Riding out...

Onder

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Stellar weather here in the South West. Got out on two of my boat anchors for rides. But I must say you take quite a risk at times. Have to wonder how they allow massive SUVs to fall into the hands of drivers who think the entire road is theirs and you,
on your bike, don't actually exist any more than an insect that strikes their windscreen.
Add on the motorcoaches who simply are too big for any B road or less. Always a joy
to meet the buggers in a corner.
Still, cannot fault the weather. Ride on!
 
Just STARTING to get settled in to our new home; re-acquired my wyfe's former '02 Triumph Bonneville and got the tiny in-line fuel strainer unplugged so it's running on both jugs well enough to maybe get out for a ride with the kids today. Temps should hover in the upper 80s / low 90s, so very nice with a breeze and decent cloud cover.

Sadly, the Nortons are relegated to staying in Laredo for the moment. I'm working on arrangements to rent space in an ultralight hangar that will allow me to have a couple more bikes here, then the Interstate will come over.

Some of the best riding in Texas (and it's better than average for the entire country) starts right at my doorstep.
 
Thursday evening while out for a ride on back roads , came across a tandem truck parked at road side with an equipment trailer attached , took up half oncoming lane .... we have a meter rule here for bicycles, must always allow them a meter .... so as I approach the truck/trailer out from behind that combo comes a team of cyclists in
my lane , if I had been in a car there would have been mayhem , luckily I was able to avoid the group ... almost like they feel invincible since the metre rule was enacted , where has common sense gone , a line of paint or words on paper cannot protect you ....jeesh !
 
Oh dear, push bikers...don't get me started. They are not required to be licensed, taxed or regulated yet rule the roost on the road. You hit one
you will rue the day. But they are green and the rest of us aren't so there you are.
Ride defensively it is your only hope.
 
Here in aussie land we have road trains with 3 long trailers and some places have even more, try passing one of them on not so wide roads or even dirt roads or even getting stuck behind one for that matter.
In my state they just brought in the law giving push bikes 1 metre gap and the worst thing is these cyclist break every road rules in the book when out and about and then there the dropping the speed limits so low it unrelistic as to many perdestrains are crossing roads with out looking because their face is stuck in their phones without paying attention to whats happening around them, if we drive with a mobil phone in our hands its big fines and lost of points and now they are thinking about incresing the fines to $1000.


Ashley
 
You are on a narrow but lined B road and the dreaded lycra lout is is a yard off the edge of the road. You have to give him legal room. Now
you, especially in an auto are over the line in the other oncoming lane. You have suddenly met him in the corner and the on coming car too.
Where do you go? You will be told you have to be prepared to meet the bicyclist at any time. The speed limit is 50 or 60. You now face the
oncoming lane traffic plus anyone coming up behind you.
Ill go one better: dual carriage 70 mph limit and they are out there pedaling at 30 if they are very fit. Now try that in the rain. At night...
Ive seen it.
I want them licensed just as everyone else and I want them legally liable as we are.
Of course try to remember that motorbikes are only slightly less hateful to the average motorist.
 
My only solution has been to ride as if every driver on the road is either blind, drunk or blind drunk. It's not always easy to find a spot in traffic where you can separate yourself from the pack, so when that happens, I always align myself with a possible escape route. I recently had a minivan driver drift into my lane, no signal, no real purpose except to get in a clear lane. I let it get about 2 feet away and gave a blast on the air horn I mounted on the KTM. I bet the driver looks next time.
 
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