MOTORCYLE PRO GUIDE 3 - READING THE ROAD
The key to fast, safe bike riding.
The single most transformational thing we can do for our riding is to evolve our ability to see and interpret detail at speed. At Rapid, we call this ‘reading the road’. Great riders can observe and interpret vastly more detail, much earlier, than novices and at far higher speeds. This allows them more time and space to react to the road ahead and effortlessly handle whatever comes their way.
What’s involved in reading the road?
Learning to read the road involves the development of both observation and interpretation skills. We need to be able to identify large amounts of detail, and we need to make sense of what it means to us. Our motorcycle courses for road riders will improve your road reading skills.
Observation
The process of observing and gathering information should be:
Early. The sooner we see the information, the more time we have to process the implications and develop a plan to react.
Detailed. We need to learn to observe all of the relevant detail ahead and behind us in order to decide if it might affect our riding plan.
Continuous. We need to develop ‘rolling road vision’, continuously scanning and updating rather than fi xating on any particular hazard.
Interpretation
Highly developed observation skills are not enough. Riders who want to achieve their potential must learn to make sense of what they see and accurately assess the implications for their riding. At Rapid we call this the ‘so what test’.
•We see an adverse camber. So what? It could affect my traction adversely and throw me off line.
• We see a car in the rear view mirror. So what? The car is gaining quickly and may affect my decision to use my brakes.
• We see an empty side road. So what? A car might arrive as I approach and am past the point of no return.
How do we develop our ability to read the road?
The key to developing our ability to read the road is to start slow. Focus on how early you are seeing new information, and how much detail you are gathering. Remember this is a continuous process (rolling road vision). Once you are making progress with the amount of detail, focus on interpreting what you see by applying the ‘so what’ test.
Short bursts of practice on every ride will very quickly develop your skill. Start off at slower speeds until you can gather and interpret every piece of available information, then build up your speed. The faster you go, the more skill it requires. You can only ride as fast as you can see, so investing in this skill will not only make you safer, it will also make you faster.