Dropping your bike
It's almost inevitable. At some time or another, most of us will drop our bike. It can be something simple such as forgetting to put down a kickstand. Or a drop can be due to a number of factors such as a tall bike, an uneven surface and a turned wheel.
I'm somewhat of an expert on the subject as you know if you've read my profile.
A woman posted on one of the forums I frequent. She's set to take the MSF course soon but she stated that her biggest concern right now was how to prevent herself from dropping the bike.
She had a number of helpful replies. Here was my reply:
I have owned three bikes and could not flatfoot any of them. Here's what works for me:
-I never stop with the wheel turned
-I wear boots that give me an added height advantage and have great traction such as the Daytona Ladystars
-I pay careful attention to the road surface when I stop my bike. I avoid sand, gravel, pine needles and other debris. I look out for oil or other fluids on the ground. I look for a flat smooth surface and try to avoid inclines.
-Most important for me, I spent a lot of time in a parking lot learning to shift my derriere on the bike seat when coming to a stop so I can firmly plant one foot solidly on the ground.
-Even though it might not look cool, I never try to back up while sitting on the bike. I put the kickstand down, get off the bike, lift the bike upright and then slowly manuever the bike into position. I keep the kickstand down as a safety measure.
-I do ask my friends for help if I need help. On one group ride, the ride leader warned us that the restaurant we were going to had an uneven dirt and gravel parking lot. He graciously offered to ride/walk my bike into the parking lot when we arrived. I was the only rider who initially asked for help. Several riders had some difficulty in the parking lot though. So, when we left the restaurant, the ride leader ended up walking three bikes out of the parking lot.
-Another word of advice....if the drop is inevitable, step away from the bike if you can. The last time I dropped a bike, I tried to save it even though it was well past the point of no return. I got pinned underneath the bike and broke my foot despite wearing motorcycle boots.
In response to my post, one fairly new rider disliked my next to the last point. He felt that asking or accepting help was limiting myself as a rider:
"I think [asking for help] is OK when you are unfamilar with your bike, however, when you get comfortable on it, manuevers like the one above need to be done often in order for you to grow and become a better rider. Dropping the bike is inevitable so accept that fact and learn how to quickly upright it or learn the best way to dismount from the bike when it goes down in gravel/dirt. Standing while riding in these conditions provide much more stability and control so that should be considered too."
I agree with his advice that you need to practice the riding skills that give you trouble and find ways to overcome any problems. Practicing has increased my confidence in my ability to stop the bike safely in a variety of conditions. For me, it's not so much a factor of becoming more familiar with my bike as it is a factor of trusting myself and my abilities. I do think increased practice goes hand in hand with increased confidence.
Nevertheless, I still think there is something to be said in asking for or accepting help when you need assistance. On one of my first group rides, the ride leader pulled over on the side of the road and stopped. As we each stopped in turn, I realized that the shoulder of the road was very slanted. After I put the kickstand down, I tried to bring the bike upright while sitting on the bike. I couldn't do it because of the bike's angle. Now, I would simply get off the bike and walk it to where I needed it to be. Back then, I did what I needed to do.....I asked for help.
At the beginning of another group ride, I thought I might have been coming down with a cold. As the ride progressed and the weather became colder and colder and I rapidly became sicker and sicker. I was dizzy, cold and miserable. I made it home but I don't have a clear recollection of the trip back. That was stupid. I should have pulled over and asked for help but I didn't.
Bottom line, you should practice to improve your skills and overcome problems. However, I still maintain that you should ask for help when you need assistance.
