I'm a bit sleepy at the moment, but here's the advice I recall at the moment:
Slow down before you get to the curve. You'll want to be able to gradually speed up during the curve, makes it feel more natural.
There's two kinds of bikers:Those who admit to having dropped a bike, and those who lie. If it's going to fall, let it. Don't let it break your leg on the way down, and don't throw out your back trying to keep it up. (I recommend getting a bike with engine guards, or getting them installed. Dropping bikes is common among newbies.)
Let me know when you have a bike, and your address. I have a bell to give you.
Stay hydrated. This applies to longer rides, with the wind you won't feel like you're hot, but you'll lose a surprising amount of body water.
My Dad's advice (take with huge grain of salt, he's old and slightly crazy): Avoid belts or chains, and stick to bikes with drive shafts.
Carry a pressure gauge on your bike. Use it amazingly often. Loosing a tire to low pressure can be really bad, moreso than a car.
In the event of "Oh Shit.", straighten out and decrease speed until you're more comfortable with what's going on.
Consider a headlight modulator. Consensus is divided on them, but be aware that they exist and are legal.
Get one of those "kick stand no sink" dealies. They come in handy a surprising number of occasions. (Story told by my safety instructor, who claimed it to be first hand: She arrived at a school to give a class, which had just laid down new asphalt. After the class, her bike was on its side and the kickstand was sunken into the asphalt which then hardened. Her friends came to her rescue, and cut a chunk out of the asphalt.)
Drinking and driving. Don't. It's a lot more stupid on a bike.
Seriously consider a full face helmet, especially if you don't have a windshield. Don't use normal Windex on your windshield, it apparently causes issues with the plastic windshields.
...That's all I can think of. Take it all with a grain of salt, I'm a sleepy ferret.
Slow down before you get to the curve. You'll want to be able to gradually speed up during the curve, makes it feel more natural.
There's two kinds of bikers:Those who admit to having dropped a bike, and those who lie. If it's going to fall, let it. Don't let it break your leg on the way down, and don't throw out your back trying to keep it up. (I recommend getting a bike with engine guards, or getting them installed. Dropping bikes is common among newbies.)
Let me know when you have a bike, and your address. I have a bell to give you.
Stay hydrated. This applies to longer rides, with the wind you won't feel like you're hot, but you'll lose a surprising amount of body water.
My Dad's advice (take with huge grain of salt, he's old and slightly crazy): Avoid belts or chains, and stick to bikes with drive shafts.
Carry a pressure gauge on your bike. Use it amazingly often. Loosing a tire to low pressure can be really bad, moreso than a car.
In the event of "Oh Shit.", straighten out and decrease speed until you're more comfortable with what's going on.
Consider a headlight modulator. Consensus is divided on them, but be aware that they exist and are legal.
Get one of those "kick stand no sink" dealies. They come in handy a surprising number of occasions. (Story told by my safety instructor, who claimed it to be first hand: She arrived at a school to give a class, which had just laid down new asphalt. After the class, her bike was on its side and the kickstand was sunken into the asphalt which then hardened. Her friends came to her rescue, and cut a chunk out of the asphalt.)
Drinking and driving. Don't. It's a lot more stupid on a bike.
Seriously consider a full face helmet, especially if you don't have a windshield. Don't use normal Windex on your windshield, it apparently causes issues with the plastic windshields.
...That's all I can think of. Take it all with a grain of salt, I'm a sleepy ferret.
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