If you can give only ONE piece of advice to a new Rider, what will it be?

[elizabethf]

Buy a cheaper/used bike for your first bike. You are going to learn some valuable lessons on that thing which will involve it getting some battle wounds!

Dont put yourself under pressure to be amazing at all things riding straight off the bat. Trust the process and take your time, seek ways to advance your skills too. 

[Guest]

Why stand up when you can sit down. Why sit down when you can lie down 

[Gromit]

Crashing is neither inevitable nor compulsory.

[skyrider]

5 hours ago, Gromit said:

Crashing is neither inevitable nor compulsory.

but still happens from time to time 

[onesea]

15 hours ago, skyrider said:

but still happens from time to time 

There are 2 types:

1) low speed parking manoeuvring drops.

2) the speedier type that you really want to avoid .

[Bungleaio]

Get as much education as you can via enhanced/bike safe/IAM/ROSPA/biker down. 

[cyclingwilly]

Left knee down on left hander corners and right knee down on right hand corners.

[TimR]

On 24/04/2021 at 10:51, dynax said:

 

Loads of bikers were doing this yesterday is it some new craze that's started up, anyway I just gave  a slight nod back  both hands firmly on the bars

But they have made the learning curve of being able to control a bike with one hand ...

 And being adamant to keep both hands on bars makes it interesting when for some unknown gremlin in your electric system means you now have to use Hand signals for your intentions ...

 So is it a bad thing ? 

[Bender]

Wear sunscreen  

 

 

 

 

[geofferz]

Ride like you're invisible and that no one can see you but if they can they're trying to crash into you.

 

Fault doesn't matter when you're in hospital. 

[SometimesSansEngine]

Learn when people may not see you and why 

 

https://ko-fi.com/post/READ-FOR-FREE-ToT-May-1-SOBS--how-hard-is-it-E1E44MII0

 

Quote

A study by Murphy and Greene in 2016 put forty two drivers into a life-size Volkswagen Polo driving simulator where they performed a series of gap perception tasks involving judging if their vehicle could fit between two parked vehicles. There were cars parked on either side of the simulated road.

 

When the gap between the parked cars was easy to negotiate, 22 of 41 drivers noticed an unexpected pedestrian in a red blouse. But when drivers the gap was reduced so that it was barely wide enough for the car to negotiate, only seven noticed the pedestrian.

 

[Jayninja6]

Petrol is not recommended for removing oil and chain lube off tyres - When i first started riding i was told it was fine to do this..

[fastbob]

Don't go to Scotch corner .

[Six30]

4 hours ago, fastbob said:

Don't go to Scotch corner .

[Joe85]

Wheelies are cool.

[fastbob]

Get the bike really want and ride it a lot because you've got 15 years before they turn off the Petrol . 

[geofferz]

3 hours ago, fastbob said:

Get the bike really want and ride it a lot because you've got 15 years before they turn off the Petrol . 

You've changed your tune chap - I buy bikes on finance and I recall you having strong words!

 

I agree though.  Just bought a BMW M4 (on finance obvs) - probably my last oil burner.

[fastbob]

41 minutes ago, geofferz said:

You've changed your tune chap - I buy bikes on finance and I recall you having strong words!

 

I agree though.  Just bought a BMW M4 (on finance obvs) - probably my last oil burner.

Did I ? Maybe I did say that but from what perspective ? Having said that , I'm not specifically recommending that anyone buy a new bike on finance . It could be a classic bike or just something you've got a hankering for . 

[Robik]

Some great posts and advice here. 

I would add, learn to counter steer.

[OAP bug eater]

On 20/04/2021 at 00:13, Breezin said:

Assume that they are all out to kill you, and behave accordingly. (Because they actually are.)

^^^THIS^^^

As a spotty faced 16 year old (back in 1969) and 'old' biker (he was probably 30) said to me, Always ride as though every'one' (he used a different word) on the road WANTS to kill you and they are waiting for you to give them a chance, don't give them the chance.

it really is the best advice anyone ever gave me, with the possible exception of "don't eat yellow snow" 52 years later and those words still go through my mind everytime I fire up the bike.

[Brad01]

I would say ride your own ride and grow. Very easy to try and follow others who are way ahead in ability and try to "impress" them