Analysis - Hard Braking Incident

[Biking Sailor]

Well, you coulda kicked a mirror off on the way by the crashed cars, if you'd been thinking a little faster.  But, all in all, not to shabby.

I'm just impressed he could throw BB's that far in front of him!

[TuffguyF4i]

You could not have put better into words, why i do NOT commute on my bike.  

Ever notice how many of the close call stories on here, are on my way to work?  I'm sure that has alot to do with the frequency of that ride and miles traveled, but you are dealing with sleepy/aggressive/pissed off people on their way to work.  Not a fun ride for sure.

Take it for what its worth, but i don't see the point in riding to work unless you have a fun ride.  

[rgbeard]

You could not have put better into words, why i do NOT commute on my bike.  

Ever notice how many of the close call stories on here, are on my way to work?  I'm sure that has alot to do with the frequency of that ride and miles traveled, but you are dealing with sleepy/aggressive/pissed off people on their way to work.  Not a fun ride for sure.

Take it for what its worth, but i don't see the point in riding to work unless you have a fun ride.  

Or - if commuting to a particular location (Downtown L.A. as an example) is much more difficult with a car.

Cycle wins, and gets me there at a predictable time.  Car does not.

[fotomoto]

You could not have put better into words, why i do NOT commute on my bike.  

Ever notice how many of the close call stories on here, are on my way to work?  I'm sure that has alot to do with the frequency of that ride and miles traveled, but you are dealing with sleepy/aggressive/pissed off people on their way to work.  Not a fun ride for sure.

Take it for what its worth, but i don't see the point in riding to work unless you have a fun ride.  

Ding, ding, ding.  We have a winner.  Ed, tell him what he's won.  

To the OP:  you did good considering the circumstances.  

[1/2%er]

I've had a handful firm braking over the years I've ridden.  This is the worst (closest call) that I've ever had and the ONLY one I've had while commuting in at LEAST 5-6 years.

Thing is if I only rode when others told me it was a safe time/trip etc.,  I'd never ride.  

Every time I'm one the bike it is a pleasure.   And normally I can get around all the car clusters - whereas in a car I'm stuck in my little place in line.

Besides I think commuting in addition to pleasure riding trips/weekend jaunts - adds up to make me a more well-rounded rider.  

[bomber]

Every time I'm one the bike it is a pleasure.   And normally I can get around all the car clusters - whereas in a car I'm stuck in my little place in line.

Besides I think commuting in addition to pleasure riding trips/weekend jaunts - adds up to make me a more well-rounded rider.  

I agree with this sentiment entirely --

[Yankee Dog]

You could not have put better into words, why i do NOT commute on my bike.  

Ever notice how many of the close call stories on here, are on my way to work?  I'm sure that has alot to do with the frequency of that ride and miles traveled, but you are dealing with sleepy/aggressive/pissed off people on their way to work.  Not a fun ride for sure.

Take it for what its worth, but i don't see the point in riding to work unless you have a fun ride.  

my communte is straight down the freeway for about 15 miles.  It is a heck of a lot more fun on the bike than in the cage.  

just sayin ya kno

Yankee Dog

[napper]

You could not have put better into words, why i do NOT commute on my bike.  

Ever notice how many of the close call stories on here, are on my way to work?  I'm sure that has alot to do with the frequency of that ride and miles traveled, but you are dealing with sleepy/aggressive/pissed off people on their way to work.  Not a fun ride for sure.

Take it for what its worth, but i don't see the point in riding to work unless you have a fun ride.  

My motorcycle is toy, not a real form of transportation.

FTFY.  

[theWolfTamer]

FTFY.  

 

[Explorer]

 

[STJoe]

Funny how in retrospec the surreal sense that it seemed to happen in slow motion, when in fact the brakes, shift, and mirror check was an instinctive response, as the mind sorted through the options and chose the correct course in split second.   Had you been less experienced, or riding closer to the car in front of you, it might have been a good deal more than a "Hard Braking Incident".  

Well done.      

[fotomoto]

Funny how in retrospec the surreal sense that it seemed to happen in slow motion, when in fact the brakes, shift, and mirror check was an instinctive response, as the mind sorted through the options and chose the correct course in split second.      

Click on the "listen to" button as it's more in depth than the written copy on this link:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129112147

[Mr Sunshine]

Welcome to my time on the track...hard braking once every 1:40seconds.

[coho]

Welcome to my time on the track...hard braking once every 1:40seconds.

I see squids doing something like that on 15th in Ballard every couple days.  Except it's more like 1.4 seconds from light to light.  


To the OP:  

[TuffguyF4i]

FTFY.  

Whats the point?  My motorcycle(s) are a toys and not a form of real transportation.  So what?  I still log 30k/yr...those miles are spent in beautiful places on awesome rides.  

In my opinion, commuting on the bike is not a value added prop.  Clearly, some differ and thats cool...my way is not the only way, just like yours isn't either.

[chornbe]

You could not have put better into words, why i do NOT commute on my bike.  

Ever notice how many of the close call stories on here, are on my way to work?  I'm sure that has alot to do with the frequency of that ride and miles traveled, but you are dealing with sleepy/aggressive/pissed off people on their way to work.  Not a fun ride for sure.

Take it for what its worth, but i don't see the point in riding to work unless you have a fun ride.  

Meh, I dunno... a varied-style commute could really help to hone certain skills, if you survive it any length of time.

Someone who deals with traffic is likely going to have a pretty good rapport with his machine; gear selection, rapid gear shifts, intuitive throttle control, multitasking his Looking, mirror and head checks, etc.

Someone who deals with multiple season commuting, or a volatile climate is likely to have a decent understanding of weather, its affect on traffic patters, varying road surfaces and tire grip, etc. He probably has a clear understanding of maximizing temperature regulation, and balancing comfort and "bulk" of layering, etc.

Someone who deals with a lot of start/stop/start driving is likely someone who has learned to maximize his efficiencies in routine maintenance of the machine, as start/stop driving tends to beat up a machine pretty well.

Someone who commutes across various types of roads and terrain, from city to "country" driving is probably someone who sees a little bit of everything, and has developed a pretty clear head for "uh oh" moments, reading traffic patterns, finding "the zone", etc.

Whats the point?  My motorcycle(s) are a toys and not a form of real transportation.  So what?  I still log 30k/yr...those miles are spent in beautiful places on awesome rides.  

In my opinion, commuting on the bike is not a value added prop.  Clearly, some differ and thats cool...my way is not the only way, just like yours isn't either.

The nerve of you suggesting there are more ways than just one to look at a situation!

[napper]

Meh, I dunno... a varied-style commute could really help to hone certain skills, if you survive it any length of time.

Someone who deals with traffic is likely going to have a pretty good rapport with his machine; gear selection, rapid gear shifts, intuitive throttle control, multitasking his Looking, mirror and head checks, etc.

Someone who deals with multiple season commuting, or a volatile climate is likely to have a decent understanding of weather, its affect on traffic patters, varying road surfaces and tire grip, etc. He probably has a clear understanding of maximizing temperature regulation, and balancing comfort and "bulk" of layering, etc.

Someone who deals with a lot of start/stop/start driving is likely someone who has learned to maximize his efficiencies in routine maintenance of the machine, as start/stop driving tends to beat up a machine pretty well.

Someone who commutes across various types of roads and terrain, from city to "country" driving is probably someone who sees a little bit of everything, and has developed a pretty clear head for "uh oh" moments, reading traffic patterns, finding "the zone", etc.





The nerve of you suggesting there are more ways than just one to look at a situation!

If you can achieve that, anything else is just gravy.

[jay547]

i had a hard braking incident this morning also. i was on a three-lane, northbound heading to work at about 40 mph. two lanes went straight with the right lane turning to a highway ramp. i was in the middle lane and about to change to the right lane. there were two cars in front of me - not signaling, not braking. i signaled, checked the mirror, then glanced back to make sure it was clear. when i looked back forward, the two cars in front of me had suddenly slowed to about 20 mph to also change lanes. i immediately (panic) grabbed a handful of front brake and it momentarily locked up - i heard the tire squeal. i let off a little and slowed safely. i've been riding off and on since 1973 and this was the first time i'd ever locked up the front brake on a street bike.

[JJones-lg]

Braking to a stop and counting on the guy behind you is asking for trouble. I'm always looking for the escape route with equal priority. I've had to use an escape route several times in heavy traffic.  Just last week I'm riding to work and see brake lights ahead.  I'm in the left lane and  looked down the road to see what appeared to be brake smoke and a car on the shoulder.  The Nissan Titan in front of me locked up his brakes about time I was grabbing mine.  I grabbed a bit too much rear brake and the back end stepped out as I dived for the shoulder.  Wouldn't ya know it so did he and I thought I was a goner.  I squeezed as close to the k-rail as I could and slipped though.  Needless to say I'm paying more attention to my following distance and adjusted accordingly.    

jj  

[Dan K]

I've learned more about my bike and riding from my 48 mile round trip commute to down town Chicago than any class.  

But I will say that if my ride home was no fun, I'd likely take the cage (there's no hope for the ride in).  I have a decent car that I enjoy driving, with lots of bells and whistles and a great stereo to keep me entertained. I don't need to ride, I just prefer to.  Way better gas mileage too. Getting ready to leave work now. Friday nights, ride home is a crap shoot for some of the way, but I'm looking forward to it!

- Dan