A259

[wickedmonkey]

Went to see my mum and sister yesterday. To get there I have to go along the A259 and it was a ride that made me anxious as hell. On the way there in the morning I had the sun blinding me at crucial moments. On the way back it was pitch dark and I had car headlight glare being exaggerated by droplets of crap on my visor. Add to that Fazer headlights that light up the curb beautifully but not much of the road in front...


Anyone who knows the A259 will know the corners that snake and zigzag -- sometimes turning on a pin by 270 degrees. It was mentioned by Ross Noble in MCN latest issue as on of the best to ride in the UK partly because of these corners. But, bare in mind that I've only been riding since August and you'll realise why I was so relieved to have gotten home in one piece and why my shoulders were aching from stress!


Still, I suppose every cloud has a Silverstone lining and I learnt that I need to relax under stress (the machine doesn't respond well to a stiff rider and I nearly lost it on a shallow corner because I had become so tense. I ended up doing a strange kind of cross-steer whilst reciting Hail Marys).


I lived to tell the tale though and my Mum's dinner was worth it.

[Frosties]

If it's on the way to your mums then chances are you'll need to do the trip again.


Don't forget the tips about electrical tape across top of visor to help with the sun.


Stress is going to affect anything you do as you found out - just slow down, chill out and stay within your comfort zone.



Go ride it a few more times in the day to hone your skills a bit and then have another night ride. Should build your confidence no end fella. 

[fazersharp]

As Frosties said learn the road and you will get on a lot better.
Im lucky I dont have to ride all the time so avoid the dark, and rain, becaus as you have found out ---------- it aint fun

[ChristoT]

As Frosties said learn the road and you will get on a lot better.
Im lucky I dont have to ride all the time so avoid the dark, and rain, becaus as you have found out ---------- it aint fun

I do a lot of long distances on roads I don't know, generally with the bike loaded up beyond the point of sanity. Whilst the Hail Marys certainly help  , the best thing is to relax (as you've already discovered). After all, there is no shame in being the slowest vehicle on the road. If the car behind you wants to go faster, he can overtake or foc off! I also find in really bad weather that following another vehicle (like said overtaker) can be handy - his rear lights show you the way.

For blinding headlights, I'll share a friend's hint: rather than looking directly forwards, squint sideways, and try and hold a set distance from the kerb / white line. Works for me! Practise will train you to pick up brake lights in your peripheral vision. A similar hint I read (but which I question) is to close one eye when traffic is oncoming, so only one eye gets dazzled.

Hope this helps, and enjoy the riding! 

[DaxPlusPlus]

If the car behind you wants to go faster, he can overtake or foc off!

+1

Also remember not to target fixate .. look where you want to go NOT at the oncoming headlights or the straight on at a corner .. always look round the corner in the direction you want to go.

That and relaxing will help a lot.

Ride safe.

P.s I think we've all been there and experienced the same sort of thing that you did (me it was rushing to a party over in Henley on Thames late one night)

[wickedmonkey]

Thanks all. That really helps a lot. 


Felt like I was using The Force some of the time. 

[veloskins]

I find "reading" the vanishing point of the road ahead helps, others will explain it better but u watch point where kerbs/edge of road meet, if point is coming towards u then slow up if it's moving away from you then you can begin to pick up speed. A quick google will probably review a lot of expertise on this. I find this especially helps spot a bend that tightens up mid way round.
cheers Dave

[apage16]

Also, once you've fished that headlight shroud out and got yourself some Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited bulbs, your blood pressure will come down a smidge!

[darrsi]

On my Arai lid I've fitted a Sunax sunshade, which is just a strip of tinted plastic that slots into a gap in the helmet just above your eyes.
It's VERY useful when you get sunlight aimed at you, 'cos you can just tilt your head down a tiny bit and eliminate the glare by about 75%.
You'll need to Google it to see if they fit your crash helmet though, as they only have Arai ones on Flebay.

[fazersharp]

Also almost embarrassingly obvious but read the road signs, if you can pay them a little more attention you can almost ride an unknown road as well as one you know well. Look at those chevron signs on a tight bend and you will see if there is only one - it is not as tight as bend with two or three. So on approach even though you may not see your exit you know its going to open up fast because there is only one chevron sign, and you can see that it only has one sign whilst still on your approach.   

[darrsi]

I also have one of these inserts fitted that have a slight reactolite effect to them in sunlight, are anti fog, and reduce headlight glare at night as well, it's a really good all rounder which I've used for years.
Take your time putting it on though 'cos the double sided tape is not forgiving if you foc it up.
When mine leaks eventually from rain after a couple of years I strip off the old tape and carefully shape some new 1mm thick double sided tape onto it (in one long piece) and reuse it, sealing the 2 ends that meet with some clear rubber glue to make it airtight. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Progrip-Light-Sensitive-Auto-Tint-No-Fog-Visor-Insert-universal-Fit-Anti-Fog-/150695843593?pt=UK_Helmets_Headwear_Visors&hash=item23162c1709

[darrsi]

Just to give you an idea what i was chatting about earlier, here's the sun shield in my Arai lid.
Also i just spent an hour putting new 1mm thick double sided tape onto my anti fog insert, and i didn't do a bad job even if i say so myself. 
It's now airtight (didn't even need any glue at the join this time) and it will last about 3 winters before i'll need to do it again. I have another tinted insert on another visor for the summer season.   




NOTE: Just for info sake, when you take off the old double sided tape it will always leave a tacky residue behind on the visor, and on the insert.
To remove this i had a bottle of "Sticky Stuff Remover" (yep, that's what it's called) which dissolves the sticky leftovers but is totally safe on plastics. Then i just cleaned again with a small drop of washing up liquid and thoroughly dried and cleaned each surface before sticking together again.
You REALLY want a dust and hair free environment to do this because as soon as the double sided touches the visor you CANNOT adjust it, TRUST ME.
And the last thing you want is a dog or cat hair or a spec of dirt sitting in your line of sight for the next few years!


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mykal-Sticky-Stuff-Remover-250ml/dp/B000TAT4GM
 

[Hedgetrimmer]

Nice work Darrsi 

Perhaps it'll even save us receiving helmets back as faulty due to not having a perfect visor seal 

[darrsi]

Obviously when you buy those inserts they have their own double sided tape on, but although it feels strong as foc at first, the rain eventually gets to it.
Once they spring a leak you get fogging in between the insert and your visor which can obviously become a problem if it's in your line of sight.
When they're airtight though they work brilliantly, and the very slightly thicker double sided i bought works for much longer.
This time i made a point of making the join of the tape in the bottom left corner as well, it's all a bit Blue Peter but it's such a useful insert because it very slightly tints in harsh sunlight as well as the no fogging, and it turns headlight and brakelight glare into single lights.
I've had this one at least 4 or 5 years now, i just keep renewing the tape and reusing it.   


With a tilt of the head the Sunax sunshield puts a proper dampener on very bright sun glare.

[fazersharp]

With a tilt of the head the Sunax sunshield puts a proper dampener on very bright sun glare.

Now I LIKE THAT a lot.
Non permanent, and how light (see through ) is it when the sun isn't on it. I know its only in your above peripheral but I like to keep that clear so I can avoid pigeons that seem to be attracted to the sound of my bike.
 
Oh just re read that bit isnt react-a-light is it

[darrsi]

With a tilt of the head the Sunax sunshield puts a proper dampener on very bright sun glare.

Now I LIKE THAT a lot.
Non permanent, and how light (see through ) is it when the sun isn't on it. I know its only in your above peripheral but I like to keep that clear so I can avoid pigeons that seem to be attracted to the sound of my bike.
 
Oh just re read that bit isnt react-a-light is it

You can see through it, but it's like a dark pair of sunglasses.
I wouldn't worry about pigeons, it's swans you gotta look out for. 

[JZS 600]

Thanks all. That really helps a lot. 


Felt like I was using The Force some of the time. 

Use the Force, Roadcraft!

[JZS 600]

Did you see the pun there!

[wickedmonkey]

Did you see the pun there!

Consider this in lieu of a groan...

[wickedmonkey]

Thanks for all the advice. MUCH appreciated. Ridden to other destinations a few times since then -- when the bloomin wind wasn't gale force -- and felt fine. Think that there was a combination of factors that freaked me out. Ironically, I know the A259 pretty well having driven it now and again for years.


Thanks again.

[Frosties]

Glad to hear the confidence is back fella, nice one 

[wickedmonkey]

Rode the same ride yesterday in overcast daylight to see a friend. Had a great ride. Helps if you can see where you're going!


Someone mentioned target fixation. I think that is exactly what was happening.


Thanks for all the comments guys.

[Buzz]

Always remember to grip the tank with your knees!


I used to grip the bars really hard when I started as I wanted to feel more connected to the bike, this ended up killing my shoulders and hurting my wrists.  After watching "Twist of the wrist" and reading some of the stuff in the Downloads section it turns out that gripping the tank with your knees on the twisties really makes a difference, itmeans you can concentrate on dipping your shoulder into the corner and countersteeing through with almost no pressure on the bars.  It also helped to put the ball of my foot on the pegs rather than the middle...as I do with normal straight riding.

[wickedmonkey]

Always remember to grip the tank with your knees!


I used to grip the bars really hard when I started as I wanted to feel more connected to the bike, this ended up killing my shoulders and hurting my wrists.  After watching "Twist of the wrist" and reading some of the stuff in the Downloads section it turns out that gripping the tank with your knees on the twisties really makes a difference, itmeans you can concentrate on dipping your shoulder into the corner and countersteeing through with almost no pressure on the bars.  It also helped to put the ball of my foot on the pegs rather than the middle...as I do with normal straight riding.

Thanks. I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll re-watch TOTW2 as well.