New Riders and the Freeway

[Deftone]

This traffic has turned me into a straight up aggressive rider.. you have to be to survive..

This.

 

[DataDan]

This traffic has turned me into a straight up aggressive rider.. you have to be to survive..

This.

"Aggressive" isn't a useful word because it doesn't distinguish between whatever it is you're trying to describe and truly pathological riding. I could post dozens of news stories about dead "aggressive" riders.

To help delineate the style you're advocating, how about some examples of what you consider aggressive? And also some examples of riding that others might consider aggressive but which you consider dangerous.

 

[Wumpus]

I think aggressive really translates into being very decisive with your choices. No hesitation and quick execution of the maneuver. This may lead to some aggressive moves that are necessary in certain cases.

 

[Losmeister]

"will be ready for bed when I get off work at 3am, but after my commute home (approx 30 minutes) it will take me a good half hour to an hour to wind myself back down to a read-for-bed state."

THIS

me, 4 to midnite or later depending if there is an urgent late case... hypervigilance will wake your ass UP! at least an hour to an hour and a half for me.

and driving a car has altered for me as well. the scanning concentration learned form 2wheeling doesn't leave you...

saying highway isn't more dangerous is just plain silly...

more speed= graver consequences

 

[PFrish]

I wanted to revisit this thread as I am a new rider and have attempted the freeway. I first did this early on a Saturday so traffic would be light. I spent a good amount of time. I feel I got used to the speed / wind without as many cars.

Yesterday, I commuted to work over the BB (reverse commute). Overall, I felt great on the way there (8MPH tailwind, 645AM) and very nervous on the way back (18ish MPH headwind, 4PM).

Maybe it is just my bike (BMW F650GS, pretty light ~420lbs) but I felt like I was getting blown around ALOT. From road biking, MTB, etc. I knew not to tense too much on the bars, but man it was very uncomfortable. I've heard relax, grip the tank with legs, windward leg off tank to act as a windstop, and some others. I guess my problem was on the BB, I couldn't really pick up on a wind direction. I was getting shifted in both directions with different frequency and strength. Any additional pointers would be appreciated. I will start more early AM training on hopefully a windy day before I try commuter hours again.

Having to focus so much on keeping the bike tracking straight, I felt like I slipped into a little bit of tunnel vision, where I was aware of in front of me but was lacking a bit the peripheral, constant mirror checks, etc. that I have developed in City riding.

I know experience and comfort zone is the key here, but was hoping some folks had some additional tips that I could try to put into practice.

 

[Enchanter]

I know experience and comfort zone is the key here, but was hoping some folks had some additional tips that I could try to put into practice.

Keep your knees against the motorcycle. Counteract the directional changes that the wind causes by pressing (forward) on the handlebar on the side that the wind came from (countersteer). As you mention, try to relax and not be tense on the bars.

 

[two wheel tramp]

Enchanter's advice helped me when I was first starting out.

Another good place to practice wind riding is on 280 between SF and DC. It's usually fairly gusty there and the siping on the road is a trip.

Relax, relax, relax. Practice is what cured me of my nervousness in the wind.

 

[drewcandraw]

Enchanter's advice helped me when I was first starting out.

Another good place to practice wind riding is on 280 between SF and DC. It's usually fairly gusty there and the siping on the road is a trip.

I too have followed enchanter's advice and been riding the freeway way more. Another good place to practice is from the sfo airport area the 380 to 280 portion. It feels like a whirlwind pushing me from both sides especially if your coming from south airport blvd.

I think the best thing that worked for me was increasing my speed and easing the death grip on the bars. I also do the leg thing into the wind.

 

[slummy]

My least fav version of this is dark + wet + windy elevated curved overpass.

 

[packnrat]

i have been on the stuper slab with NO one else with in 20 miles of me,
dry,wet,calm,wendy, you name it.
also on the slab in stopngo grid lock. and screaming along at 70 mph( shoulder to shoulder to some fool driving a cage sleeping, eating, reading (book paper etc).

but i will take my chances with the odd random deer up here on the two lane mt roads. far and away safer.

city streets are a very dangers place,
the slab has earned it's name.
but at least on a mt rd i can have fun in the corners...and hope bambi stays behind the trees.
squrles go mush. and chipmunks get air coming out from under the rear tire.

.

 

[latindane]

Keep your knees against the motorcycle. Counteract the directional changes that the wind causes by pressing (forward) on the handlebar on the side that the wind came from (countersteer). As you mention, try to relax and not be tense on the bars.

+1
I use my upper body to counterweight against the wind, which reduces the amount of countersteer needed.

 

[relayda]

...Newbies if you are asking yourself should I piss my pants or keep riding? for God's sake pull over and piss. The last thing you need is another distraction.

...Should you shit in your drawers while spliting traffic? ...well do what you gotta do, but I would strongly reccomend that you pull over. ...if you shit before you can get your leathers off, just act like your fixing something on you bike and plan your next movement.

 

[North Bay Rider]

after the my classes and getting my license i had to go get my cousins bike that i woudl use for 3 months in sf and i live in fairfield. I had to rid my first 45 miles on freway all u have to do is pay attention you can crash a bike or make a mistake on any road as a newbie freeway or not.

 

[Aruna]

I was on a permit for a year after passing MSF because I hadn't yet learned to drive a car. I feel it was actually really great experience - started out on quiet suburb streets, stepped it up to slightly busier town streets, then moved to Oakland and rode around here for about 6 months. Then I passed my driving test and immediately started commuting to work in SF so got freeway and city streets on my commute (580, I-80, 101, Central Freeway, Duboce, Market and back again daily). A few months later I rode to Laguna Seca for the MotoGP and that really broke in my riding.

I'm not sure there's really a hard and fast answer for this. All roads present different hazards and challenges, and I wouldn't say that freeways were tougher than SF streets, for example (I'd wager they're often easier). It also depends very much on the freeway itself - are we talking about I-80 in rush hour, or are we talking about 13 on a Wednesday lunchtime? Big difference.

I think aggressive really translates into being very decisive with your choices. No hesitation and quick execution of the maneuver. This may lead to some aggressive moves that are necessary in certain cases.

That's "assertive" rather than "aggressive" in my book. "Aggressive" implies reckless.

 

[Addi65]

I actually trained a year before starting a freeway commute. I started
some freeway stuff after the first few months of riding, and made a short freeway
stint part of my training ride - along with twisties and PLP - I even included a 0-60 accelleration bit too. The key was I did it during off hours where there was no traffic.

For a full commute in traffic I am with the guys who say wait a while,
a good long while until your bike skills are good. When I started my commute
I had near-death incidents on a regular basis (ok either a swerve or hard
brake). I survived all of them because I was ready, although in restrospect
just barely, and I had a forgiving bike that was hard to lock the
front tire.

I learned real fast to anticipate traffic patterns to avoid those incidents.
Consequently I have them less often now, but looking back, those first few
months of commuting were some of the highest risk riding I ever did.
And riding on the freeway now in traffic is still very high risk.

Traffic is unforgiving, changes in an instant, the roads are bad,
debris is everywhere, freeways scare me, and I do it every day.

Merges are the really nasty bits, and hugging the left of the carpool lane
is where I feel safest, unless the line of cars next to me
is at a dead stop, and I am screaming by at 65 mph, that is defcon 1 for me.

The day I stop being scared is the day I should stop riding to work on a bike.

I agree with you dude, I commute every day via Bay Bridge to Berkeley. I remember the first time, it scared the shit out of me...
Ride a bike here on the freeway is even more worth then to do it on German Autobahn :mad

sry for my language :wtf

 

[newbiker]

:wtf I don't really get it - First thing I did with my license was to hit the freeway and get some speed.

:thumbup I maybe wrong... But what I feel comfortable is when I am ahead / away from the cars. I tend to stay ahead at the lights, and on freeway away from other cars. Now I might have to go faster at times :teeth but that is really easy with a bike. And that's my justification for riding a little faster... Then again, I would probably do the same in my car. Riding fast, yet safe is different than riding fast (and crazy, like most do).

 

[Rc51 1976]

I feel the same way, people can't drive and riding makes me realize that more and more each day.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I'd also throw out for noobs, the freeway doesn't teach you how to ride. It is bonehead easy to chill at 70+ mph in top gear, you have accomplished nothing just sitting there holding your wrist in the same spot for a while.

 

[danate]

Everyone learns at different rates and has a difference experience base, so it's very hard to say exactly when someone should start riding the freeway if new. The best answer is when they feel comfortable and confident enough on the bike to ride safely at higher speeds.

This becomes a problem on certain roads and at certain times. After moving about 9 months ago, my new commute is a 70 mile one that includes 580 from Livermore to 880 and across the San Mateo Bridge. The 580 leg is pretty annoying because I like to cruise around 75, but often on weekdays and evenings (I go home around 10pm) the average speed out there seems to be at least 80. I general never ride slower than the average speed of traffic so this means I'm usually going 85 most of my ride back. I occasionally see what looks like newer riders trying to go 65ish and I cringe when I see huge SUVs and other ragey looking cars ripping around and past them with a 15-20mph speed delta and often rapidly changing lanes to all try and get ahead of each other. If I were a new rider again, I would avoid 580 like the plague. Thankfully I had 280 to learn on which seems a lot more timid now.

Freeways are dangerous and I feel like even though I have been navigating them successfully most of my life, I hate the prospect that coming off your bike is like rolling the dice for death. The freeway is MUCH less forgiving than city streets when it comes to that.

 

[treadtread]

I hit the freeway for the first time last weekend - passed my drive test and decided to take the freeway home. Now I've been riding since I was 18, but not in this country, and not at freeway speeds. 65 mph with fierce winds was freaky and not at all enjoyable - and this without too many cars. Didn't help that it was extra windy that day. I'm thinking that a windshield, even if it is small, might help a bit. Anyone here care to comment how handling will be affected by a windshield?