Whats More Dangerous?

[sv-wolf]

(And take an MDF course before you learn bad habits.)

But I wanna ride a bike, not learn woodwork

And I had you down for a practical man, Nibblers. Shame!

[iwannadie]

i think the idea is to stick to small roads, like a residential plan, with no traffic lifghts, just some stop signs and slow speeds. that way you have no other cars to deal with.

on the freeway you have a massive step in speed to deal with. and if something happens your going to screw up alot worse at those speeds and cars/trucks going faster than you right next to you.

you screw up on a residential stretch you might hit a parked car(or tree) at slow speeds. free way you get run over by a semi doing 100mph

[boingk]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, i've got a way better picture of why to stick to town now. And yeah, an MSF course is a must: 1> because i think its a good idea to get the basics right before you go out on your own, and 2> because i live in Australia, and its mandatory here. Anyways, thanks for your opinions,
regards - Enoch

[Ladymx]

I have to say I started with the majority of my riding out of town, then in town, but kind of did both at the same time. YOu always seem to get to another town at the end of the hwy. Just pay attention in either, and ride within your limits and you should be fine.

[vega44]

stop lights and highways are UNSAFE!

[Gadjet]

My first ride was a couple spins around the block by my house to get myself aquainted with all the controls, then did a short run through town then onto the highway.

For me, the highway was much more fun and relaxing, but the rides around town were great for the initial learning.

My advice (after taking the MSF course) is to make a few runs around town, then start with some short hops on the highway, preferably in the early evening while you still have light and the traffic is likely to be less. Fewer cagers around to give you grief, and better field of view.

My second day of riding I was commuting the 25km to work, with in town riding at both ends of a nice highway run.

do what you feel the most comfortable with though. If you have an experienced rider with you, that will also help, as they can run interference for you and keep the cagers at a distance.

[daveoner]

A few people have pointed out that you are more likely to get in an accident in town, but highway accidents are more damaging because of higher speeds.

For me, its a matter of comfort and experience. I grew up riding a bicycle in NY city traffic and learned a lot about city traffic (and gained instinct) during the two years I was a bicycle messenger in NY city. Because of that experience I actually feel much more comfortable riding in heavy traffic than riding down the street on a sunday afternoon or some other time when there is no traffic around me. I much prefer to go thru intersections with traffic, and I much rather go with the flow of traffic then be way ahead of or behind it. I just make a real effort to be seen.

On the freeway; I tend to ride in the "fast lane" and give myself a large "cusion" by staying away from other cars while staying out of their blind spots. I use my mirrors a lot to make sure no one is tailgating me at high speed or trying to shove me off the road. On the street I tend to use my mirrors mostly when stopping for red lights or turning because I am afraid someone will rear end me because they could not stop as fast as my bike. Which reminds me; in town- keep to the speed limit and don't brake late and you'll be fine.

[iwannadie]

no traffic during the early evening? man where do you live, here thats when the freeways are parking lots.

My first ride was a couple spins around the block by my house to get myself aquainted with all the controls, then did a short run through town then onto the highway.

For me, the highway was much more fun and relaxing, but the rides around town were great for the initial learning.

My advice (after taking the MSF course) is to make a few runs around town, then start with some short hops on the highway, preferably in the early evening while you still have light and the traffic is likely to be less. Fewer cagers around to give you grief, and better field of view.

My second day of riding I was commuting the 25km to work, with in town riding at both ends of a nice highway run.

do what you feel the most comfortable with though. If you have an experienced rider with you, that will also help, as they can run interference for you and keep the cagers at a distance.

[kar_the_terrible]

Hehe... the best time to be riding a bike is *exactly* when the freeways are parking lots. I've seen many a biker smirk at me while Im stuck in my car and he slowly but surely ambles past on his bike.

My first experience on the highway was dealing with baaad crosswinds, something you dont have to deal with in the city, given all the buildings. The bike was a "dog" to handle with winds blowing coupled with semis passing me. Small glitches in the handling of your bike become much more pronounced at highway speeds.

[iwannadie]

not the best time to learn though hah i can see someone thinking its safe to filter between cars and suddenly a car does something un expected.

Hehe... the best time to be riding a bike is *exactly* when the freeways are parking lots. I've seen many a biker smirk at me while Im stuck in my car and he slowly but surely ambles past on his bike.

My first experience on the highway was dealing with baaad crosswinds, something you dont have to deal with in the city, given all the buildings. The bike was a "dog" to handle with winds blowing coupled with semis passing me. Small glitches in the handling of your bike become much more pronounced at highway speeds.