So let’s talk about being seen, lots of riders wear hi-viz gear, bright helmets or jackets, have modulating lights, turn brights on, etc. I prefer to forgo most of those things and just be ultra aware. Let me elaborate, I do run with my brights on as my headlights only turn one on in regular mode, but both when I have brights, whether this truly works or not is debatable, but I’m all about a little extra caution. In terms of gear, it gets really hot in the summer and black is just like being in a sauna, so I opt for other colors if I can find them, my favorite being red or white which is a lot cooler as well. Us gals do not have loads of options when it comes to street gear, most of the apparel made for us is usually black so it makes it hard to stay cool out on the hot pavement, bike and sunshine.
I’ve spoken about lane positioning before and that is crucial, lots of drivers complain that we sit in blind spots all too often, so make sure that if you are in one, you move and make yourself more visible. Going down the street you have the full width of the lane to make yourself seen which allows you freedom to move from the left side to the middle to the right side of the lane. Whether I am behind particularly big cars or not, I like to ride either side to allow myself greater visibility around the vehicle to anticipate what the driver will do. If you are going down a road with a lot of driveways to the right, stay on the right to be seen by those pulling out of those driveways. If you see someone in the turn lane ahead stay left so they can see you behind the vehicle. If there are two lanes going the same direction, depending on traffic, opt to the left lane since drivers coming out of intersections might have a hard time seeing you or predicting your speed as you enter into their path of travel. I honestly rarely stay in the middle unless it is all clear and open, but that typically isn’t the case. Always check your 6 (behind you in your mirrors, you need to be aware of vehicles behind you that might not be paying attention) when slowing down and stay to the right or left in case you need to move due to driver error behind you. If you are smack in the middle, you have nowhere to go except into the car in front of you. Try not to be behind large cars, you can’t see well around them and they hide you to all oncoming cars making turns, again drivers can’t see you. Also, don’t forget to signal, no one has ESP! Drivers can see you looking, but signal to give them a clear message of what you are doing and that can solve a lot of confusion. In addition, check your blind spot, physically turn and look just like a driver would (quick glance), don’t assume you are clear or you might meet someone you didn’t want to that day. This is an extra precaution, but is as important as all the safety measures you take to be seen.
Above all, be aware and fully focused of your surroundings, this is why I constantly preach track riding, at high speeds you learn to process things a lot quicker and when you go to the street it all seems like slow motion. You can really anticipate things quicker and process at a much higher level allowing you to relax more when trying to make your way around our crazy busy roadways. You start to actually see things in much more detail, see more things you need to be cautious of and feel more at ease to just ride. Not to mention the skills to be gained and translated to the street, the confidence you will gain and the knowledge that you will continue to build on to make you a better, safer rider. Hope to see you gals out there having fun and enjoying the sun! If you are interested in track days, look at the events page for upcoming track days and sign up!
Vixens Ride!
