The Blog of Blues

[blues2cruise]

Breakthrough! I got a scooter ride to nod back at me.

[zeligman]

blues - glad you threaded those needles

[blues2cruise]

My sudden maneuver practice paid off today. I was travelling one of my usual routes home....when some bonehead drove all the way up the middle painted island to get ahead of as much traffic as he could. He pulled in front of me....but behind the few cars already at the STOP light......cuz I always leave lots of space....
As the traffic started to move this guy was constantly making like he wanted to pass everyone on the right....then we all had to stop again...red light....this continued for several blocks with him tailgating the car ahead of him and always looking like he was trying to pass on the right....
The light turned green...we all started to move....I covered my brake because of the left turners.....just as I start to accelerate the guy in front me slammed on his brakes....it took me a second to realize....I pulled/stepped hard on my brakes and when I though I wasn't going to stop on time, I veered to the left of him.....stopped just beside his back bumper.... phew....

While I continued my journey home I pondered in my head a few times....what did I do wrong? I sure don't want to make the same mistake whatever it was again. As Z said above.....it was like threading a needle to miss that guy ahead of me....

Was I too tired?
Did I lose attention for a split second?
Was I too concerend about the vehicle turning left and my attention got diverted?
I had been leaving lots of space, but maybe I need to leave more when a tailgater is in front of me?

It took 1-1/2 hours to get home today. Traffic was horrible. It was unusually heavy and congested. Maybe because it's a full moon tomorrow.....

[zeligman]

Blues - that is what happened to me in my accident - sort of - it was caused in a merge by not being able to control my 'bubble' due to the merge, and then the asshat in front of me stopping suddenly. I also hit the brakes hard, then did a swerve, passed his bumper on the left, then i was hitting the ground, and you all know the rest.

I'm still not positive how to have avoided that - except to pull over when the bubble constricted and wait for a better traffic pattern.

Glad you fared better than me blues!

[sapaul]

How are those ribs doing ???

[blues2cruise]

The ribs are improving. Not so tender to touch now. I was out walking, browsing, shopping yesterday and did not need any pain meds.

[blues2cruise]

I think I have figured out where I went wrong on the day of my almost rear ender....I have been paying to how I have been riding since that incident a few days ago....I have realized I was not looking "UP"........I also figured out I had developed this habit since my new bike.
Now that I am aware of it, I can correct it. I caught myself looking down a few times....a habit I did not have before. I guess I was looking at the the bigger bike, the newness, the difference......
so I gave myself a mental kick and then my riding improved again. I could feel the difference.

Right now I am on a few days vacation so I am not riding.....it will give my ribs a chance to not have to "work".....

[fireguzzi]

Your supposed to look at the bike while sitting on it in a parking lot or driveway or garage and going vrooom vrooom not while it is going vroom vroom down the road.

[blues2cruise]

Your supposed to look at the bike while sitting on it in a parking lot or driveway or garage and going vrooom vrooom not while it is going vroom vroom down the road.

Precisely....I just hadn't realized I was doing with the new one.....Now that I figured it out...I stopped it....

[sapaul]

Glad to hear you are getting better and have figured out a potential problem.

Shopping huh, ya well, no fine, must be getting better, nothing like a quiet jaunt around a shopping mall for fitness you know. Gets the heart rate up, exercises the whole body and boosts the economy.

Bliiuurrrgggh