the back of a minivan is a kick in the brake pedal waiting to happen.

[tjbechtel]

yah, i have a three lane drive to work and school everyday. and its the jerk offs that are on the cell phones that pay no attention that cut you off everytime. sometimes i just want to pull up next to them at the stop light and smack the phone out of their hands.

and by the way, i work at an AT&T cell phone store, haha

[KatanaAirman]

Good post for a new rider such as myself

[Zepp]

This is a very helpful post, we need more posts like this.

[futuredentistdmd]

Great post!

[colinr]

Good Tips And Good Read! Thanx

[Kty Kat]

Fantastic Information!!!

Thanks!

[chatty katty]

Good common sense stuff, well described
The one common sense rule I live and ride by is: always identify your greatest threat. If you are going through an intersection this would be the guy in the turn lane who might jump out in front of you. If you are in bumper to bumper traffic, this is the guy behind you who can't stop as well as you and might sandwich you into the car in front of you if he's not paying attention. It's impossible to be paying attention to everything around you (especially as a beginning and intermediate rider) So I believe in playing the odds.

[redrider]

Thank you for passing the Information to your younger brother and sisters, Iwish you all happy holidays and a great new year . Have fun be safe!