Welcome to the latest newsletter takes you to this week’s posts on Ko-Fi and enabling you to sidestep Facebook altogether. I’m trying to make the newsletter date MONDAYS as that makes it easier for me to prepare, and to stick to Mondays but occasionally it may come out later.
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I’d welcome your feedback, as always.
WHAT’S ON IN THE SURVIVAL SKILLS UNIVERSE
===LAST CALL===
NEXT LIVE PRESENTATION: SOBS In-Depth… the Science Of Being Seen looks at the reasons for the most common motorcycle crash of all – the ‘Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You’ or ‘SMIDSY’ collision at junctions. In this IN-DEPTH presentation, I’ll taking a look at how we identify objects within the field of vision – and it’s not nearly as simple as “if it’s visible, we should see it”. Even if you have seen the full SOBS presentation, I think you’ll get a lot of additional insight into just why drivers often fail to spot motorcycles, day-riding lights and hi-vis clothing notwithstanding.
Tickets cost £5 – get yours here: http://thq.fyi/se/24cc9fe29cf1
Put the date in your diary today – Wednesday 2 February 2022 AT 20:00
MARCH’S TALK: Group Riding tricks and tips… whether you’re new to riding with others, or want to set up your own ride. Some do’s and quite a few ‘avoids’.
Tickets cost £5 – get yours here: http://thq.fyi/se/0852f14d860f
Put the date in your diary today – Wednesday 2 March 2022 AT 20:00
CLUB & GROUP TALKS – I’ve one more group talk in the diary, and I’m just sorting out a date for another so if you’d like me to arrange something for your own group or club, get in touch. As well as ‘Science Of Being Seen’, ‘Crash Course (in how not to…)’ and my latest ‘Fewer skills, more Insight’ presentations, I have a selection of others on various riding issues. Available weekday evenings and weekends, via ZOOM or in person. Drop me a line to sort something out.
ELEVENSES ANCHOR PODCAST – the Elevenses webcasts that go out live (almost always) on Wednesdays and Sundays are now available as an audio-only podcast – check them out HERE on Anchor.
*** TRAINING *** What do you assess in my riding?
As I explained in the first part of this four-parter looking at how I assess a rider before embarking on a specific course of action, I look for answers to several questions: can you ride the bike and put it where you want it to go? are the choices you are making risky? do you know why you are doing what you’re doing? are you proactive or reactive? are you being taken by SURPRISE? does what you do look safe to other road users?
So how do I know what I’m seeing when I watch you ride? Well, let’s turn to the concept of a system.
*** ELEVENSES *** Elevenses 210 Sun 30 Jan
in today’s show… London e-scooters to get sound… Cyprus gets tough new learner and compulsory bike clothing rules… Hampshire to replace bollards with ones made from sugar cane… positive COVID test disrupt’s Ducati’s MotoGP launch… Shiny Side Up lives shows cancelled due to COVID… historic movie footage of Burt Munro uncovered… today’s discussion point… why are bikers so smug?
*** SKILLS ON SATURDAY *** What the DVSA told trainers about the HC rules
This is the fourth and final article looking at the important revisions to the Highway Code that go live TODAY – January 29, 2022. Over the last three posts I’ve looked at how the Rules H1, Rule H2, and Rule H3 will change things for us when riding or driving, and today I just want to sum up some of the other changes, plus give you what amounts to ‘official guidance’ as to how work within the Rules.
*** FOCUS ON FRIDAY *** Making time – survive or crash Part 2
Last week, I was talking (once again) about the role of SURPRISE! in crashes which are – afterwards – seen as ‘avoidable’, even ‘obvious errors’. And the question I was asking was “why don’t riders see something coming during the build-up?”
I mentioned that a few years back Duncan MacKillop said here that: “the average accident takes just three seconds to go from happy and smiling to twitching in the gutter. Not a lot of time when you think about it…”
*** ELEVENSES *** Elevenses 209 Wed 26 Jan
in today’s show… wrong-way bike hits police officer on M25… popular press mislead road users on Highway Code changes… John Wayne’s SL350 under the hammer tomorrow… Swedish startup STILLRIDE fold their bike into shape using ‘industrial origami’… Jack Miller’s positive COVID test postpones Ducati’s MotoGP launch… Pyramid produce lockable storage hump at an eye-watering price…backers and buyers still waiting for speaker-free music player two years on… today’s riding tip – training for skills, pushing the envelope, margins for error and over-confidence…
*** TIPS ON TUESDAY *** Stopping – how to fail your bike test Part Two
Why not write a ‘how to pass your test’ series of posts? Simple enough. – if you’re taking training, your instructor is there to help and there are plenty of internet ‘pass your bike test’ articles too. But something I learned in over a decade of taking candidates off to test was that there were plenty of unexpected ways in which they could fail. And those are rarely, if ever, discussed. I started by talking about moving away, so here’s my second post on some traps to avoid when braking and stopping.
And this week’s 60 Second Safety video
ONLINE TRAINING – inexpensive courses available at most times seven days a week. Got a puzzle you want to understand? Need some suggestions for practical exercises you can work on when riding? Drop me a line at info@survivalskills.co.uk
ON-ROAD TRAINING – I’m still training and looking forward to MARCH when courses resume in full but for now bookings are:
- short notice only to take advantage of dry days (with a WET WEATHER GUARANTEE)
- based on my North London training routes
Visit www.survivalskills.co.uk for more info.
THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK…
…so finally SHARE THE NEWS! Please Please PLEASE pass on the newsletter to biking family and friends. If everyone who reads it shares it to one other rider, that’s another hundred riders who have a chance to read something potentially useful to them. Let’s get everyone we know ‘better biking’.
See you all next week
Kevin Williams
Survival Skills Rider Training
