Here is a caution for newbie riders that I fortunately learned without a crash: Beware if you see a bicycle coming toward you in the opposite lane, especially on a winding road. Bicycles almost always travel in groups, especially on the weekends. So if you pass one, there is likely another one coming (they are often spread out for miles). The bicycles themselves are not the hazard. But cars coming up behind the bicycles WILL swerve into your lane to get around the bicycles without giving any thought to the fact that they are coming headon right at you. This is especially a problem on winding roads (I see it on Skyline Drive every time I'm up there). The cagers do not hesitate to swing into your lane to get around a bicycle, even on blind curves or blind hills.

 

Here is another. A local rider and his passenger ended up in a hospital when they were T boned going through an intersection. The biker had a green light and did not check both ways as he entered the intersection. Sure enough, some asshat ran the light and nailed them.

I never go through an intersection even with green without looking both ways first after hearing that.

 

That's the same scenario that killed a couple of dear friends of mine (man & wife) last Memorial Day. They were returning from the Survivors rally in Hot Springs and 30 miles from home (Alva,OK) after a layover in Tulsa. "Beav" was far from inexperienced though, that's why they took the break in Tulsa.

 

I've learned if first in line at a red light to not just go on the green, I wait and look both ways to make sure nobody is running the red, before I start to move.

 

That pretty much sums it up. I've always rode like EVERYONE is out to kill me.

 

Not sure if this is relevant but for those without ABS this likely as good or better. .tcbbrakesystems.com I will always go with whatever is factory but this looks like a potential cure for panic braking for less seasoned riders.

 

Looking back on it a lot of my crashes were from being young and stupid. The easiest thing I've learned to avoid wrecks is don't get frustrated when idiots in cages cut you off or act as if youre expendable. This is inevitably going to happen and there is no sense in putting yourself in the position to be ran off the road. In the end we will be the ones getting hurt and they will probably drive away like nothing happened.