I did great, husband almost hit by a dump truck

[Ms. J]

So I went on the roads for the first time today. I have had problems with right turns from a stop but I was doing really well. We park our bikes in a storage unit close to our house since we don't have a garage and out kid doesn't believe that tipping a bike over on herself = death. Anyways, we finished our ride and my husband was taking his bike back to storage. I was in the car in front of him. I heard him lay on his horn and looked in my rearview to see a HUGE dump truck pull out in front of him!!! :eek: Luckily, he heard Tony hit the horn and he hit the brakes. Tony was only going like 20mph and was able to swerved around the front of him. It was at a busy intersection about 2 blocks from our driveway. SCARY!

[yotaman88210]

people suck

[Cbosman]

people suck

Agreed

[MadMadame]

Yikes! Glad he was able to evade....I had a full water truck pull out in front of me a couple years ago, I'm glad I was in my truck because I don't believe my bike (VStar at the time) would have been able to hop up on the sidewalk like I had to do in order not to get smooshed!

[Pedro]

Wow. That sucks. Glad he is ok.

[Ms. J]

In a weird way it was a good learning experience for me. I live in the smallest town ever, and thought it would be a great place to learn to ride. In reality, there were a lot of cars/trucks out on the road today, and people, and pets, etc. Good to see you can't get too comfortable, even just past your own driveway!

[Tonik]

I have had problems with right turns from a stop

Just a guess, not having seen you make a right turn.....but swing out more on the turn. Don't hug the right curb as much...start more to the middle of your lane and turn more into the middle of the target lane. Also don't turn quite as much at first, often people turn too fast and find themselves up against the curb half way through the turn. Just some ideas from what I found myself doing from time to time.

Very glad the dump truck worked out ok.

[Ms. J]

Just a guess, not having seen you make a right turn.....but swing out more on the turn. Don't hug the right curb as much...start more to the middle of your lane and turn more into the middle of the target lane. Also don't turn quite as much at first, often people turn too fast and find themselves up against the curb half way through the turn. Just some ideas from what I found myself doing from time to time.

Very glad the dump truck worked out ok.

I actually have the opposite problem. I turn too wide and don't stay in my lane. I can do it fine, unless I am trying from a dead stop like a stop sign. I think the leaning is still a little uneasy for me, and I need to get over it and commit to the turn when I go.

[gl1200]

glad everything turned out OK , you have to watch out fot the idots out there

[Sapphy]

I actually have the opposite problem. I turn too wide and don't stay in my lane. I can do it fine, unless I am trying from a dead stop like a stop sign. I think the leaning is still a little uneasy for me, and I need to get over it and commit to the turn when I go.

I had the same problem anytime I seen the least little bit of loose sand/gravel in a turn (just about all of them). I was always afraid I would loose a traction and lay it down. With a lot of time and turning I have gotten more comfortable with it and am doing much better. So, give it time, it will come.

[chevysoldier]

Glad everyone is okay. When I first read your title I thought you meant you were trying to get him hit by a dump truck.

[Ms. J]

I had the same problem anytime I seen the least little bit of loose sand/gravel in a turn (just about all of them). I was always afraid I would loose a traction and lay it down. With a lot of time and turning I have gotten more comfortable with it and am doing much better. So, give it time, it will come.

Thanks for the encouragement! I dropped my bike in a parking lot last Sunday on a right turn. I knew I needed to work on them Bike is pretty much fine, and I am pretty much fine. It is something I know I need to work on, so I made a point today to go around my block (all right turns!) several times. Really glad the whole dump truck thing happened after my bike was tucked in for the day I think I would have freaked out!

[Ms. J]

Glad everyone is okay. When I first read your title I thought you meant you were trying to get him hit by a dump truck.

That is hilarious! But if I did that I would have no one to teach me to ride

[timotheus]

i learned to ride soooo long ago (1978) i cant remember what problems i had. its probably a good thing i cant remember

[timotheus]

this is the bike i learned on

[Tonik]

I dropped my bike in a parking lot last Sunday on a right turn.

Based upon your other response about this I THINK you should consider counter weighting when you first take off. You are turning right from a stop the bike is going slow...as it leans right it is going to want to tip to the right because you have no speed or momentum to keep it stable. You lean/move your body to the left to counter weight the bike trying to take a dive to the right.

Again, just basing this upon your descriptions. You know what is happening, think about what I said on your next right turn and see if it feels right to you before you try it.

[jblosser]

I actually have the opposite problem. I turn too wide and don't stay in my lane. I can do it fine, unless I am trying from a dead stop like a stop sign. I think the leaning is still a little uneasy for me, and I need to get over it and commit to the turn when I go.

You have two sets of handlebars: the ones you grab on to, and your eyes. Wherever you look is where you go. If you see a patch of gravel/sand and fixate on it (OHMYGOD I DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH THAT!!!), guess where you're gonna go?

Try maybe looking through the turn, where you want to be in, say 30 feet, instead of 5 feet in front of your tire.

[Ms. J]

Based upon your other response about this I THINK you should consider counter weighting when you first take off. You are turning right from a stop the bike is going slow...as it leans right it is going to want to tip to the right because you have no speed or momentum to keep it stable. You lean/move your body to the left to counter weight the bike trying to take a dive to the right.

Again, just basing this upon your descriptions. You know what is happening, think about what I said on your next right turn and see if it feels right to you before you try it.

Tried this in a parking lot the other day. Sort of helps, but I can't decide which seems more comfortable. Maybe I will give it another try. I also thought about stopping a little before the stop sign to give myself more of a start before the turn since I do ok when I am already moving. This seems to help, but I worry that a car from behind may not realize I am stopping a tad early.

You have two sets of handlebars: the ones you grab on to, and your eyes. Wherever you look is where you go. If you see a patch of gravel/sand and fixate on it (OHMYGOD I DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH THAT!!!), guess where you're gonna go?

Try maybe looking through the turn, where you want to be in, say 30 feet, instead of 5 feet in front of your tire.

This is sooo true! I will try that next time for sure. I do look right at the ground in front of me when I am turning. I look ahead before and after the turn.

[C-bus]

It all comes together with practice. A month from now, you won't even think about it.

[Ms. J]

It all comes together with practice. A month from now, you won't even think about it.

Thanks! I only have about 5-6 hours in total, so I think I am doing ok.

[Ms. J]

Glad he's still with us.

Now' date=' on to your turning issue... are you looking down during the turn? You should be looking to where you want to go and not where your front tire is. Your bike will follow your head.[/quote']

I keep trying to figure out what my issue is. There are probably many. I think leaning into the turn is still awkward for me, and when I think I am not going to stay in my lane my instinct is to turn the handlebars hard like on a bicycle. I did get a lot better today, but there was only one instance where there was a car waiting to turn so there was no room for error. A few times I did not make the turn in my lane.

[redrocket04]

Like it's been said, looking where you want to go. It sounds ridiculous, but after having it pounded into my head at MSF class, I swear, it works.

[Ms. J]

Remember this:

If you want to go right.. look right' date=' push right, lean right.

If you want to go left.. look left, push left, lean left.

Don't try to "steer" the handlebars. Push on the bar. Don't pull on the bar. Keep your arms loose. If you tense up your arms the bike will not want to turn/lean.[/quote']

This applies at all speeds? I do fine when I am in motion already. It is making a right turn from a stop that I struggle with.

[Reimbrandt]

glad things worked out.... just a side note. My father drove a milk truck delivering door to door for years. The larger trucks a major thing to keep an eye on.... seen it happen many times, look both ways and then theres a bike. If the driver looks at just the right time a cycle is easliy hidden my the large mirrors. Not an excuse for the driver, but a real reason for a rider to be extra aware.

[Ms. J]

glad things worked out.... just a side note. My father drove a milk truck delivering door to door for years. The larger trucks a major thing to keep an eye on.... seen it happen many times, look both ways and then theres a bike. If the driver looks at just the right time a cycle is easliy hidden my the large mirrors. Not an excuse for the driver, but a real reason for a rider to be extra aware.

Our road is busy, and I think what a lot of people do is see a car and think, "I am going after X car" then check the other way. You can see pretty far in one direction, but not the other. Since I was in front of my husband, my guess is that he saw me and just didn't notice the bike behind me. I was glad he wasn't hit, and that I wasn't on my bike at the time.