Take it easy!
June 05 2009
Not quite as bad as this in the Borders.
This is what awaits....after the rain!
The weather in the Scottish Borders, as I write this on Friday, is not too good at all with heavy rain falling. We all know what that means after a long dry spell.......the road surface is even more slippery and unpredictable for us bikers than usual. If you're planning on riding the Borders roads this weekend then be extra alert to the problems you might encounter. It's not only the wet white lines and other paint on the road, along with the usual wet drain covers, spillages of oil and diesel that present problems, it's the dust, grit and gravel that's built up over the dry spell now being washed across the areas of the road that we want to be on. Unless you're switched on to these additional problems then you're sure, at the very least, to give yourself a "moment". The "worst" is not nice to think about.
Part of Around The Corner is to make us all more aware of our vulnerability on two wheels. Whilst it's the only way to travel and the best fun you can have on the roads, motorcycling does have it's problems, but with a bit of thought put into your rideout, proper preparation of you and your machine, planning and anticipation applied to your riding, we can eliminate most of what catches riders out. Anticipation of what other road users may do, observations of the road surface, other motorists and where the road may go and planning on how to deal with a hazard or problem, before you encounter it, makes us all safer and better bikers. The skill level you gain by applying thought to what you're doing and not being "surprised" by the unexpected is increased every time you take to the bike. It's only by training yourself to plan, observe and anticipate that you'll find that when on a road, you thought you knew well, you actually begin to see other aspects of it that allows you to increase you're enjoyment of the ride, but also allows you do so safely.....You might actually find that things flow better, you become quicker (where appropriate) and you're more relaxed on the bike. You'll have an idea how relaxed you are on the bike when you get off at the other end of the run. If your neck, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands are sore then you're not relaxed enough and this has a negative affect on how you ride the bike and how the bike handles. One of the best pieces of advice I was given as a young motorcyclist was that I should sit on the machine, "relaxed like a bag of spuds". Let your neck and shoulders relax and don't tense up your arms and hands. Grip the bars lightly but securely. You'll notice a big difference at the other end. The only way you can do that of course is to be relaxed with your own riding and be comfortable with how you're progressing along the road.
Have a great weekend out and about and we'll see you around the corner for a chat. Remember the waterproofs and spare gloves.
