Bad Thoughts To Have While Riding

We all have bad thoughts from time to time. That little devil sat on your shoulder, telling you to do the things you shouldn’t do. You might even listen sometimes, go faster than you should on your bike or assume you are safe when you’re not. Eventually ‘sometimes’ become most times and there you have it.. you’ve picked up a bad habit. Breaking bad habits usually takes longer than forming them. It might take a close call or an actual crash to change your mind set. The first step to stop listening to these thoughts is to recognise that they are bad. The We Buy Any Bike team came up with some possible thoughts that might get riders in trouble on the road..

‘I am literally Rossi’

We’ve all thought this (at least once), going round corners at high speed and feeling like Rossi himself. It’s an obvious one but people going faster than they can handle is extremely dangerous, for themselves and for other road uses. 1-14

‘Pretty sure the coast is clear’

To the chancers out there.. pretty sure doesn’t cut it. Being presumptuous when riding doesn’t work out well for anyone, and the worst thing is we’ve all done it. It’s something people often do in fact; take a chance because you’ve been waiting ages at a junction or missing a blind spot check because you’re in a rush to get home. 4-2

'They can obviously see me’

The best advice I have ever been given is ‘Ride like you are truly invisible’. This has saved my bacon a few times (thanks dad!). Drivers aren’t necessarily out to get you but if they aren’t riders themselves, it’s likely they’ll misjudge your speed, road position and size. So stay well back and keep your eye on drivers. Imagine they are going to make the worst possible manoeuvre, and then you might be pleasantly surprised. Make an effort to scan the road well in advance and watch out for things that could quickly turn into hazards. 3-4

‘I’m only going round the corner..’

No no no. If you’re even thinking about going riding in your t-shirt and shorts, no! There are some riders who seem to think you become much safer when the sun is out. Suddenly it’s impossible for you to fall off and gear is simply not needed. I don’t know why this happens but every year when summer hits, riders start thinking they are invincible and it makes me cringe. Thinking of those bare knees scuffing along the concrete.. Its just not worth taking the risk. 2-13