A few basic questions

Kemik

Kemik

Kemik

Soldato
Joined
7 Nov 2005
Posts
4,958
Location
Widnes
Hey guys,

I've just come back from Vietnam and had a lot of fun on the back of bikes, which has sparked my interest in checking out getting a license in the UK. I know the UK is very different and arguably more dangerous to drive but the drive to work would be much quicker and I'd like to do a trial bike course that I've seen locally.
  • What do you do when it is heavily raining on a commute to work? Doesn't the rain screw with your vision?
  • How dangerous is it compared to driving a car? E.g. have you experienced near accidents a few times a year? A few times a month?
  • Do the protection leathers/gear tend to be waterproof?
  • Do you ride all year round or switch to car some months? I imagine winter can get interesting.
Cheers
 
Use your finger as a window wiper and take it easy.

Yes, in terms of you being the crumple zone but ride sensibly and stay aware then there's no reason for the actual accident rate to be much higher than in a car. Apart from the odd sorry I didn't see you penis.

Yes depending on which kit you buy and how much you want to spend.

I can't drive so it's my all year transport, only avoid it when icy/snowing.
 
1 - use waterproof gear and ride slower, doesn't screw your vision but make sure your visor is in good condition
2 - ofc is more dangerous, you don't have a bunch of metal around you, that is why you should always wear full protective gear, about accidents it all depends how you ride... if you ride more aggressively you will have more close calls
3 - usually yes, but that is not a rule... just make sure you get waterproof ones
4 - I have 2 bikes one for fun and a scooter as a commuter, I don't mind rain or cold, but make sure you use good gear, even if it is too hot for you, keep it... better to stay warn than cold. Would avoid ice or snow.
 
Thanks guys. Any suggestions for the best way to try biking before jumping in to a full Direct Access course?
 
Kemik said:
Thanks guys. Any suggestions for the best way to try biking before jumping in to a full Direct Access course?
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When you do your CBT make sure to get a geared bike, start from there
DAS usually comes in 1 to 4 days course (per module), if you are not very confident, do a 4 days course.
 
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Kemik said:
  • What do you do when it is heavily raining on a commute to work? Doesn't the rain screw with your vision?
  • How dangerous is it compared to driving a car? E.g. have you experienced near accidents a few times a year? A few times a month?
  • Do the protection leathers/gear tend to be waterproof?
  • Do you ride all year round or switch to car some months? I imagine winter can get interesting.
Click to expand...

1 - Tilt your head left then right at speed to clear your visor.

2 - Massively more dangerous both in terms of frequency and severity of accidents. You are far harder to see than a car, the bike is very sensitive to the road surface (bumps, paint, drain covers, rocks, gravel, oil, diesel, leaves etc), and you are very squishy without a cage protecting you.

3 - Not really, it's best to get a waterproof over suit to wear when it rains.

4 - In the UK you can easily ride all year round as it never gets cold. Here the 10 feet of snow makes things a little tricky.

5 - You didn't ask, but it is 100% worth it!
 
Kemik said:
  • What do you do when it is heavily raining on a commute to work? Doesn't the rain screw with your vision?
  • How dangerous is it compared to driving a car? E.g. have you experienced near accidents a few times a year? A few times a month?
  • Do the protection leathers/gear tend to be waterproof?
  • Do you ride all year round or switch to car some months? I imagine winter can get interesting.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Can't see vietnam being less dangerous than here! :p:D

  • I commute all year round, all weather (unless it's 2ft of snow). Either waterproofs over leathers if it's summer or full textiles in the winter
  • More dangerous, but a lot of the risk to can mitigate by developing a sixth sense
  • Textiles will be, leathers not. Some leathers are slightly though, depends on the brand
  • All year round, here in Kent we don't get many really cold days. Textiles, muffs and heated grips in winter, toasty and warm. Also a proper wind proof neck buff/balaclava when it's really cold, the only air getting in the is through the visor.
 
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As above, doesn't Vietnam have a really high motorcycle death/accident rate???

  • Wear waterproofs over my Leathers, and as long as you keep your visor clean it usually beads away without impairing your vision.
  • Obviously more dangerous than a car, you don't have a big metal box to protect you, and the benefits of a motorcycle is making progress so filtering etc which is an at risk manoeuvre so you just need to be more aware at all times.
  • Leathers no, buy waterproofs to shove on over the top if needed, personally I wouldn't buy textiles if they weren't waterproof.
  • All year around here, unless its majorly icy or snowing, have been caught out in the snow before, its not actually that bad if you head home whilst its still snowing, its once it sets thats the problem.... my car is useless in the snow and ice also so usually just work from home :D
 
TallPaul_S said:
Can't see vietnam being less dangerous than here! :p:D
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My theory was that it is like organised chaos over there and with there being so many scooters the drivers, in theory, look out for them more. They also drive a lot slower on average but suppose they only wear a half helmet so when there are accidents they would be worse?

Cheers for the replies so far - very helpful :)
 
Even with waterproof textiles, you'll do well to keep 100% of the water out 100% of the time.

I bought Alpinestars Andes Drystar textiles when I passed my DAS thinking 'they're quite expensive, they must be waterproof', and I still get a wet shirt where the jacket meets the trousers in a deluge. I keep a spare shirt at work but I might get an oversuit for these situations.

I'm desperate to ride in all weather's within reason, as the car is less enjoyable and takes longer.
 
If you're going to be riding in all weathers, it's worth spending money on decent boots and gloves as there are the bits that get it the worst, I've got goretex boots and gloves and neither have let in a drop of water over 2+ years commuting, nearly 30k miles.
 
1/. Chuck on waterproofs and get on with it. The rain is worse at night on the way home, mainly due to other vehicle headlights. Just wipe with a gloved hand and carry on, really...

2/. I'd say I'm more lethal with a car.
I'm obviously more vulnerable in general on a bike than in a car, yet the one serious accident I've had saw me better off being separated from the bike rather than in a car where I'd possibly have been paralysed or something.

In over a decade of riding every day, all year in all weathers - I've had the one serious above, plus 3 minor low-sides. The 3 minors were ALL my own stupid fault and ALL inexperience-related while on a 125...

3/. Leather is not waterproof. It's more like a sponge. If you're sliding down the road, there is nothing better, which is why all the high speed race riders still wear leathers... but it ain't waterproof!
Textiles and oversuits are mostly pretty darn good, but water can still seep in through the bits around your neck, wrists and boots, no matter how good the clothing or well you secure them. It's mostly a lottery - I've been bone dry with £4 oversuits and been soaked through £800 worth of high-end textile.

4/. All year. You do have to adapt your riding and be mindful of different things at different times, of course. Worst I ever had was motorways with a standing temp of -7ºC, which put the wind chill around -35º once you hit 70mph... However, there are things you can do to make life comfy even under those conditions.
 
By September next year you'll be on a big bike and have numerous bits of bike kit lying in most rooms of the house, I can almost guarantee it :D
 
tom_e said:
By September next year you'll be on a big bike and have numerous bits of bike kit lying in most rooms of the house, I can almost guarantee it :D
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Yeah... my parents ain't too happy about all the spares, bulk chain lubes and other bike related stuff taking up the place in our storage unit. :p
 
tom_e said:
By September next year you'll be on a big bike and have numerous bits of bike kit lying in most rooms of the house, I can almost guarantee it :D
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Either that or my dad will have found out and killed me himself! He was a biker and swore his kids (I'm 28...) would never get on one. Part of the reason why some of my questions in OP. Every biker I know seems to have been in some kind of accident at some point...
 
I've had 2 involving other vehicles and 2 involving ice.

Nothing more than a bruise from any of them.

The woman in my offices daughter went travelling in Vietnam and decided to get a scooter and a pee pot lid to ride down the country with no prior experience, 2 days in she hit a pot hole wrote off her knee that was a good few months ago and she's still suffering with physio and infections in it.

How well you come out of accidents is down to luck, training and kit. Oh and learning from past mistakes, so I'll be leaving the bike well wrapped up this year if it's looking in any way icy :o
 
You're 28, I'm 19 and I went against my parents. I like bikes too much, to just give it up because someone is unhappy about it. Just go for it, that's the only way you'll find out whenever its your cup of tea or not. ;)
 
Kemik said:
Part of the reason why some of my questions in OP. Every biker I know seems to have been in some kind of accident at some point...
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I've known people who've been riding for as much as 52 years, without a single drop...
I probably know more people who've known someone who rode and had a crash, than those who've had a crash themselves... mainly because that's what it seems everyone who sees me riding has to come up and tell me.

I also probably know more people who've had a car crash.
 
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