| I do a mix of track, and what I would describe as careful road riding.
Maybe about half a dozen track days a year, trying to avoid the expensive tracks. For me the track is place where you can fully open the throttle without fear of getting pulled up, coming across unexpected debris/shite on the surface, hitting some loon coming the other way head on and if the worst does happen I'm not going to be left sitting or worse at the side of the road waiting for a good samaritan.
Riding on the track is a place where you can fully explore your own limits in a relatively controlled environment.
I try and ride as if every one else on the road is trying to kill me. I would call myself a slow and careful rider, but I have heard some feedback that some consider the rideouts too fast. On the other hand I know some who consider the rideouts too slow. Rideouts/meet are the social side of biking, if some want to tear off at speed and they are happy they know the route then thats fine by me, but some are happy to pootle along and enjoy the scenery, I would like to think it's possible to cater for both.
A solo ride out on the road can be enjoyable on traffic free roads, the joy of biking is that if do go to a big venue like Squires there is pretty much always someone ready to have a chat while wandering round.
There is little doubt in my mind that there is more to stopping what the authorities see as carnage on roads than speed but as ever the minority of "head bangers" get noticed over the majority of considerate riders. 100 bikes enjoy a safe ride to Helmsley doesn't get media attention but biker caught at 100mph plus carving up the traffic or biker slices pensioners metro in half does.
The equations are simple
Speeding + an accident = victims
Speeding + no accident = no victims
No speeding + accident = victims
so even if you eradicate speeding in the UK you still get victims
Ray.  |