I have been asked many a times “What is my riding style” and I felt I should just share some of the things I follow that probably define my riding style.
So, what is my riding style?
I have seen people riding for years and still they lack simple road sense, riding sense and are not even considerate while on roads. Like many other things in the world, biking is also a mind game and it’s not just about learning the skills. When on the road, a good biker is 100% on the road not just physically but mentally. Every single action must take into consideration people and things around you and you must command and control your bike as if it’s your slave. Most important of all, you should know and trust your own abilities.
Apart from acceleration, brake and control are among the most important techniques. You must understand your bike so well that you can feel every single move while you ride. When you are shifting your gears or applying the brakes, you should be able to imagine and feel what’s actually happening inside your bike.
Never ever ignore your safety gears, not just any helmet but make sure it’s a DOT certified full face helmet that fits well.
So, how do I check if my helmet fits well?
I usually wear balaclava or some kind of band underneath my helmet. On top of it when you wear the helmet, shake your head up down and right left. Make sure helmet doesn’t move or slip much when you move your head. That’s it. As simple as that, I follow this as a check when I buy a new helmet.
On the road, I am alert, ready to react quickly and considerate to everything around whether it’s a pedestrian, cyclist, 2 wheeler or small or big vehicles.
A smart biker will never get rid off the side mirrors to get a stylish look. Side mirrors are as important as a headlight in the dark. Pay attention to the honk and react responsibly to it based on situation. You can always ignore them when you are at a signal that has just turned green and some dumb driver desperately keeps honking as if the world is going to end.
No matter how good you are at multi tasking, talking on phone and riding at the same time is a big NO. I don’t remember a single time when I have done that. Kill your careless instincts and just park your bike to the side before trying to pull out your cell from the pocket. I am sure you would not want to end up yourself or to send someone to the hospital just for the sake of one quick call. Same goes with listening to music while riding and it’s a certain distraction no matter how low the volume may be or you may be using just one ear plug. It directly cuts you off from your surrounding and your mind will tend to confuse between sounds and ignore important signals.
Maintain at least 20-30 feet gap from the vehicle ahead. This will help you avoid any panic braking and will give you time to anticipate and read the mind of the driver ahead. I personally also take a note of the vehicle that is in front of the vehicle in front of me and it certainly helps. It’s more like trying to gauge how the vehicle in front of you will react much in advance.
Have a broader visibility of at least around 50 meter on all directions; imagine you are at the center of a circle with a radius of 50 meter. Most of the accidents while turning and over taking can be avoided by keeping this small tip in mind. Shockingly in 90% of the accidents it’s someone else’s fault for which a victim has to pay with his broken bones. So, always make sure no matter how safe or smart driver you are, keep a note of any sudden change of events around you and be prepared to act promptly and intelligently. Just as an example, sometimes you may feel completely safe to overtake but the driver ahead of you may do something stupid and completely unexpected. Need not to mention how disciplined Indian drivers are.
Now, very often riding on Indian highways at a high speed we come across a situation where out of nowhere a dog, cattle or even a human may appear in front of you. By the time you can figure out what’s happening, it’s usually too late and out of panic the first thing you do is to apply the brakes. Not a very good thing to do especially if the speed is high. Judge the situation and simply alter the speed, slightly turn the handle or use your body to change the direction and just pass by the object.
During my recent trip, I was riding at around 100 km on NICE road when all of a sudden a dog came in front and instead of applying brakes I left my throttle, reducing the speed, and judging the speed of the dog I twisted to the right slightly and passed by. It all happened in a matter of seconds but brakes would have made it really bad.
Honk but responsibly. PLEASE honk on blind curves to avoid killing someone.
Handle the gears gently and smoothly. While shifting from any upper gear to say 1st gear, you shouldn’t struggle with too many sounds. If that’s the case, please visit a mechanic and get it sorted and if it still does, than certainly mend your ways.
This is purely the way I ride and my experiences. Everyone has their own style but make sure safety for you and your fellow co-riders should be of utmost importance. I have travelled thousands of miles all alone and on the worst and most dangerous terrains but by God’s grace I am all safe. I have fallen down sometimes but always because of the way I apply brake, however I have improved now especially after the Kerala trip.
No matter how good these tips are and how smart driver one is, sometimes fate takes control but I can assure by taking precautions and always following safe practices one can drastically reduce the risks and keep roads safer.
